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This is the fifth story in the Protégé series. Like the last, this story is decidedly NC-17 for explicit sex and graphic violence. You've been warned! It would be very helpful to read the stories in order (especially if you want them to make sense!)
Comments, praise, and constructive criticisms are always welcome, so please write.
Under the Southern Cross
By TheGreyOwl
Heads turned to watch as the two women strode down the jetway from the airplane. They both had figures that models would die for, and they wore clothes that emphasized their bodies...short dresses with low necklines, provocatively bare legs in sling back shoes. They each only carried a single oversized shoulderbag. The brunette carried on an animated monologue in English and her use of idioms was American. She appeared in her late 20's, her blonde companion in her very early 20's. Since they had only the one bag, neither went to the baggage claim area. They went straight into Customs and Immigration Control, well ahead of the other passengers on the international flight from the United States.
"Welcome to Australia, Miss Darieux," said the cute Customs agent as he looked at Amanda's British passport. "Is your trip here business or pleasure?"
"Oh, pleasure, most definitely." Amanda almost purred as the agent handed her back her passport. "I don't have any bags except this one. We had our things sent on ahead."
The agent smiled at the vivacious woman, and then looked at her younger companion. There was an air of sadness, almost melancholy, about her. The smile on her face did not touch her eyes, which looked very sad and forlorn. He suspected some terrible tragedy had befallen the beautiful young woman. Although she thanked him when he returned her British passport, he could tell he had barely registered on her. His mind still on the sad young woman, he glanced up as the doors to Customs opened. [Here comes the thundering herd.]
Amanda dropped her shoulder bag on the credenza in their hotel suite. "Now you have seen the wisdom of sending the bags on ahead. No customs hassles. No waiting for lost bags. Although it might have been fun to have spent some more time with that cute customs agent, don't you think?"
"Oh, was he cute? I hadn't really noticed. Well, I guess I'll go make sure everything arrived intact."
Amanda could only shake her head as she watched Megan slowly walk away. [Will she ever get over this? I must have really underestimated Joe Dawson if he has this much affect on her. She knows this is for the best.]
Megan's things were in two boxes in her bedroom. She unpacked the clothes, finding everything in its place just as she'd packed it. She couldn't help wonder if the boxes had been x-rayed, and what the inspectors would have thought of her rapier if they had. She opened the second box, which contained her lingerie and other clothes. She found what she was searching for, the small silver-framed photograph of Joe Dawson, her lover and friend. [Oh, Joe, I miss you so much.]
Amanda had rushed Megan out of the country within days of the young woman's public "death" at the zoo. The fact that she had fallen in love with Joe Dawson had complicated everything at that point. Joe knew Megan was still alive, but he also knew she was as good as dead as far as her Megan Carson identity was concerned. [This whole situation is actually harder on Joe than Megan. She started over with a new identity and he has to stay behind and grieve for their lost love.] Amanda had never felt deeper sympathy for the grizzled Watcher.
Amanda wondered what she could do to bring Megan out of this depressed state of mind. [Perhaps a few days of sun and sand at the Great Barrier Reef would help...followed by a safari to the Outback, maybe? It sure wouldn't hurt.] Amanda finished her own unpacking, then went to check on Megan.
Megan was sound asleep on her bed, the framed picture of Joe clutched to her like a child holding a teddy bear. Amanda drew the coverlet over the sleeping woman, then left the room, closing the bedroom door behind her.
When she reached the living room, Amanda placed a long-distance call to Duncan MacLeod. "Hi, we're finally here."
"Amanda! How was the flight?"
"It was long, but smooth. Your advice about shipping our stuff really paid off when we hit Customs."
"How's Megan doing?"
"As well as can be expected. She's depressed and moping. Right now she's asleep, holding a picture of Joe. It's going to take time, Duncan, and even that may not be enough. How's Joe holding up?"
"I'm really worried about him, Amanda. He really loves her, and his grief is becoming deeper each day as the reality of her absence sets in. As you'd expect, he's been at the bar every night playing the guitar. What really concerns me is what Mike, the night bartender, told me. Joe's really been drinking heavily, almost a fifth of bourbon a night. He's slept on a cot at the club almost every night. The memories and the emptiness in the apartment are just too strong for him to face."
"Duncan, you've got to take care of Joe. You cannot let him self-destruct like this. You go drag him out of that club and take him someplace away from the memories and the booze. Get him back in control. Remind him that Megan is still alive, and she'd be very upset if she knew what was happening with him."
"I'll try, Amanda, but I'm not making any promises. We may have to find some way to get them back together, if only for a short time. Tell me, what are you going to do next?"
"Well, I thought I'd take her snorkeling and diving around the Great Barrier Reef first. Put that girl in a thong on a beach and she'll have more attention than she'll know what to do with. If that doesn't work, then I figured we'd take a trek into the Outback, look at some kangaroos and such. Why?"
"Because, if all else fails, I'm bringing Joe to Australia." Duncan paused. "In fact, let's do that. I'll give you a call when I've set up our travel arrangements."
"Duncan, are you sure this is smart? Won't they just have to go through the whole separation thing all over again?"
"Amanda, we isolated her immediately after I snuck her out of the morgue, and if she hadn't run away, those two might not have even had those stolen moments together in the Aquarium. They have never had a chance to say good-bye or anything. I don't think either will be able to move on with their lives without this chance."
Reluctantly, Amanda agreed to Duncan's plan.
Amanda knew that, once she told Megan of the plan to bring Joe to Australia, Megan would become the most impatient person on the planet. As a result, Amanda went about setting the stage for Duncan and Joe's visit without telling Megan.
She contacted the hotel's travel desk and requested they book a nice two-bedroom suite at a prestigious hotel at the beach. She explained they would need the rooms for about two weeks, but she wasn't sure of the exact start date yet as she was awaiting the travel information for the rest of her party. She also requested arrangements for guides to oversee their planned snorkeling and diving excursions. The agent suggested a slightly different venue. The Northwest coast had some beautiful beaches and some unspoiled areas. There was an island that boasted some of the best underwater sights. He could book them into a very nice bed and breakfast for a lot less that the Great Barrier package and they would have a much nicer and more private getaway. Amanda decided that sounded perfect, but she also wanted some literature about Outback safaris, in case they decided to go that route as well.
The desk was extremely helpful and said they would notify the bed and breakfast to be standing by. In fact, all she had to do was let the desk know when she needed the rooms at the beach and they'd handle everything. An information packet on both the Northwest coast excursion and Outback safaris would be sent up to the suite right away. Amanda thanked them and hung up the phone.
[Now all I need is the strength to get through the wait for Duncan and Joe!]
Duncan went over to Joe's Blues Bar and pounded on the locked door. He knew Joe was inside asleep; his van was still in the parking lot. Duncan also knew that Joe would probably have an incredible hangover. He kept pounding until he heard the sound of someone cursing inside. [Well, he's up. He isn't happy, but that's just too bad.]
