Morocco!!!

[Brehnic Kohnar]

Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in North Africa with a population of 33,241,259. It has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has international borders with Algeria to the east, Spain to the north (a water border through the Strait and land borders with two small Spanish autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla), and Mauritania to the south.

Morocco is the only African country that is not currently a member of the African Union. However, it is a member of the Arab League, Arab Maghreb Union, the Francophonie, Organization of the Islamic Conference, Mediterranean Dialogue group, and Group of 77, and is a major non-NATO ally of the United States.

Not that any of that mattered to Brehnic at this point. He sat inside his hotel room, pondering exactly what the HELL happened!! What began as a tip by an associate concerning some rumored rare crystals, that equaled a huge payoff if acquired had him on the first red eye to Morocco.

having little to go on should have been his first red flag, but it was that unknown thrill factor that lured him there. Not even bothering to include any of R.O International would come back to bite him in the ass, for what should had been a somewhat simple smash and grab ops, with some opposition from other interested underground parties, ended up as a Immortal encounter.

Several Immortals to be in fact.

Go figure that what he was after, so were others of his kind. New Age like himself? Old school like Keyes, Giannini, or Wulfsohng? It was one thing to cross paths with American Immortals, but it *NEVER* dawned on him that his blessing/curse was universal. Oh his mentor touched base upon that subject on several occasions, but like with everything else, Brehnic blew if off as a case of yadda, yadda, yadda.

Feeling damned lucky to get out of the square, one it was TOO crowded to even try anything fancy, without drawing undue attention to not only himself or those like him. And Two, the one Immortal that he did encounter not only flashed him a grin, but gave him the peace sign???

WTF???

Was she American, -Not that the *PURPLE* hair was a subtle give away or anything .. -And she was telling him she wasn't there to fight? Or was it a warning to leave in peace, or in pieces? Either way he sat inside his hotel room in Fez, with cell phone in hand ready to book a flight out of there.

He debated calling a certain person to get some inside info on the only Immortal he saw there, but shook it off. He was a big boy, and didn't need to be running to Giannini everytime some sort of crisis came his way.

"Hey, it's me ... I need you to look something up ....."

[Brehnic Kohnar]

Could Zorro had been based upon an Immortal???

Zorro (originally called Se?or Zorro) is a fictional character who has been featured in American books, stories, films, and television series since 1919.

Zorro (Spanish for Fox) is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega (originally Don Diego Vega), a fictional nobleman and master swordsman living in Spanish and Mexican-era California. He defends the people of the land against tyrannical governors and other villains; not only is he much too cunning and foxlike for the bumbling authorities to catch, but he delights in publicly humiliating those same foes while riding on his horse Toronado

Often called "El Zorro" his visual motif is, typically, a black costume with a flowing Spanish cape, a flat-brimmed Andalusian-style hat, more appropriate to a California caballero than the wide sombrero the character wore in the original, and a black cowl mask that covers the top of the head from eye level upwards. (The mask covered his whole face in the original.) In addition, his favored weapon is a rapier which he often uses to leave his distinctive mark, a large 'Z' made with three quick cuts. He also uses a bullwhip, like the later Indiana Jones. In the original story, he used a pistol, but this has rarely been seen since.


Zorro is an extremely agile athlete and acrobat, using his bullwhip as a gymnastic accoutrement to swing through gaps between the city's roofs, and is very capable of landing from great heights and taking a fall. Although he is a master swordsman and marksman, he has more than once demonstrated his more than able prowess in unarmed combat, even against as many as twenty armed opponents.

His calculating and precise dexterity as a tactician has enabled him to use his two main weapons, his sword and bullwhip, as an extension of his very sleight hand. He never uses brute strength, more his fox-like sly mind and well-practiced technique to outmatch an opponent.

Zorro has a medium-sized dagger tucked in his left boot for emergencies. He has used his cape as a blind, a trip-mat--and when used effectively--a disarming tool. Zorro's boots are also weighted, as is his hat, which he has thrown, frisbee-like, as an efficiently substantial warning to enemies. Usually he uses psychological mockery to make his opponents too angry to be coordinated in combat.

His horse, Toronado, has well lived up to his name, outrunning entire armies, overtaking enemies miles away, even catching up to a full speeding train so that Zorro could save his wife and son. As an inspiration to the crowds that love Zorro dearly, he rears up in the distance, with the sun behind him, and Zorro raises his sword to symbolize victory to the people of his beloved country.

Granted the wife and kid thing was a no-no, but who is to say he didn't/couldn't adopt??

