Sorry folks it's been awhile since I posted a chapter. Good news because we are isolating in place I have been working on several new chapters. Special thanks to Wajag for beta reading.

As always NCIS and Highlander are not my creations, I make no money and write this only practice and pleasure.

Chapter 9 of Hide and Seek

Everyone turned their heads towards the elevator when they heard the familiar swoosh of its doors. Immediately the Immortals felt the buzz of another of their kind approaching. Methos took a moment to check for the knife he had placed under his lab coat, then looked up to see Rebecca accompanied by a tall white-haired man with a marine haircut. He couldn't help but to stare into the newcomer's ice blue eyes.

Amanda ran up to the pair and grasped Rebecca in her arms as her face became wet from tears. She said to her mentor while pointing towards Methos, "Why didn't you tell me, I had to hear it from him of all people!" Sobbed the lovely raven hair beauty, "I can't believe these people think you murdered five men in cold blood! Rebecca, you are not only my sister, but one of the best people I have ever known." Then without taking a breath the woman began yelling at Gibbs. "How could you even think for one minute my sister could ever have done such a thing?"

"That is about enough Miss" interjected the man with a Marine haircut.

The woman who still held Rebecca in her arms took a breath and said, "Hello, I'm Amanda." She let go of her sister and started smiling as she gave Gibbs her hand to kiss.

The head of the NCIS special response team just stared at the dark-haired stranger with his eyes looking icier than normal. "How about I'll meet you and the other visitors in the conference room?" He said without taking her hand.

"Well, don't forget to invite Dr. Benny." Amanda folded her arms across her chest and spoke as if her voice was dripping with sarcasm." Then she turned to Rebecca, a smile suddenly appearing on her face, "I hope you're not mad about me telling them I was your sister. It was the only way I knew they would let me see you."

Gibbs pointed to Methos. "Your Ducky's old friend?" He paused to examine the man wearing Jimmies lab coat. When the new guy didn't answer he asked again, "Is that right?" It was if he couldn't believe what he was saying. "Where is Ducky?" Pointing at Bishop, "Call him to meet us in the conference room. We need to figure out this mess." The new M.E. doctor nervously ran his hand through his hair, almost as if he could see his plans start to unravel.

"Boss do you want any help? Tony offered.

"Hell no!" He snapped back at Very Special Agent DiNozzo. "Just finish up those backgrounds and documents on the victims, witnesses, and bystanders. McGee, Bishop and Tony turned back to their work as papers began to fly as they hurried to look busy.

Reluctantly after they saw the old marines' cold eyes, the Immortals all went into the conference room and took a seat around the table. Just before Gibbs was about to slam the door shut Amanda, and Rebecca both looked at the door with a curious expression, then Dr. Mallard, slipped into the room and joined them.

"Jethro, what is this about?" The old medical examiner asked, as Amanda tilted her head as if she was taking a hard second look at him. Donald felt like this woman must have met him before even though he couldn't remember her. He tilted his head; didn't she know that he and Ben were old friends? Suddenly his eyes darted back to Gibbs.

Jethro began looking a bit uncomfortable as if he had secrets he didn't want anyone to know. He ran glanced at the eyes of everyone in the room as if he were memorizing their faces. "Ducky, meet Rebecca's sister Amanda, and." His voice went flat. "Rebecca, I need to know how you know all these people."

Rebecca spoke, "Trust me you don't. It's all very complicated, but all you need to know is they are only here to help me."

"Fine but are they like you?" Gibbs loudly implored in a monotone voice keeping his gaze at the woman he had just spent the night with.

The tall redhead hesitated and looked at each and every one of her friends. It was as if time suddenly stopped before she spoke, "Yes, they are like me, and the man who is coming to represent me is one of us too." She cleared her throat, and smiled, "We are called Immortals, remember I told you about us back in 1999." She paused and pointed towards the pretty dark-haired woman. "Amanda was one of my students." Then pointing at Methos she continued, "And he is..."

Methos quickly interrupted her as he sat back crossing his legs and shifted his face to a look like nothing of what Rebecca had said had touched him, "At the moment, I am Doctor Benjamin Phoenix, and I am an old friend of Dr. Mallard." He then forced a smile to rest upon his face.

After hearing this, Amanda shook her head in disbelief that Rebecca had just told this man she was also an Immortal. She couldn't stop feeling chills running up her spine.

The older medical examiner was the next to speak up. "Jethro, I have known Ben for years. Trust me on my word; there is nothing to fear from him." Then after taking a seat he continued, "Ben, and I were flat-mates in medical school back in the sixties. I also somehow kept running into him many times over the years."

Gibbs took a deep breath and then slowly blew it out, then scanning the room, taking time to look at Rebecca, Amanda and the good Doctor all right in the eyes. Somewhere he had read that the eyes were the mirror to your soul. Jethro concluded that their eyes held secrets too deep to penetrate so as usual he spoke from his gut. "So, Becky on any particular day how many others of your kind are out there?" Then he flashed her a warm smile, "Excluding the three of you."