"What the hell do you want at this ungodly hour, MacLeod?" Joe turned away, letting Duncan enter the club.
"Nice to see you, too, Joe. I thought I'd stop by to pick you up and save you the trouble of rushing around trying to catch up to me. Seems the least I could do for my Watcher, especially since he's been acting a bit out of character lately."
"What are you talking about? Pick me up for what?" Joe demanded, angrily. "I just want to be left alone, MacLeod. Can't any of you understand that?"
"Whoa, wait a minute, Joe. Listen to what I am about to tell you. First of all, I presume there is no one else here, right?" At Joe's angry nod, Duncan continued. "Okay, here's the deal. You and I are going to get into my T-bird and drive over to your apartment. While you take a shower and generally try to become a member of the human race once again, I will pack your suitcase. Is your passport at the apartment or is it in a safety deposit box?"
"Neither, its here in the safe. Why?"
"Because in about two hours we will be leaving for Australia."
"And why would I want to go to Australia? I can just have some other Watcher cover you. In fact, I'm thinking seriously about retiring."
"Dawson, you ass. We're going to Australia because that's where Megan is waiting for you. Now, do I have to fly down there and tell her that you couldn't be bothered to come see her and then introduce her to whatever new Watcher you've assigned to me instead?"
"Megan? We're going to go to Megan? Why the hell didn't you say so?" Dawson hurried into the bar office, opened the safe and retrieved his passport. He started to get some of the cash out, but Duncan told him to put it back. "Joe, this trip is on Amanda and me. Consider it our gift to the both of you."
Joe looked at Duncan for a moment, then he walked over to his Immortal friend and put his arms around him. As he hugged Duncan close, he said, "Thank you, Duncan. I don't deserve a friend as good as you. I've been losing my mind these last few days."
"I know, Joe, I know. Let's get going."
Amanda hung up the telephone after jotting down Duncan's flight information. She then called the desk and relayed the need for the seaside reservations starting in two days. Assured that the concierge would handle all with dispatch, Amanda hung up the telephone and went into Megan's room.
Megan was just sitting in a chair staring out the window. She barely moved as Amanda entered the room.
"Hey, what do you want to do tonight? "
"I don't care, Amanda. Whatever you want to do is fine."
"Well, I thought we'd get some dinner, then come back here and get some rest. We'll need our energy tomorrow."
"Why? What's so important about tomorrow?"
"Well, dear one, tomorrow at noon, we must be at the airport to meet Duncan and Joe."
It took a moment for Amanda's words to register, but when they did, it was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. Megan just seemed to brighten. In a whisper, she said, "He's coming here? Joe will be here tomorrow?"
Suddenly, Megan sprang from the chair and twirled around, laughing aloud. "Oh, Amanda, you don't know what this means!"
"Oh, yes I do. It means no more rain clouds all over your face."
"I guess I've been a pain. I'm sorry."
"Don't be silly, girl. You've been hurting and it's completely understandable."
Megan rushed across the room and hugged Amanda. "Thank you for this, Amanda. I really need to see Joe. I have been so worried about him."
Megan waited impatiently outside of Customs and Immigration Control, pacing back and forth, her short skirt swirling around her hips with every turn. The cause of her impatience, the international flight from the United States, had finally landed...only two hours late. Now that the plane was finally on the ground, Megan's impatience had really flowered. The doors from Customs stayed stubbornly closed...wait, people were starting to come out. She strained her eyes, hoping for a glimpse of Joe.
[Why, it's those great looking women from the other day!] thought the customs agent when he caught sight of Megan through the swinging door. [Boy, something's changed. That look of sadness is gone. She's obviously waiting for someone. I wonder who it could be.] He looked around at the arriving passengers. [Perhaps the tall gentleman with the ponytail? No, she's not looking at him although her friend is. Wait, she's waving at the older gentleman with the canes. Maybe he's a relative.]
The customs agent changed his opinion when he saw the kiss Megan gave Joe when he finally exited Customs. Her enthusiastic embrace and deep kiss gave very clear signals that this was someone very special in her life. The other couples embrace was only slightly more circumspect, at least until the ponytailed man lifted her off her feet and swung her around. But it was obvious that neither woman carried what others thought; their delight with their companions was evident to all.
"You sure feel good!" Joe whispered in Megan's ear.
"You just wait," Megan whispered back.
Duncan put Amanda back on the ground and the two walked off a ways to give Joe and Megan a little privacy. Since Joe and Megan were completely oblivious to their surroundings, the gesture was wasted. They just stood there, holding each other's hands and staring into each other's eyes.
"Hey you two, let's get moving!" Duncan called out to them, rousing them from their splendid isolation. Megan laughed gaily, gave Joe another hug, then they followed Amanda and Duncan out of the terminal.
Not everyone enjoyed the sight of the happy reunion. There was one pair of eyes that narrowed at the sight of one of the women, one set of lips that narrowed and formed a name. "Amanda."
*** *** ***
England, 1350
Willam of Kent had a good life. His appointment as night guard of the Duke's treasury capped a great year for the Immortal. Other than being either Sergeant of the Guard or one of the Duke's personal guards, treasury guards were the most coveted positions, due to the Duke's trust and the higher pay and other prerogatives that came with it. It was also one of the safest jobs in the castle.
The treasury was located within the east tower, which stood with its stone walls rising above the sheer cliff over the rocky seacoast. For an intruder to reach the treasury, they must pass through the entire castle and all its guards. Only three people could pass the stout oak door without question: the duke, his lady, and the head steward. It was the guard's responsibility to ensure the door remained sealed at all other times so the contents of the treasury would be safe.
Willam was startled to sense the approach of another of his kind, but he could not pinpoint the direction the feeling originated. As the feeling grew stronger, he could not credit was his senses reported; the other would have to be climbing the sheer walls of the tower. There was no doubt, however, when he felt the intruder inside the treasury.
Willam was now faced with a dilemma. It was death for him to enter the treasury, but it was also death if anything was taken from there. His only hope in catching the thief and offer them as mitigating circumstances to the Duke. Willam drew his sword and opened the treasury door. He was stunned to find the intruder was a woman, wearing scandalously only a breast band and clout, carrying a small sack into which she thrust various jewels. She'd already reached the stone sill of the small opening in the wall as he started forward.
"I am Willam of Kent, and I challenge you, wench."
"Well, Willam, it will have to be some other time. Unless you wish to fight out here." She lipped through the opening into the night. He raced to the opening and peered out, watching as she made her way down the wall. Upon reaching the edge of the cliff, she worked her way to the side and reached the sheltered side of the castle wall. There she mounted a horse and rode off into the night.