Bugger had a style all his own though.

If he were an Immortal, he could *still* be around today .... Right??

But not the horse.

Hmmmmmm .....

This is what happens when a New Age Immortal gets too much time on his hands!!!

And internet access!!

[Brehnic Kohnar]

What's the use of being a Master Thief when you can't call in a few ... Favors? Brehnic may not have had enough intel at his disposal going into Morocco, but he always had a knack of knowing someone who did. So a few calls were placed, and he'd have some *eyes/ears* placed about no time.

Leaning inside the balcony door, the self titled New Age Immortal allowed his thoughts to drift back, recalling an ealier episode before arriving here ...

???? Noon. At least that's what the clock on the wall read when Nova's cell phone rang. In her haste to answer, she accidentally knocked the small shiny device off the kitchen counter and it went bouncing across the tiled dining room floor. She scrambled after it, cursing her own clumsiness in Italian, and retrieved? it, wondering if she'd broken the damn thing. She just assumed it was Jackson, since they'd parted on less than good terms more than two weeks ago and she hadn't heard from him since.
????
"Hello?" She spoke hopefully into the little phone.
????
"Ye missed yer appointment." The male voice on the other end?stated simply, and the heavy accent only tipped her off who it could be. "Ye doin' the honeymoon thing?"
????
"My appointment? That threw her for a moment until she recognized the voice. It wasn't Jackson's.?"Ah. Brehnic." From her tone it was clear she'd closeted any free-roaming emotions with an abrupt slam. "Honeymoon. That's funny."

"Wha' was funny was how ye went an' bolted like ye did, I figured the man must hav' summoned ye back." His tone was teasing of course. "Ye didn't call or anythin' so I'm seein' where we stand." Yup. Straight to the point. "I'm on the island, by the way. Different flat."

Her domestic troubles weren't his fault. Hell, they'd have happened no matter who she associated with. Jackson was just that way. She knew it going in, yet she always felt it would never be that big an issue.?Her impromptu trip to Las Vegas had blasted that theory. He'd been incensed with her when she returned. Even after she tried to explain. They'd gotten about halfway through a rather heated argument when he'd been called away, and no word from him since. Nova was really beginning to worry.
????
"On the island?" She repeated, with honest curiosity. "Why?"
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"Truth be known? I was concerned." Once again, straight to the point. "Not as a student, not as an Immortal, but a friend, jus' makin' sure ye be alright."
????
That was unexpected, and she tried to brush off his concern. "As messy as it gets, I'll always be okay, Brehnic." That hadn't always been true but she was a lot stronger now than just a few years back. "Believe it or not, I know what I'm doing." She tried to sound convincing, then added softly, "It isn't safe for you to be here."
????
"Lemme guess, Pistol Pete wasn't too happy wit' ye goin' to Vegas eh?" He heard her less than subtle warning, and had already took the proper precautions. Even his call couldn't be traced without him knowing in advance, and he'd be long gone if it was. "Dis nae be about me Nova luv, it be about a certain Highlander dat be needin' one person to be shootin' straight wit' her. Be puttin' on somethin' decent an' meet me for a drink. We need to be clearin' de air on lots o' things, an' I'm not leavin' till we do, an ye don' wan' me comin' down on yer front steps now do ye?"
????
One of Jackson's dress shirts hung loosely around her more petite form, sleeves rolled up around her elbows. She liked wearing her men's clothes. She'd done it with Methos's, too, nabbing his softest sweaters for her own use. She paced slowly around the dining room and wandered toward the open french doors that opened to the patio and beach beyond.?"An understatement, Mr. Kohnar." Over the dune she could hear the surf crashing, a sound that always made her feel safe. when he made mention of coming there, the soothing sound of the surf completely disappeared, replaced by an icy sensation in her stomach - a condition caused by stress that had once been chronic with her.

"No! You mustn't come here!" She'd be taking a chance by just meeting him, but for him to come here would be a complete breach. Faced with the options, she agreed. "Si, I will meet you. I suppose these things should be said face to face." Damn, she sounded grim. "Where?"
????
"Well, it be a nice out o' the way cafe' about 30 miles from where ye be. Nuthin' too fancy, jus' perfect fer blendin' in wit' de locals." Giving her general directions, to get her near the cafe. She'd have to walk the rest, which gave him a perfect view advantage. "See ye in a bit. den."?
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She nodded, digesting the directions. "Si. Ciao," and terminated the call. It would be another hour before the Italian would find herself in a part of the island she wasn't familiar with. She never visited this side of the coast, finding everything she needed in the small town near her villa. This side was just as scenic, and the beautiful woman only added to the ambiance as she came walking up to the cafe, the hem of her floral
dress fluttering in ocean breeze. She kicked a bit of sand from a shoe before she entered, sensing full well the presence of another immortal inside. Passing through the door, it took a moment for her dark eyes to adjust to the shaded light as she glanced around for him.
????
Brehnic?was close enough to trigger that *immortal* vibe they all share, sitting where he could view all coming and going, as well having his back to the wall. He wouldn't motion to her, she could see him. Those dreadlocks were pulled back into a ponytail, trademark tainted glasses shielded those dark eyes. Dressed like one of the locals, he stirred his drink, while awaiting her approach.

