Legacy
Chapter 4
by Lark
e-mail:  [email protected]

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Disclaimer:  See earlier parts.

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Travis groaned as the chair broke under him.  The guy was playing
with him--or had been till that last blow, that was the worst part. 
And he was enjoying it.  He could handle being beaten. 
He really could. Usually.  But being toyed with like thisit was
unbearable.

He started to struggle to his feet.  Brion wasn't
paying attention to him anymore.  Not surprising.  That blow should
have taken him out. Should have, but hadn't.  But what was Brionno!

He made it halfway across the room before Brion turned to face him.

"One would think that you would have the intelligence to stay down
when beaten.  But then,"  he added thoughtfully, "Your line was
never known for it's vast intelligence."

He extended his hand, and once again, something that looked like
live electricity danced on his fingertips.  

"What are you?"

The gray eyes narrowed.  "Something you could never begin to
comprehend."

Travis clenched, closing his eyes as once again a ball of living
energy--this one bigger than the others--came toward himand didn't
connect.

He opened his eyes to see a new figure between the two of them.

The new man turned to him, looking at Travis with a face almost
identical to Brion's.

"Get the baby and get out."

"Why, Alasdair, how wonderful to see you again."
"I'm sure it is."  His voice was strained, and Travis realized that
he had taken the blow meant for him.  He turned back to Travis. 
"Baby. Go."

Travis couldn't tell which moved first, but within moments, the two
were locked in combat, each surrounded by cackling energy similar o
what Brion had been using, but also very different.  Which was
winning--which was which--he had no idea.  All he knew was that he had
a baby to get to safety.

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Hart caught up with the man on the roof.  What
was it with people and running for roofs?  Not that he was going to
complain.

"Hold it."
The man stopped.  "I assume your next words will be 'drop it.'"
"Probably."  Slowly, the shooter lowered the gun to the floor. 
"Turn around. Good boy.  Now, who was your target, me
or Standish?"

"I admit to being quite curious about that myself."

They both turned at the sound of the new voice. It was Standish,
looking none the worse for wear--for the most part--although his
clothing had obviously been ruined.

"Well?"  Hart asked.
"Both of you."
"Both?"  Asked Standish.  "How did you find me?"
"Found out Tanner was coming after you and followed him."
"Well, aren't you a resourceful lad."  The man cast Standish a
withering look.

"Who hired you?"  Hart asked.
"No."
"No?"  Standish glanced at Hart.  "And he was being so compliant.  I
suppose we shall have to kill him now."

"Good idea."

"Go ahead.  Nothing you can do is worse than what's waiting for me
now that I've failed."

"I can think of some pretty creative things." 
Hart commented. "You?"
"Remind me to introduce you to certain members of my family someday,
you'd be quite surprised."
"No thanks."  Hart glanced back at the man, who was watching them
with an expressionless face.  "Damn.  I hate it when
they get like this."
"Yes, it's quite horrible."

"You want answers, but the answers you get, you couldn't begin to
comprehend."  He glanced from Hart to Eli, and then back again.  "He
could, but you"

Hart glanced at Eli.  "What's he talking about?"
"I have no idea."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
Hart looked back at the would-be assassin.  "What
are you talking about?"
"There are powerspeople--if you could call them
thatthe likes of which you've never imagined."  The man began to
back towards the edge of the roof.
"Hold it."  Hart took a step closer to him.
"What will you do bounty hunter, shoot me?  I
already told you, it doesn't matter.  The answers you want, I
couldn't give you, even if I wanted to."  He climbed the ledge at
the edge of the roof.  
"But I can tell you the names of others who will be asking
the same questions, if they live long enough."
"Who?"
"Travis Larabee.  Christian Wilmington.  Jacob
Sanchez.  AlexanderDunne.  Nathaniel Jackson."

With that, he stepped back off the ledge.

"NO!!"  Hart dove for the man, but missed, and
lost his footing in the process, beginning to tumble over.   He felt
a hand grasp his belt, and a jolt as he stopped falling.

"I had not pictured you as overly stupid, Mr.Tanner.  I would prefer
that you not prove me wrong in such a manner."

He felt Eli pulling him back onto the roof.  On solid footing again,
he leaned back the ledge.

"Youhow did you survive?"  Eli offered Hart his hand.
"Fear of my mother."
"Huh?"
"She once told me that I was absolutely forbidden to die before she
did, and she would see that I regretted it should I die before her."
"Doesn't sound all that logical."
"Mr.  Tanner, my father once risked beyond life and limb for her
when all others believed her lost forever.  Would you
like to know what she told him afterwards?"
"'Thank you.'  Maybe?"
"No, after that."
"Go for it."
"She said that, should he ever do something so abysmally stupid
again, she would kill him herself."
"Sounds like you've got some mother there."
"One of a kind."

Hart paused, remembering the names they had been given.

"Any idea who those people he mentioned are?"
"Somewhat.  It'scomplicated."
"More complicated than explaining what just
happened to the police?"
"Much."
"Then lets here it."