Willam turned and started to leave the treasury. As he reached the door, he found himself facing the Sergeant of the Guard and his roving patrol. Willam started to explain about the near naked woman who had climbed the wall but the Sergeant clouted him across the mouth, silencing him. "Take him away, you two," he said, pointing to two of the guards. He then pointed at two others, "You will guard this room. Your lives are forfeit if this door opens again without the Duke's permission."
The Duke listened to Willam's defense of his actions. The guards along the castle wall did support his statement about a rider in the night, although they could not confirm it had been a woman. The search of Willam's person had not turned up a single jewel, but the Sergeant stated his belief that Willam had thrown them to his confederate below because it was impossible for any soul to climb those walls of stone. The Duke's decision was quickly reached and his sentence was immediate. Willam of Kent was taken to the top of the East Tower and thrown from the battlements to the rocky coast below
Willam's broken body washed from the rocks as the tide came in. he was swept along the shore and eventually cast upon the beach some miles from the castle. As he endured the painful realignment of his shattered bones, he thought of the woman responsible. He vowed he would find her.
He spent years following scant information about her. Most believed he was following a runaway wife, and because of his obvious hatred, gave him little information. He did learn she was known as Amanda. He followed her trail for years, earning his keep through menial tasks along the way. He finally became a highwayman, preying on other travelers for their money, their food, their horses.
As the centuries passed, the authorities eventually caught Willam of Kent, now called William Kent. These were more enlightened times, so he was not summarily executed. He was tried, sentenced, then taken to Newgate Prison where he joined the others awaiting transport to Botany Bay.
Life at Botany Bay had been hell. He'd eventually 'died' and then escaped to hide in the outback. As far as William Kent was concerned, Amanda had ruined his life and he cursed her with every breath he took.
*** *** ***
Kent followed the foursome at a discrete distance. It was a fine line he walked, not knowing whether they could sense his presence. They seemed completely oblivious to him as he followed them into the parking area. He saw them get into a rented car and rushed to his own battered vehicle to follow them. They drove straight to their hotel and went inside.
[Amanda. Amanda is here. I don't know who the others are, but they'd best not get in my way. The old mortal's no threat and I doubt the young bird is either. I'll just watch and wait. My time will come.]
Hours later, Megan lay snuggled against Joe, replete in afterglow. The afternoon had been filled with activity followed by dinner at the hotel. Megan had finally taken Joe by the hand, led him to their room, closed and locked the door, and took him to bed.
They were at once both passionate and tender, rough yet gentle, brazen and shy. No caress was unwelcome, no touched was rebuffed. Every inch of their skins seemed alive. Every inch was caressed and loved. Now, with their initial passions spent, they lay intertwined on the bed, each lightly caressing the other as to reassure that it had not been just a vivid dream.
Joe's touch was sending shivers through her, re-igniting the fires of her passion. She lowered her hand to his genitals and gently caressed him. He grew in her hand, and Megan bent her head and took him in her mouth. Joe gasped as he felt her lips close around his shaft. He'd not experienced this since before the war; he'd never had a woman who could handle his truncated legs well enough to get that close to them. Megan's left hand stroked his shaft while her right gently caressed his testes through their sac. As she took him deeper into her throat, she shifted her hips and moved over top of Joe's chest, lowering her own throbbing sex to his eager mouth. Joe's tongue surveyed her slippery channel and his hands explored the perfect orbs of her buttocks. He moved his tongue along her dusky cleft, rimming her anus, then delved back into her slit. As his lips found her clit and he began to suck on it, he placed a finger lightly against her anus and lightly traced around the now-slippery ring of muscle. He could feel the ring relax slightly and he applied gentle pressure as he continued to suck and nibble on her clitoris. Soon his finger penetrated her and he gently eased the finger in and out.
Megan took her right hand and collected some of the saliva from his shaft, then she took her now wet fingers and placed them against Joe's rectum. Before he could react, she slide her finger inside of his backside as deep as she could thrust, feeling at last the golf-ball sized prostate gland. As her finger pressed against the gland, Joe was pushed over the edge into orgasm, with jet after jet pumping into Megan's throat. She quickly swallowed every explosion, her hand milking his shaft until he had nothing left to give.
His orgasm now finished, Joe devoted all of his attention to Megan. He trapped her clit between his lips, applying a combination of gentle suction and pressure from his teeth. His finger moved deep inside her anus while other fingers explored the inside of her sex. The rhythmic thrusts of his fingers alternated with the suction on her clitoris soon had Megan gasping aloud as her orgasm approached. She stifled a scream of release when it finally crashed over her. Disengaging his fingers, Joe eagerly drank the flow of her juices, his tongue lapping her clean.
Megan shifted back around and laid her head on Joe's chest. "My God, Joe. That was awesome!"
Megan moved up and kissed Joe very slowly and very deeply. His hands were in her hair, caressing her head as they kissed. When the kiss ended, she placed her head on his chest and they just hugged until sleep finally claimed them.
Megan awoke to the delicious sensations caused by Joe's hands stroking her body. When he saw that her eyes were open, he bent his head and kissed her, deeply. "Megan, just lie back and enjoy." His hands resumed their exploration of her body. He started at her head, tracing the contours of her skull with his fingers, combing his fingers through her now-blonde hair. "Turn over."
Megan rolled onto her stomach and Joe's hands once again her in her hair, caressing her head, tracing the muscles in the back of her neck. His lips gently touched the nape of her neck as his hands moved out onto her shoulders and arms, then back up. His strong hands kneaded the muscles in her shoulders and upper back, his thumbs working their way, vertebra by vertebra, down her spine, his splayed fingers reaching her sides and ribs. His lips now traveled down her neck, nibbling and gently sucking on her extremely sensitive neck. The lower his hands went on her back, the lower his lips traveled, echoing the path of his thumbs now with their butterfly-like pressure.
His hands crossed her waist and now devoted themselves to exploring her firm backside. His fingertips lightly passed ever so gently over her skin, making her squirm from the tickling sensations this light touch produced. His caress became firmer now, and his hands stroked her firm buttocks. Her legs parted in response to this new arousing sensation as if to provide him with freer access to her treasures as his thumbs would slide along her dusky crevasse, stopping just short of her sensitive sphincter. Each stroke of his hands increased her inner tension, like winding the mainspring of a clock. When his thumb finally passed across her anus during a stroke, a shock raced through her that was so powerful, it tripped her over into an orgasm.
Not letting up, Joe now moved down to her legs, his hands moving slowly down the back of her thighs to her knee then up the inside of her thighs. As his hands would near the junction of her legs, she would shift her hips, trying to bring her sex into contact with his hands. Joe avoided touching this delicate area, prolonging her suspense. She jumped in surprise when she felt his lips on the back of her knee; she never realized it was an erogenous zone hardwired to her pleasure center. Joe's strong hands now worked on her calves and down to her feet, his thumbs digging in to the instep, her toes spreading in response to the pressure. The sensation was so all-encompassing that she was not prepared when she felt his lips close around her big toe, his tongue teasing the spaces between her toes as he nibbled the toes and the sole of her foot. More sparks raced through her as he orally assaulted her feet.
