Of Biblical Proportions (1/11) Part 1 June 1999 I Joe disembarked from the Air France Flight 266 at 6:30 in the evening to find Amy Zoll waiting for him after he went through customs. She shifted from foot to foot. When she caught his eye, her agitation did not lessen. That was when Joe realized that something big had happened. "Pierson didn't come back from Egypt with you?" she questioned abruptly. Joe smiled at her continued use of Methos' pseudonym even though she'd known Methos' true identity for over two years, ever since that mess in Bordeaux. "No, he saw a TV show where some archeologists were uncovering an old home of his, and he thought he'd check it out." That took her aback; conflicting thoughts seemed to race through her mind. "I should probably fly down and see what he's doing," Dr. Zoll considered aloud. She blinked. "But, not before I tell you what the hell's been going on here." She sighed deeply and looked covertly around her. "We should go someplace a little more private." "You can drive me home?" he suggested. She grunted. "Fine. Pick up your luggage and I'll meet you out front." Joe smiled in acknowledgement then proceeded to the baggage carrousel. It took another half an hour before the bags began pouring out. As he waited, his mind tried to think of what would make Dr. Zoll come all the way to the airport to meet him. He knew she didn't like him. There was never a time when she even pretended to enjoy his company. Most of the time they met, she demanded information; he obfuscated as much as possible, blending it with some truth, and she'd leave grumpy. Joe didn't care. He was caught between a rock and a hard place--his Watcher oath and his friends. The balance was never easy. The revolving doors brought him outside, where a dozen cars were lined up. Dr. Zoll beeped at him, catching his attention. He walked over to her car, pulling a cart carrying his belongings. After dumping them in the back seat, he gingerly got into the front. A tiny part of him wished that she had at least offered to help, but his male pride would have been horrified. He just had to resign himself to the fact that not everyone liked him. As soon as he closed the door, she sped off. "My curiosity is killing me," Joe started the conversation. "What has you making--" She glared at him just before she changed lanes. "We have bigger problems now. I just got a call from Keith Trenton and he informed me that everything is happening as we speak." "*What* is happening?" "Nick Wolfe has been kidnapped by a former Hunter named John Murray, who is--" "Kidnapped?" Joe interrupted. "Nick is new to the game. There's no reason--" "Please let me finish." She let out a suffering sigh. "We intercepted a call Murray placed earlier this afternoon to MacLeod's barge. In the message, he stated that he wanted to exchange Wolfe for Amanda's piece of Rebecca's crystal." "What did Mac do?" "When I picked you up, he hadn't received the message yet. I just received a call saying that Murray has called again and MacLeod is talking to him." She zipped around a corner, sending Joe into the door. His expletives remained unvoiced. "I'm taking you to the barge instead of home," she informed him. Joe mulled over the problem as he righted himself in the seat. "You think he has the rest of the crystal?" She looked at him scornfully. "I imagine he does. We've never tried to hide the facts surrounding Geiger's mishap. Everyone knew that the pieces were lost in the Seine. Murray just had the gumption to retrieve them all." Dr. Zoll pulled her car to a stop under a bridge close to the barge. Joe recognized Keith Trenton as he slipped from his hiding place to greet them. "Not good, mates," he remarked with an Australian lilt. "I couldn't hear what was said, but the two tore out of here a few minutes ago. Theresa and Davy are following." Zoll and Trenton turned to look at Joe. He desperately wanted to look inside the barge to see if Mac had written anything down, but there wasn't time. A renegade Watcher, a Hunter for God's sake, was about to assemble the Methuselah Stone and make himself immortal. The lives of Mac and Amanda would then become forfeit. Wolfe, too, for that matter. Amy Zoll took control of the situation. "Get in your car, Keith, and let's go." The two cars, Dr. Zoll behind Mr. Trenton, were heading north. They drove for over an hour before they pulled into a driveway leading up to a large chateau. Another car was parked just outside the entrance to the driveway, with a man and a woman still seated inside. Joe assumed that they were the two Watchers Trenton had referred to previously. As their car went slowly up the long driveway, Joe could see Mac's car in a spot closest to the front door. There was no other life outside the building. "You go in first, Mr. Dawson," Dr. Zoll instructed, as she handed him a small revolver. "Mr. Trenton will go around to the back--" Joe didn't stay around to listen. His instincts were telling him that Mac was in trouble. As soon as the car had come to a complete stop, he threw open his door and awkwardly ambled out. Taking large steps, resting much of his weight on his cane, he made it to the front door, which was closed but not locked. He quietly opened it, listening for approaching footsteps or people talking. His ears picked up Mac's voice. "Do you really envy us that much? Long life--" Mac stopped talking and Joe could then pick up a murmur of another voice, although the words weren't clear. There were so many rooms along the hallway. Making sure the safety was off the borrowed gun, he approached the first door. He opened it to find a large empty sitting room. The next room had a billiard table. The voice became louder. "I can feel its power pleading with me." Then Joe could hear wood splitting and pounding footsteps. Taking long strides, he reached the next door, to find Mac and the other Watcher embraced in a deadly struggle. Mac stiffened, separating himself slightly from Murray's arms, falling to his knees. Joe shot; his only thought was to save Mac from another deadly Hunter. John Murray slumped to the ground as lightning ripped upwards from the Highlander's exposed neck.