Survivor Part 2 (1/8)

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Title: Survivor Part 2

Rating: PG

Characters: Jacob Kell and his posse, Duncan MacLeod,
significant mentions of Methos and Joe Dawson.

Summary: A retelling of the story of Endgame from
Manny's point of view, with lots of interpretation.



*Author's Note: Continuing the story of Jacob Kell's
vendetta against Connor MacLeod and its shocking
climax, as told by his henchman Manny. As previously
noted, this fic is based on the theatrical version of
Endgame (e.g., the Sanctuary was on holy ground),
and includes my answers to some nagging questions.
I've also borrowed bits from the DVD Producers' Cut and
Rough Cut.*

*At the end of Part 1, Kell and his posse had carried out
their raid on the Sanctuary and returned to New York.
Their hideout is an unfinished "cathedral" abandoned
by its builder, a TV preacher who'd been exposed as a
con man.*

*I'll say again that according to textbooks I've read, it is
permissible to use a first-person narrator who's destined
to die in the end...*

******************************************************



By evening my buddies and I had recovered from our
shock and settled down to watch the news reports.
According to geologists, the Catskills had experienced
a small quake--its epicenter near, or perhaps directly
under, the monastery of the Brothers of the Holy
Covenant. A spokesman for the order, a Brother
Matthew, was interviewed on two channels. He said
piously that thanks to the intercession of a loving God,
theyıd sustained no injuries and only minor damage.

Jin pointed out that this guy was undoubtedly Matthew
Hale. Knowing he was no more a monk than we were,
we cheerfully hissed and booed his acting. But in truth,
he was pretty darn good.

We had to quit horsing around when Jacob joined us. He
took a quick look at the TV, gave a self-satisfied nod, and
shut it off.

"This day has brought more rewards than I expected,"
he told us. "My only goals were to get MacLeod out of the
Sanctuary and torture him while I was doing it. That
plan succeeded admirably.

"But now I'm learning that the Immortals whose heads
I took were older and stronger than I'd dared to hope. If
theyıd had time to shake off the drugs, some of those
men could have killed us using only their minds! They
wouldn't even have needed to break their cuffs--though
they could have done that, too." His lip curled in a cruel
smile. "When I've fully absorbed those Quickenings, I'll
be the most powerful individual who's ever lived."

Cracker Bob said, "That's awesome."

We all murmured agreement. For once, I reflected, that
overused word was appropriate.

But my own choice would have been "terrifying."

Carlos spoke up and asked, "Do you mean to kill on holy
ground again?"

Jacob seemed surprised by the question. "Of course," he
said idly. "There's no penalty." Then his eyes narrowed.
"All holy ground is profaned by Immortals who cower
there. One who sought them out and killed them would
be cleansing it...like Christ driving the money changers
from the Temple."

I'm no Bible scholar, but I knew Christ didn't *kill* those
money changers. In the Temple or anywhere else.

***

Jacob's announcement had put a damper on the
conversation. So he took an unresisting Faith by the
hand, pulled her to her feet, and led her off toward his
room.

I had never received a Quickening, but I recalled Jin
telling me they make you horny.

So, I thought, there is some justice in the world. Faith
might have been spared the grueling day we'd had, but
her night would be ten times more exhausting.

A couple of the guys snickered. Jin looked sorrowful.
I don't think he was in love with Faith; if he was, he
wouldn't have admitted it even to himself. But he was
the only one of us who viewed her as some kind of lady,
and truly sympathized with her grudge against
Duncan MacLeod.

***

It was only half past ten, but most of us were tired
enough to think about bed.

Jacob had furnished a luxurious bedroom for himself,
and an almost equally fancy one--connecting, of course
--for Faith. They also had a private bath, complete with
tub and shower.

Jacob kept his door locked at night. I suspected that
when he let down his guard in sleep, even Faith was on
the other side of a locked door.

Probably one that could only be locked from his side.

The rest of us had to sleep in a single room. Our
bathroom was at the end of a long corridor, and had
only a toilet and handbasin. No showers for us. Hell, if
we'd walked just a little farther, we could have used one
of the many holes in the floor and relieved ourselves
directly into the sewer system.

That night I thought of going out and peeing in the
alley, then taking a walk--just to give myself a break
from the presence of other Immortals. We could sense
each other throughout the safe section of the building,
and it felt stifling at times. I fantasized about that walk
maybe bringing me to a brothel, so Jacob wouldn't be
the only one getting some action.

But in the end I was too lazy to do it, and I plodded down
the hall to use the facilities.

I came fully alert when I heard a murmur behind that
closed door.

Someone having a private conversation in the
bathroom? Why? We'd never kept secrets from one
another. And there definitely wasn't any sexual hanky-
panky going on--we were all straight. We'd been
together long enough to leave no doubt about that.

Then I remembered I'd left Jin, Bob and Winston asleep.
If Carlos was in the john, he was alone. He had to be
listening to a radio, a CD player or something.

So he expected to sit for a while. Some people bring
books, some radios. No big deal.

I almost turned away, headed for a hole in the floor or
that alley.

But then the voice behind the door spoke up a little
louder. "I couldn't give you no warning! Jacob didn't
give *us* none."

Carlos wasn't listening to the radio. He was talking on
a cell phone.

What in God's name was he saying?

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