Now Megan was told to roll over, and his hands and lips began to work their way slowly back up her body. His hands brushed lightly over her pubic thatch, the brief contact causing her breath to catch in her throat. She knew she was wide open to his gaze, her musky scent strong in her arousal. His lips also just missed the focal point of her arousal as they moved over her stomach, pausing to briefly tongue her sensitive navel. His fingers teased her rigid nipples, alternating between gently tugging on the distended nubs and rubbing them in a circular motion. When his lips closed over each nipple in turn, she knew another more powerful orgasm was coming soon, the pressure wave building inside her. His mouth left her breasts and worked over the hollow of her throat and along her jaw line to her ear, then down to her mouth. Her tongue darted out to meet his as their lips joined in a bruising kiss. His hands moved up from her breasts into her hair once again, and he held her head firmly between his hands as he kissed her.
Megan's frustration had reached its peak. She needed release. Her own hands moved to the junction of her thighs and Joe sat back to watch for a moment, marveling at her complete freedom in his presence. She started to make small, inarticulate noises in her throat as her fingers searched in the sensitive folds. Joe moved his head downwards again, his strong hands parting her legs, and he moved his tongue onto her distended and throbbing clitoris. Megan's back arched as his lips closed about this sensitive nerve bundle and her hips began to buck against his mouth. Joe inserted first one then two fingers inside Megan, and the combination of his talented mouth and probing fingers shot Megan into a tremendous orgasm, one so strong she screamed aloud in her pleasure.
Knowing that a freshly climaxed woman can sometimes be too sensitive to be touched intimately immediately after orgasm, Joe moved back up her body and held her closely to him, feeling the shuddering aftershocks of her continuing orgasm rock her body. Finally, she opened her eyes to look at Joe, and she smiled the half-drowsy smile of a satisfied woman. Joe lay back on the bed, his arm around Megan, pleased with himself.
Megan's hands immediately located his turgid organ and she quickly moved over him, guiding him inside her now overflowing passage. She sat upon Joe's hips, and slowly lifted and rotated her hips, over and over. She watched his face as her movements and her gentle contractions of the vaginal muscles combined to move Joe towards his own orgasm. As his own hips began to move in harmony with hers, she knew he was close. When his back arched, she clenched her muscles tightly around his shaft, and she felt every spasm that pumped his seed inside her body. The sensation was enough to push her into yet another orgasm, and she laid her head down up his chest to ride out the intense waves of pleasure. His gentle hands caressed her back and buttocks as they lay there, their ragged breathing slowly returning to normal.
"Now that's what I call a great way to wake up! How'd you like a job as my alarm clock? Of course, you'd have to be set for an hour before I needed to be up to leave time for all this, but it would be worth losing a little sleep to wake up like that every morning.
"No, you'd get bored with it after a while. I'll have to come up with some other tricks to keep you guessing."
"My God, Joe, I don't know if I could handle any more than this. Since yesterday, you have given me the most intense orgasms I have ever experienced. What more could you possibly do to make this more intense? It just doesn't seem physically possible to get more intense."
"I never said it would. I just said it would be different. I still have a few tricks left that I am eager to try on you, but not now. Now we need to get cleaned up and see if there's anything that resembles coffee in the 'Land Down Under'."
When Megan and Joe left their room, they found Amanda and Duncan sitting in the living room sharing coffee from a silver service provided by Room Service. "Tell me there's more coffee and some food left," Joe demanded.
"Of course," Amanda replied, holding up another carafe. "It would seem some people have worked up a powerful appetite. I wonder what they been doing?" she asked, her attempt at an innocent expression failing miserably.
When Megan and Joe both blushed bright red, Duncan told her "Behave! It's not like you went straight to sleep last night."
"I did, too, right after we..." her voice trailed off as she realized Duncan was just teasing her. She covered her small irritation by serving Megan and Joe their coffee.
"Have you heard what Amanda has planned for us?" Duncan asked.
"No, what? Some exciting visit to a museum, followed by five to ten years in jail?"
Duncan snickered at Joe's deft reference to Amanda's somewhat checkered past. "No, actually she thought we might enjoy visiting a very out-of-the-way island off the northwest coast. She's arranged for a two-week stay at a nice bed and breakfast place, as well as guides to take us snorkeling and diving. The whole point would be for us to get away from it all in complete privacy and anonymity."
"That sounds really wonderful. I'm not sure how much good I'd be at diving and snorkeling...these fancy pins of mine don't do well in salt water. And to be really honest, sand in the sockets can really be a pain on the stumps. However, I am quite sure we will find plenty of things I can do while you go swimming. When do we leave?"
"Well, we're booked to catch a small transcontinental flight at about seven tonight. It will put us in to Carnarvon sometime around nine. The folks from the B and B will pick us up with a lorry and take us to our lodgings."
"Carnarvon? I've never heard of it. What's it near?"
"Funny you should ask. It's near Lake MacLeod at the mouth of the Gascoyne River."
"You're kidding, right? No? Well, that means we have a little over nine hours before we need to be at the airport. What's the plan until then?"
"Megan and I," Amanda announced, "must go shopping if we are to have the right clothes for the northwest coast. I figured we'll meet back here about three."
With everyone's agreement, Amanda and Megan departed for the shopping centers. The two men decided they weren't "sufficiently recovered" from their arduous trip to Australia and the "rigors of their homecoming" and went off to their rooms for a nap.
[There they are.] Kent watched as Amanda and the girl walked from the hotel. Neither was carrying anything that could have concealed a sword [Unarmed? Is she so confident that she goes about unarmed?] As he followed the pair on foot, he noticed the effect they had on men as they passed. [You're right, mate. She's a looker but that won't save her.] When the women turned into one of the fashionable boutiques, Kent stationed himself across the way where he could see the door. Once again, the trick was to stay out of range without losing sight of his quarry. Years of poaching had taught him the skills of the hunt well, though.
"Amanda, there's something wrong with this swimsuit. It's missing parts." Megan called out of the changing booth.
Amanda chuckled and then slipped inside with her young friend. "No it's not. You are holding all there is."
"I can't be. Look, there's only this one tiny triangle of cloth and these ...these laces. How in the devil do you wear such a thing?"
"Just take off you clothes, Megan, and I will show you how it fits." Although a little uneasy at being nude next to her mentor, Megan removed her clothes. Amanda placed the electric blue cloth panel over Megan's pubic area and ran the thong around her waist. The other thong passed between Megan's legs and up the cleft between her buttocks.
"Amanda! I can't wear this. I'm practically naked! Where's the top?"