Methos spoke up with a clinical tone like he was delivering a report on the latest statistics, "Yes, myself, Amanda, Rebecca and of course, the lawyer you are expecting, Duncan MacLeod, are all Immortals. Unfortunately, with a place as large as the Navy Yard, the chances of running into another Immortal, is highly probable."

"Ducky, can you explain why if we both knew about Rebecca, why didn't you tell me about Ben before he arrived?" Gibbs asked.

"Ben had asked me to keep his identity in confidence. I'm sorry Jethro, I should have told you." Ducky, trying to get the subject changed, glanced at Amanda, "But I never have met the lovely lady or this lawyer"

"Any of you could be a suspect for this heinous crime." Gibbs face took on a pensive look and his smile disappeared.

"I beg your pardon, I was in Chicago when these murders occurred." Then he stood up and placed his hands in his medical coat pockets, trying to look less threatening, to the man with the ice blue eyes. I also believe Amanda was in Philadelphia when the incident happened. We are just here to help Rebecca, nothing else is on our agendas."

"Ben is telling you the truth, I trust him, and you can too," Ducky reassured Gibbs.

"Well I, never have trusted him." Amanda blurted out still glancing a quick look back at Ducky.

Rebecca gave her old student a scolding look. "Amanda, Ben is here to help, and he's an old friend that I have known a lot longer than you."

Amanda, turning, looked at Methos and angrily scolded the man in Jimmy Palmer's medical coat. "Then why did you lie to me and tell me Rebecca was dead?"

Rebecca stood up also and took Amanda's hand, "I told him to say that, don't blame Methos." His name slipped out of her mouth without thinking as she raised her hand to cover her lips. Then she turned towards Jethro, "We often change names through the centuries. I myself have had many names."

Ducky looked at his old friend and paused before speaking, "Methos sounds familiar, what is the meaning of that name Ben?"

The oldest Immortal knew he had to tell the truth to his old friend, and there was no way he was going to lie himself out of this mess. "Methos or mythos is Greek for a myth. Really the less you know about me the safer I will be." Then he tossed everyone a half smile as one his hands came out of his pocket and waved it in the air as if he was a Jedi master trying to get a storm trooper to forget what they had just heard. Then turning to look at Special Agent Gibbs, he calmly said, "Do you plan on telling your team about us and the killer being Immortals? Because if you do, it will put your team in even in more danger than they already are in."

Gibbs forehead furled and his body stiffened as he gazed questioning at Ducky's friend.

Ben closed his eyes for only a moment then spoke up like he was a man with a mission. "The two mortal midshipmen were killed strictly because whoever did this did not want them to know the perpetrator was an Immortal. In the past when mortals witnessed our battles three things often happened. One," Methos held up one finger. "The Immortals did not want their secrets out, so they killed the Mortals who saw them. Or two, a second finger went up. If they could trust these people, they would befriend them, make them part of their inner circle. Then as he leaned down to touch the table, "And the third choice was the watchers might invite the mortals to become one of them. Either way the fact we are Immortals must remain secret. If the world knew there were Immortals living among them, there might be a full-scale war between them and us."

Gibbs blared out "But why are Immortals so afraid of us knowing about them?

"Because mortal men do not understand how our Immortality works. If men learn about Immortals they will either hunt us down and kill us or use us for lab rats. Many men would attempt to learn if they too could become Immortal."

"I get the fact why you all want this all to stay a secret, but when I feel my team needs to know I will tell them." Despite the surprised looks on Methos and Amanda's faces his eyebrows went up and he said, "End of story. Rebecca please tell them that my agents understand how to keep classified information to themselves. Can someone please explain to me who or what are the watchers?"

Suddenly, Methos, Rebecca and Amanda all turned to look at the door as the buzz of another Immortal's presents ran up their spines.

Gibbs heard someone knock and opened the door as Tony stood on the other side. A little bit behind Tony stood Bishop and McGee. They both were asking questions to a tall well-dressed dark-haired man resembling the façade of an expensive lawyer. Anyone could tell Gibbs trio of special agents were just dying to know what was happening in the conference room.

"What do you all want DiNozzo?" Gibbs bellowed out.

"Boss, that lawyer is here." Tony announced,

"Well, have him join us." Barked Gibbs.

The three NCIS special agents all stepped aside and allowed Duncan MacLeod to step into the conference room. Upon seeing her lover, Amanda practically jumped into his arms. Gibbs closed the door after yelling at his team to finish the background reports. His team dutifully obeyed, with only a bit of complaining. Then the tall dark-haired man walked over to Rebecca with Amanda in tow. He then looked at Doctor Mallard, then began wondering. What was the reason these two people seemed so interested in him?

Gibbs shot his ice blue stare at Mac as he stepped back into the conference room and he offered to shake the newcomer's hand. Curiosity and concern filled the Highlander's face as the head of the NCIS special response team spoke. "Hello, I am special agent Gibbs.