Catching sight of her intended lunch companion, she started in his direction, weaving around tables until she reached his. Slowly, a chair next to his was pulled out and she settled into it elegantly, leaning back with legs crossed, and fingers laced in her lap, looking at him expectantly.
????
"I be makin' dis to de point, Nova. I don' wan' to be makin' any more waves between ye and yer beau. We both kno' I cannae be ye' student, so tha' be leavin' only one path." Pausing long enough to take a sip from his drink.
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"You are intelligent, I'll give you that..." she muttered, glancing down at her hands.
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"Jus' as I kno' Jackson be cuttin' me a break by not killin' me before, an' is still cuttin' me slack, only because o' ye. So, I'm takin' meself out o' his cross hairs. Ye took a chance on me, Nova, fer whatever reasons ye had. I'm not goin' to ferget tha'. I be havin'a short list o' those I be callin' friends. Yeah, ye keep sayin' I don' kno' enough about ye, but I kno' enuff to be goin' wit' me instincts. I'll give ye space to do wha' ye hav' to be doin' an' won't be setting foot on dis island again. We talk by phone, or be findin' a neutral spot to chat from here on out."

Pausing once again to let her digest what he was saying, as well nod to the server for a refill.
"Someone once told me I have a soft spot for lost causes...and young immortals." She looked up at him, and there was a haunted sadness in her eyes." I'm sorry."

"Tsk, luv. Nutthin' t'be sorry about. Our paths crossed fer a reason. Dey be crossin' again, when fate deems it so." Removing those glasses, he looked her straight in the eyes ... "Ye can trust me Nova. Ye be an old school Immortal, an' ye well o' knowledge is somethin' I be willin' to take a drink from. I don' question ye ways, fer they hav' gotten ye dis far. Ye are who ye are, an' dat be good enuff fer me. Bottomline ...Ye trust me?" Once again straight to the point.

"No, Brehnic. I don't trust you completely. I don't trust anyone completely. Not anymore. But I'll take you at your word until you prove otherwise. Good enough?"
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"Good enuff, Ms. Giannini. An' tha' be why ye needin' t' hear all o' dis from me face, not by th' phone." Raising his drink up to the woman, he'd toast her. "To one o' the most enigmatic women I ever be meetin'... Ye be one o' a..."?

"Brehnic...stop..." She held up a hand, embarrassed by his accolades. The immortal stopped speaking when interrupted and arched an eyebrow.?
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"I don't deserve the praise. I'm just a newbie myself, trying to pretend I'm all that. A former teacher taught me that first impressions are important." She chuckled a little. "I guess I learned that lesson too well.? She then changed the subject?quickly, a skill she was good at. "So what will you do now?"
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"Actually I be lookin' into somethin' right now ... A potential treasure hunt if ye will." And that smile of his finally surfaced.
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"Treasure, hm? Yes, I guess that would interest you, given your primary vocation."
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"Mebbe. I don' kno' too much goin' in, only that it's somethin' huge." Finishing his drink, he pulled out his Black berry, reading the sent text before he glanced at his watch."Speakin' o' which, it seems that I now hav' a location to be workin' from. Huh, Morocco o' all places. Wish me luck."

Rising from his seat ... "An' danks fer comin' down." A little bow given, as well kissing the back of her hand. "Good luck wit' yer beau." And just like that he was out the door.
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As he made his abrupt departure, she stared after him in confusion. By the time she called out to him, he was already out of earshot. Arching a brow at the sudden turn of events, she slowly rose, heaved a long, slow sigh, and made her way out as well.

Which brought him back to here and now. Yeah, he'd give the Alpha Male Immortal Jackson Keyes all the space in the known world, after all it was all about the game ... And how you play it. A familair ringtone roused him from those inner musings, as he stepped back inside his room.

"You got somethin' fer me on de girl wit' the purple hair??"