"There isn't one. Can you imagine Joe's reaction to this suit? You may never get it out of the room or you may get Joe down to the beach. Megan, you have a beautiful young body. Enjoy it. Flaunt it. Believe me, the effect this suit will have on every male under the age of 100 will be very good for your ego."
"Then you wear it, Amanda."
"I can't. Mine's even smaller."
Megan allowed Amanda to talk her into purchasing the skimpy thong, knowing that she would never have dared without Amanda's influence. She also knew that wearing it had excited her, and she couldn't wait to see Joe's face when she wore it for him. Amanda made her promise not to show the suit to him until she was ready to wear it to the beach. [I just hope his heart doesn't stop when he sees this on me in public!]
Kent watched the two women leave the boutique. Kent thought this might be the opportune moment to make his move, but the two hailed a passing taxi. He followed as far as he could on foot but soon lost the cab from sight.
[Damn her eyes. I'll get her yet.] Kent made his way back to the hotel to watch and wait.
The women returned to the hotel in time to pack and get ready for the trip. Megan had already made arrangements for the hotel to store their excess belongings while they were off on this little jaunt, so those items were sent off with the porters. Their luggage for the trip was sent down to the airport and the foursome went off to dinner.
Arriving a few minutes before their scheduled departure time, they were agreeably surprised to find their flight was on time and only lightly booked. Only one other person was in First Class with them, and he was immersed in a novel he was reading.
Since they'd already eaten a good meal, they all passed on the airline's offer and settled instead for a snifter of brandy, even Megan whose new identity made her of legal age. Megan felt the liquor spread like a slow fire through her as she had very little experience with alcohol. Heeding the advice to just sip it very slowly, she braved the burning sensation in her mouth until it seemed to vanish. A warm lassitude crept over her as she sat holding Joe's hand in her lap.
She smiled up at him with a little twinkle in her eye. "I have a big surprise for you later tonight."
"Oh, you do, do you? I like the sound of that!"
Amanda and Duncan were seated across the aisle. Amanda could see the glow in Megan's face and knew the young woman was feeling the affects of the brandy. Amanda's chuckle attracted Duncan's attention, and he followed her eyes over to their companions. "We're going to have to watch Megan around alcohol. She has no experience with it, and she may make herself sick," Duncan whispered.
"She won't be the first to do so, and if she does, she will learn a valuable lesson from it. But I don't think she's in any danger of that tonight. The brandy had just made her feel warm and sleepy. She's also probably thinking about getting Joe alone again." Amanda's evil grin told Duncan that the two women had been up to something but he knew better than ask. Amanda wouldn't tell him unless he really needed to know, and he bet that he was probably better off not knowing.
When Amanda and her three companions left the hotel for the airport, Kent was already sitting in his car. He followed them back to the terminal and watched in impotent rage as they boarded a flight and left. He went over to the gate area and looked at the manifest one of the attendants had left by the ticket counter. [Carnarvon? What the hell are they going to do there? What's in the Northwest that would be of interest?]
Kent went over to another counter and asked about flights to the Northwest area. He could fly to Port Hedland in the morning. After paying for his ticket, Kent rushed off to get ready.
The ride to the Bed and Breakfast was very quiet. Once they had left the town's lights behind, there was nothing to see except the thousands of stars in the night sky. "Area is mostly in sheep" was the laconic explanation from their driver. "From Bidgemia Station up the Gascoyne."
The van turned into the drive of what had once been a prosperous holding, with a sprawling multistoried house surrounded by green lawns and smaller outbuildings. The matron greeted them at the door and showed them to their rooms, explaining the layout of the place and the timing of the meals. Each room was dominated by a large featherbed and each had a private bath. After ensuring each room had enough towels, the matron excused herself and left. Megan's yawn prompted the couples to retire to their respective rooms.
Megan was already in the bed when Joe came out of the bathroom. He knew she was tired and probably was still feeling the alcohol. He sat on the edge of the bed, unhooked his prosthetic limbs, and laid back. Megan moved over close to Joe and kissed him. He placed his arm around her and drew her close. His wandering hands soon found her surprise...and he immediately showed her that he really liked the new look. Megan found the area even more sensitive than ever before and her orgasms were quicker and more intense.
The next day found the foursome exploring the area. There was a path from the back of the house that led to a bluff above the sea. A path from the top of the bluff led down to the sandy beach, which was mostly covered with water, as the tide was high. A check with the locals revealed the best time to go there would be in the late afternoons when the tide was low. Duncan asked how swimming was at Lake MacLeod only to be told it would be very dry since the lake was a salt lake. Amanda laughed as she had already known and was amused at Duncan's chagrin. He chased her back to their room, threatening her with a good walloping for leading him on. "Promises, promises" was Amanda's rejoinder as she ran for the back door, Duncan hard on her heels.
Megan and Joe were content to just stroll around, admiring the view. They talked in low tones as lovers do, speaking about a future. Megan did not want to be parted from Joe, and he felt the same. He would obviously have to retire from the Watchers.
By the time they'd reached the Bed and Breakfast, it was close to time for the midday meal. Amanda and Duncan joined them just in time, Duncan looking a bit rumpled and Amanda looking very pleased with herself. As they ate, Amanda asked the housekeeper about he possibility of going diving. "There's some fine diving out near Dick Hartog Island across Shark Bay. You may also want to go up the coast to Ningaloo reef, although the seas are a bit rough there for pleasure diving. I'll check with some folks and round you up a guide. It may be a day or two, though."
Everyone assured the woman that would be fine; they would have a chance to just laze about and lay in the sun. At this, the housekeeper cautioned, "Mind you now, this isn't like the big tourist places. Women here don't show much on the beach, so I suggest you do your sunning down at the sands at the base of the bluff. You can't be seen from above or from the sea, so you won't be a scandal."
Joe and Megan went upstairs after eating. Megan went to change into her suit, something Amanda had already done. Joe sat in an easy chair in the room and watched as she stripped off her clothes. Catching his admiring glances from the corner of her eye, she walked over to him while still nude. He caressed her and said, "I can't get over this new look. Not that I am complaining, but what prompted you to shave it?"
Megan pulled her suit out of her bag and said, "My new swimsuit made it necessary. I'll show you. She stepped into the bathroom, putting the suit on out of Joe's view. The thong was still just a little uncomfortable as it passed between her buttocks, and she really wondered if she had the courage to wear the suit in public. She did have a more 'modest' bikini in her bag if she chickened out. When she stepped out of the bath, Joe's jaw fell open.
"Where's the rest of it?"
"That's all there is," she said, pivoting slowly to give him the full effect. Her naked butt, bisected by the bright blue strings, seemed to shine in the afternoon light. 'Like it?"
"Honey, I think you ought to be arrested for even thinking about wearing that in public. Remember what Mrs. Carmody said about being a scandal. This suit is a scandal all by itself!"