"Yes, Dr. Phenix here told me to expect to speak with you." MacLeod stated, as Gibb's closed the door behind the Highlander, much to Eleanor, Tim, and Tony's annoyance.

"Rebecca already informed him that you are another Immortal, like her, Amanda and I." The new assistant M.E. blared out to his friend. The older Immortal's eyes darted, glancing between Mac and Gibbs. Then stood up and reached out to touch his friends' shoulder as a gesture to calm and reassure him. "No worries according to Doctor Mallard he's friendly."

Macleod pulled out a chair and sat down at the conference table as the oldest Immoral continued speaking. "Gibbs met Rebecca back in 1999, and he has kept that secret since. Dr. Donald Mallard." Methos pointed towards the older man also wearing a white lab coat. "Has known that Rebecca is an Immortal since then too. He was a flat mate of mine when I went to medical school in Edinboro during the 1960's. Both these men know about what we really are. They had to know because they also are looking for the Immortal who killed the men at the naval academy."

Mac's face softened, and surprise filled his voice, "You went to Medical school in the middle of the twentieth century! So, why did you tell Joe that you went there in the 16th century?"

Methos smiled as his eyes twinkled at the Highlander, "Now, what would be the fun in that? Really Duncan, I have gone to medical school many times over the years. One must keep up on modern medical treatment and medications. Oh, I wouldn't be surprise if Joe shows up here too."

"Who is Joe? Another one of you guys?" Gibbs said with his voice full of surprise.

"No, he is another one of, you guys." Methos saw confusion in the mortal's eyes. "What I meant to say he is mortal, our friend, and one of these watchers I mentioned before. I doubt wild horses could keep him away. The way I see the situation is, we have an Immortal, a killer who is breaking the rules, and has to be stopped." He then took a breath in through his nose and his face turned stoic."

Gibbs tilted his head and asked, "What is a watcher, and how does one go about breaking the rules? I some might say I have my own rules for living my life, most good men do. So, tell me what are these Immortal rules?"

Rebecca reached over and touched Jethro's hand to comfort her friend, "I told you back when we met that many of our kind hunt each other. My friends here will not hurt me or each other here, but if we are challenged we must fight until one chops the other one's head off. This is called the game. You must remember me telling you back in Scotland when we first met."

"Rebecca you just told Ducky and I to stay in the house while you fought that guy, I offered to shoot him, but you told us to just get out of the way. If Ducky wasn't there I would have stayed with you." Gibbs took her hand and looked deeply into her blue eyes searching for the truth.

"Jethro, I should have told you back then, it's just I cared for you and didn't want to involve you in the reality that is my life. The Game has several rules. One, we fight in secret. Two, all fights are one on one, and no one can interfere after the battle has begun. All of these rules must not be broken, ever. And, Holy ground is our refuge, and the only place we cannot ever fight."

"But Rebecca why do Immortals fight each other?" Gibbs touched her hand, and took hold of that hand trying to give her comfort.

Duncan let out a deep breath and tightened his jaw and lost the smile that graced his face a moment before. Now looking very somber, then said, "Because there can only be one."

Ducky blurted out, "One what?"

"One Immortal who will win the game and be the last one. If an evil Immortal wins, the people of this world will suffer like they have never suffered before. So many of us have tried to stop those who treat mortals as if they all are just collateral damage, people who they can kill without remorse." Mac continued,

"Why are you also sure that it is another Immortal that committed this crime?" Gibbs inquired.

Rebecca dropped Jethro's hand and let out a breath as she looked at him. "It's because of the quickening. When mortals kill us, the quickening simply goes into the ground, there is no destruction like there was at the scene of the crime. But I have heard stories about times in the past when am Immortal might have mortals working for them. I never have seen one Immortal attack three of us and win. If he killed one, the others would have killed the attacker when he was down from the quickening."

"What does down from the quickening mean?" Gibbs stood and waited for a response. When no one offered an explanation, he started pacing and asked a new question. "So, how can we find the person or people who did this?"

"Has any one of you studied The Art of War by Sun Tzu?" Methos asked. The room responded in silence.

Meanwhile, back in the bullpen Abby had joined Tim, Ellie, and Tony. "Why is Gibbs talking to them in the conference room for so long without any of you being with him?"

"Good question Abby. Maybe after they break up the party in there, you can ask Ducky and find out. He is a lot easier to crack than Gibbs." Tony declared.

"Does anyone know when Gibbs will let us in on what they are doing?" Ellie asked.

"Soon. We are his team. They are strangers." Tim said in a hopeful voice.

"All except that woman Rebecca, the boss seems pretty chummy with her plus she is a redhead, and what about Ducky's friend who is there too? We better get finished with what we have to do. I don't know what to expect next." Tony continued to take the lead.

End of Chapter 9

Next time we see Methos explain his plan and relate it to The Art of War by Sun Tzu.