"If you think this one is bad, you should see Amanda's. She has a very small wedge of material, perhaps only three-quarters of an inch at its widest, in bright lime green. That wedge looks like an arrow pointing, well, you know where it would point."
"And you think your bright blue arrow is any better? Yours is what, maybe one inch wide at the top?" Joe shook his head. "Don't get that concerned look on your face. I'm just teasing you. That outfit turned me on, dear one, and that was its intended effect. Now, I hope you'd planned a shirt to cover up with on the walk to the bluff. Strutting through town in your g-string will only cause trouble." Joe laughed as Megan pulled a big baggy T-shirt from her bag. She was lost inside the shirt, looking like a small child in a grown-up's shirt.
As the two women walked off to the bluff, the two men decided it was high time to check out he local pub. Casually, they strolled into town and found a seat at the bar. When Joe admitted that he himself was owner of a similar establishment in the US, he found himself in s detailed discussion about US versus Aussie taxes, labor policies, and the relative merits of their country's beers. Joe easily admitted that Australian beer was much more potent than American.
While the two men enjoyed their beer and fellowship at the pub, Amanda and Megan reached the secluded sand cove. The retreating tide had scrubbed it clean and smooth. They spread their towels and sat upon them, chatting about the men's' reactions to their suits. Amanda said Duncan had wanted to take her back to bed when he saw hers. Megan said that Joe hadn't tried anything like that, but she could see the desire in his eyes.
They lay back on the towels as they talked, feeling the warm sun bake into their skin. "You know, if we'd worn regular bathing suits, we'd have just taken them off by now. This way, we still get most of our body's baked without having to take off any clothes." Amanda said.
"I'm not so sure," Megan replied. "I've never actually taken my suit off outside before. I mean, I feel naked now. I don't think I could wear this where there would be other people. Even the idea of Duncan seeing me like this scares me a little."
"I doubt that. I bet it doesn't scare you; I bet it gives you a bit of a thrill. I know you had a crush on him for a while. It's okay, happens to all women when they meet the studmuffin. There are times when I've been attracted to Joe, although I'd never tell him that. There just something solid and dependable about Joe that makes you feel so safe when he's around."
"You're so right. He makes me feel so safe. And he's so gentle and kind. Amanda, I cannot go back to being without him. You need to know that I will stay with him when this trip is over."
Amanda reached out and took Megan's hand in her own. "It's okay, Megan. Things have a way of working out."
Kent had booked a Land Rover from a garage in Port Hedland and had made arrangements for it to be at the airport when he arrived. He walked around the white vehicle, shaking his head in disgust. It was a city car. There was no heavy gauge grill mounted atop the front bumper for deflecting bushes or the occasional kangaroo. It would have to do, though, and he loaded his gear into the back of the Rover. Stopping at a petrol station to top off the tanks, including the jerry cans on the rear of the vehicle, he picked up some water and other supplies then headed south onto the Northwest Coastal highway. It was about 160 kilometers to Dampier, and then another 480 kilometers further to Carnarvon. Of course, he didn't plan to actually go into to Carnarvon. He'd wait nearby for his chance to get Amanda. He already knew where he'd take her.
The old land rover had a good strong engine and he managed the 650 kilometers in just less than five hours. It was dusk when he reached the area surrounding Carnarvon. He knew this part of Australia didn't have hotels; only private homes now serving as inns to make ends meet. There was probably only one such place in Carnarvon, so locating the band of Immortals should prove easy.
After setting up camp, he found a vantage point where he could watch the small town. He spotted the town pub and watched it throughout the evening. His patience was rewarded when he saw his quarry come out of the pub and walk to a large home near the coastal bluffs.
Once again, the two women went to the cove in the afternoon. After shucking off their shirts, they stretched out on the towels. Both were lying on their stomachs with their heads pillowed on their arms. Viewed from the edge of the bluff above, they appeared nude to Kent's eyes. [Seems a safe bet neither of them is hiding a sword in those outfits. Still, better safe than sorry.] He placed the crosshairs of the telescopic sight just below Amanda's left shoulder blade, knowing the bullet would pass through her heart, killing her instantly. His finger gently stroked the trigger and he saw Amanda's body jump with the impact of the bullet. He swung the rifle, quickly acquiring the sight picture as the young one sat up. Aiming at the space just below center between her pert breasts, he fired again, this time sending a bullet through Megan's heart.
Kent raced down the bluff trail. He knelt by Amanda. Her bullet wound was already closing and he knew she could revive at any moment. He took plastic cable ties and bound her hands behind her back and bound her ankles together, then stabbed her with his knife to keep her safely 'dead' for the moment. The young girl was obviously a new Immortal for her healing was very slow. Kent picked up Amanda's body and carried her away.
The pain that accompanies the renewal of life is commensurate with the mode of death. The sharp pain between her breasts that accompanied that first agonizing influx of breath reminded Megan of the unexpected shots from above. She opened her eyes and knew she was alone. The sun was setting, so he's been out for a while. Amanda's bloody towel lay on the sand, but there was no sign of Amanda. Knowing her mentor would never have left her alone like this, Megan knew that Amanda had not left of her own accord. Struggling into her shirt as she ran up the bluff trail, Megan headed for the Bed and Breakfast.
Joe and Duncan were, in fact, walking towards the bluff as Megan broke over the rim on her way to them. Seeing her running toward them, they knew something was obviously very wrong. After she gasped out the afternoon's events, Duncan told Joe to take Megan to their room and to call the police to report Amanda's kidnapping.
As the two went back toward the house, Duncan walked slowly along the top of the bluff, looking for the shooter's perch. He finally found a spot which overlooked where the girls had been sunning; he could see their bloody towels on the beach below. He examined the ground, calling on all the tricks taught him by a mountain man in a different century on a different continent. He saw where the man had knelt. Judging by the distance between the impression of the knee and the impression from the man's toes, he must have been about Duncan's height. Furthermore, based on the depth of the impression, he was only slightly heavier than Mac was. He then located the spot where the vehicle had been parked, and spotted dusty tire prints leading back onto the highway, headed north.
When Duncan returned to the house, he found the police already there. "We don't take kindly to these kind of doings, Mr. MacLeod. Women are just too scarce in these parts. Based on your friend's telephone report, we checked and found a lorry driver who spotted a white Land Rover parked along the bluff road. While there may be hundreds of white rovers in this part of Australia, this one lacked the heavy protective bars over the grill. It was obviously a city car." The inspector explained.
"Yeah, I found the spot he watched them from. I also found some tracks which suggest he drove north when he left." The inspector thanked him for the information, and explained they would send out a bulletin to all the folks between the Kimberly region to the north and Perth to the south. Some one will have seen something."
While Mac was talking with the police, Joe contacted the international headquarters of the Watchers to find out which Immortals were in Australia. While Mrs. Carmody showed the inspector to the door, Joe explained what he'd learned. According to the Watchers, the only Immortals in Australia were Duncan, Amanda, and Megan. There were no reports of Immortals in Australia, New South Wales, or New Zealand. Disheartened by the lack of anything concrete they could do, Duncan and Joe sat in the study and sipped some brandy. Megan sat looking out the window, worrying.
Driving slowly without his headlights, Kent searched for the turnoff. Like most tracks into the interior in this part of Australia, the road was poorly marked and difficult to locate. It had been years since he'd been down it and the landmarks were no longer clear in his mind. Just as he reached the right spot and started his turn, the shriek of airbrakes and the bellow of an air horn announced the speeding lorry that just missed clipping the back end of the turning rover.
[Why the hell would a city car be turning down that track? Nothing down there but the old mines and the Hamersley Range National Park.] The driver thought angrily, still a bit shaken over the near miss with the stupid driver. [Running with no lights, either. Stupid blighter.]
As the lorry pressed on northward, Kent drove the rover deeper into the interior. The muffled noises from behind his seat told him that Amanda was once again awake and struggling against her bonds. [Good luck. Nothing escapes from me.]
The lorry driver pulled into a petrol station at Dampier. As he went in to get something to drink, another driver asked if he'd just come up from the south. When he said he had, they asked if he knew anything about the alert for the white land rover with the city grill. "Why, that sounds like the silly bugger I almost hit earlier." He started to tell the others about it when a police car drove up. The drivers waved the officers over and he started over with his tale of the reckless rover. The officers listened and then asked, "Now where exactly did the Land Rover leave the highway?"
"Mr. MacLeod, we have a lead. It seems a lorry driver spotted the white rover as it turned off the coastal highway onto the road leading to Hamersley Range and the gorges. That is somewhat rugged country with abandoned mines. We'll be moving our search there at first light. We'll find your friend." Duncan thanked the inspector, then hung up the phone.
Looking at Joe, he said, "There's a lead but the police aren't going in to the area till morning. I'm going tonight. Look, I know you want to help, but neither of you can come with me. The area is really rugged, Joe, and is quite beyond your limitations. I'll be faster alone, and I have the feeling that speed is what counts." He reached out and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I need you to stay here in case Amanda somehow escapes and makes her way back or the police turn up something."
Despite their appeals, Duncan left them behind. He drove off in an old truck belonging to the groundskeeper taking only some food, water, and his katana.
Kent pulled Amanda from the back of the Rover, dumping her on the rough ground in a heap. Using his skinning knife, he cut the tie wrap that bound her ankles ans stepped aside as she lashed out with a quick kick. He drove his heavy boot into her ribs hard enough to lift her from the ground. He heard the ribs break. "Don't try that again, Amanda. I'll just kill you over and over until you learn to behave. Now stand up."
Disoriented by the pain in her ribs and the hood over her head, Amanda struggled to get to her feet. Her wrists were still bound behind her, which hampered her balance.
Kent admired Amanda's body as she stood there. Her wrists bound behind her arched her shoulders back, making her heavy breasts more prominent. He knew the face under the hood was beautiful to match the rest of her. "That's the poorest excuse for a swimsuit I ever saw. One tiny lime triangle. I bet you paid plenty for it, too." He reached over and ripped the thong from her body, the straps cutting into her intimately before finally breaking. "Of course, you always did dress scandalously." He pulled the hood from her head and shoved her down the trail. "Get moving. We've places to go."
Naked and bound, Amanda started down the rugged path leading even on into the interior. She noted he'd hidden the car under some camouflage netting. Whoever this Immortal was, he was covering his tracks. [Who is this guy? What's he want with me?] No matter what she asked, she could not get an answer. He'd only say that he'd challenged her once and she'd run away instead. He also said she'd ruined his life.
Amanda could not get him to free her hands, either. No matter what she tried, he would not relent. She also could not leave his sight. He'd stood and watched as she's relieved her bladder, his constant stare an embarrassment.
"Don't think about running, Amanda. You haven't a chance. You're naked and unarmed. You have no idea of where you are or in what direction safety might lie. While you may be Immortal, you can still die out here...from exposure, snakes, crocodiles, lots of things. So be smart and don't even try it."
In the early morning glow of false dawn, Amanda began to distinguish features in the rugged terrain. Mountains rose in the distance, across a plain split by many narrow gorges. "Those gorges reach down into bedrock. In some places, they expose rock over two billion years old. One such place is our destination."
"Look, what's this all about? You obviously don't just want my head or you'd have taken it long ago."
"Centuries ago in England, you broke in to a treasury I was charged with protecting. You did it by climbing the outside walls of the castle. No one believed me when I told them and I was condemned as an accomplice. I was thrown from the battlements to my death on the rocks below. I searched for you for decades and then centuries. I ran afoul of the British courts, though, and they sent me to Botany Bay. I've been here ever since."
"So all of this is for something that happened five or six hundred years ago?" She said in disbelief. "You can't be serious!"
"You're here, ain't you? I had not thought of you in almost a hundred years and then there you were at the airport. It all came back to me, so I waited my chance and here we are."
"So what happens now?"
"We'll come to this special spot I know of along the gorge, a spot where the channel is deeper that anywhere else, down so far people say its bottomless. That's where I will leave you, trapped. If you can get out, you'll have a small chance to survive."
"And just how do you expect to get me in there?"
"Why, I'll just throw you off the edge of the gorge. Of course, you'll probably bounce off the walls on your way down and you'll die from that or finally hitting the bottom. You'll undoubtedly break every bone in your pretty body, then endure the agony from Hell as the bones reset and heal. Then, weak and alone in the dark at the bottom of the gorge, you'll try to climb out. Each time you fail and fall back to the bottom, you'll die and have to start over."
"You honestly expect me to let you do this?"
"Do you have a choice? I can just simply kill you and throw your dead body over the edge. You won't feel; the first fall into that gorge, but the end result will be the same."
For the first time Amanda could recall, she was terrified. She did not know how she could escape this horrifying end.
Neither Joe nor Megan slept. They just lay in bed and held one another, their thoughts with their friends somewhere in the night. Dawn found them still awake. They quietly dressed and went downstairs to be near the telephone, praying for it to ring with good news.
At the first sound of the helicopter, Kent called a halt. He removed a curious arrangement of fabric covered hoops. He flipped them a short distance through the air and they untwisted, becoming a camouflaged dome tent that blended with the terrain.
"Get in." He said to Amanda as he pulled out his machete. "Try anything and I will simply kill you again."
She crawled into the tent and lay on her side, trying to ease the cramps in her shoulders while husbanding her strength. [There must be some way out of this trap.] She could see Kent watching the helicopter as it swept the area.
"It seems the authorities are either engaged in a far grander search than I'd anticipated, or they've traced us to this area. How could they have...of course, that damn lorry. They must have somehow connected that land rover to your abduction. Well, don't get your hopes up. You'll be in that hole long before they could ever find us out here. No matter. I'd planned to rest now anyway." He took another tie wrap and snared Amanda's feet again. "Now, get some sleep."
Amanda lay on her side staring at Kent as he drifted off to sleep. She studied his face but could not remember the incident he spoke of. Oh, he was probably telling the truth about it; she'd been very good at sneaking in to castles by climbing walls thought impregnable. But it was all so long ago that it seemed ludicrous to carry a grudge about it now. Her own weariness claimed her as she tried to think of some way out.
Duncan knew he was on the right trail when he found the hidden land rover. The soft dirt also showed Amanda's bare footprints. A scrap of bright green cloth caught his eye - Amanda's thong. His eyes narrowed even more as he realized the level of violence needed to rip the thong from Amanda's body. She was obviously in very serious trouble, and Duncan knew time was running out.
Amanda woke at the first sound. Kent sat up and looked outside. It was now late afternoon; they'd slept for hours. Rather than being upset, he seemed pleased by the passage of time. He turned his attention to Amanda. He reached out a stroked her hip. "You really are quite lovely." He caressed her breasts and stomach, then forced his hand between her tightly clenched thighs. He pinched her vulva cruelly, crushing the sensitive lips together, sending waves of agony through her. As she started to scream with the pain, he smashed his fist into the side of her head, stunning her. He flipped her onto her stomach, pinning her in place while he cut the binding on her legs. He pushed his knees between her thighs, forcing her legs open.
Amanda had been raped before - it had been almost commonplace in the middle ages, especially for a woman traveling alone. She'd learned that most rapists get off on the victim's resistance and fear, so she stayed completely passive. She felt his callused fingers probe her most intimate places and she steeled herself for what was to come. She felt the head of his penis against her and then the tearing pain as he forced his way inside.
Her total lack of response enraged him. He pulled back out, reoriented, and then shoved it deep into her ass. She started to moan at this vile penetration, but his hands closed about her throat, shutting off her air, choking her as he buggered her. As the darkness of death closed around her, she felt his release inside her.
A toe in her stomach woke her. "Get up."
She was lying on bare ground. He had evidently drug her dead body from the tent, then folded it and put it away in his pack.
"Come on, I know you're awake. Get up."
Amanda struggled to her feet. Her merciful death by asphyxiation had spared her the residual pain of the rape. Even the faint tenderness was fading as she stood. A poke from his machete made her move off down the trail. She almost fell when she took her first step. He'd tied a length of rope between her ankles, limiting her stride to less than two feet. She was forced to take small steps, very quickly to stay ahead of the point of the machete.
He seemed to enjoy this new torment. Soon, blood flowed form a myriad of cuts along her buttocks, thighs, and back. Drops fell along, the trail, shaken by her short choppy steps.
Duncan came to a strange circular depression, which he knew could not be natural. He was sure he was on the right trail. He started to jog along the path and soon found a different sign. Blood spatters. They were tacky to the touch, so he knew they were only an hour or so old. He ran faster, stopping now and again to check on the blood trail. At each stop, the drops were fresher.
"Stop." Kent told Amanda. "We're here."
Amanda had seen the gorge in the fading light. AS darkness claimed the sky, her fears took over. She was completely terrified at the fate Kent had planned for her. How she wished Duncan was here! That thought brought into focus the sensation that had been tickling her awareness for the last few minutes. Duncan was here, in the darkness, getting closer. She knew she had to distract Kent.
"Don't throw me in the gorge! Please don't do that to me! I'll do anything you want. You took me once. How about again with my cooperation. Whatever you want...just ask." Amanda begged.
"Anything I ask. Hmmm. I'll bet. You just want to live a little longer. Okay, I'll give you a few more minutes. First, I want you to walk over to the edge of the gorge and kneel."
Amanda carefully knelt and then walked on her knees to the edge. As her feet touched the edge of the gorge, she dislodged a stone that fell without making a sound. [Oh, God, that's deep.]
"Here's the deal. If you try anything, I just push you over the edge." He unzipped his pants and pulled his thickening penis free. "You're gonna suck me off."
Amanda swallowed and then opened her mouth and took him inside. He pushed deeper into her throat as he hardened the rest of the way. She waited until he seemed to be close to climax, and then she bit down as hard as she could, grinding her teeth in an effort to chew through the offensive object.
Kent's scream split the night. He pulled back, trying to both free himself and send her over the edge. Realizing that Amanda's teeth were embedded now, he knew she'd rip it off if she went over the edge. He started to beat on her head in an effort to get her to let go. She chewed harder as he continued to shriek and beat at her. He was totally unaware of the approach of Duncan MacLeod.
Amanda saw Duncan's arrival just as her teeth came together. Kent fell back, his hands clutching his bleeding groin. Amanda started to topple backwards over the edge. Duncan quickly grabbed her and kept her from falling. She spent out the chunk of severed flesh and blood from her mouth, then turned and vomited. Duncan handed her a bottle of water to rinse her mouth.
The two looked over at the piteously moaning man writhed upon the ground. As they did, Amanda told Duncan what Kent had planned for her.
"If he hated you before, Amanda, he'll never let it go after this. We'd better kill him and be done with it. It will be the best thing for him in the long run and for us as well."
"No, I have a better idea. Kent! Can you hear me?"
A moaned response came from the man on the ground.
"Listen to me, Kent. According to legend, if an Immortal has a part severed and if that part is put back in place before healing is completed, it will reattach completely. If you want to try it,' she said as she picked up the piece of shriveled flesh, "it's right here."
She held it out as Kent staggered to his feet. He lunged for it as she let go, catching it just as his foot slipped over the edge. His scream echoed off the gorge walls for a long time, finally fading into the night.
"So, we found Amanda some old shorts and a shirt in his pack and hiked out of the wilderness. We located a police search party and told them Amanda had been found. She told them Kent had fallen into a gorge in the dark, and she'd just started walking out when I found her."
"That's quite a story. Too bad there wasn't a watcher present to write it up. It would be a story spread through the Watcher corps for years. No one would ever look at Amanda the same way again. A whole new approach to taking a head."
After the laughter subsided, Amanda asked Joe, "Why don't you do it?"
Joe looked at the two older Immortals, and then pulled Megan close. "Because I am now retired. I'm not going back to Seacover. I called Mike and he's going to manage the bar for me and close out my apartment. I'm going to go wherever Megan goes. We plan to spend some time here in Australia and then head for Europe. Tell you what, if you are in Paris when we get there, we'll have a party."
"I'm not surprised, Joe. I'd expected this since you two fell in love." Amanda said. "You know that all either of you has to do is call and we'll be there for you."
"We know, Amanda, but for now we just want some time together," Megan said, as she linked her hand in Joe's. "What happened to you showed us that even Immortals can't count on forever. You have to grab life while you can."
End
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