| Subject: Entropy Chapter 13 |
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Becca
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Date Posted: 15:56:07 07/01/02 Mon
In reply to:
HeyBecca
's message, "Entropy" on 19:23:01 02/10/02 Sun
Entropy 13
Bon Voyage
“And it’s one last round of petty conversation. You hold on boy, cuz, you won’t go down like this? Just roll on over, lay down till it’s more than you can take.”
--Rob Thomas, “Black and White People”
Sly laid prone on the bed, blowing bubbles with his gum as he stared at the ceiling.
“You said it was a black van,” V asked Maxie. They sat at a table, V taking notes as she spoke with the young witness.
“Yeah, it was a black Ford van. Tinted windows, all the men wore black and the license plate--.”
“It said BLACK?” Sly asked with a bored laugh.
V looked at Sly and glared. “Must you?”
“I’m sorry Agent Ardonowski, but I don’t get why I have to be here while you interrogate a teenager.”
V stood up and walked over the bed. “You had to visit your agent to tell her you won’t be available for a while. Nobody is to be left alone, unless of course you would like to witness the sequel to what happened to Zander.”
He glanced down at his hand. “I could have gone with Lucky and Liz to talk to Nicole Kidman,” Sly noted. “I know her, personally. We played golf in Malibu once.”
“You played golf with Nicole Kidman?” Maxie asked, obviously impressed. “That’s so cool.”
“It was nothing compared to playing tennis with ex-husband. Whose ass, by the way, I kicked,” Sly explained boastfully.
V took a deep breath and returned her seat. “Sly, shut up until I finish asking Miss Jones the necessary questions.”
“Aye, Aye, capin’,” he said saluting her.
“So, Maxie, do you remember anything about the license plate?”
“Well,” she said thoughtfully. “It wasn’t a New York plate. I remember because I thought it was really weird that it had Pennsylvania plates.”
“Rental!” Sly called out from the bed. “If it is a rental it probably originates from somewhere in PA, and was driven here. Ha, I bet your blockhead partner wouldn’t have known that, V.”
“I think you underestimate Jason.”
Sly smirked as he sat up. “Or, they could have bought the van in Pennsylvania to throw us off. Make us think it was a rental so we’d go around searching all the rental shops in the tri-state area.”
V gritted her teeth and nodded, “That’s a good point. If Maxie remembered any of the license plate number, we’d be even better off.”
“Well, of course,” Sly said excitedly as he slid to the end of the bed. He hung his feet over the edge of the bed and leaned forward, “So, Miss Jones, search your nubile cranium for the numbers or letters on the plate.”
“I can’t remember the numbers,” she said with a frown. “But I do know the first three letters.”
“That’s better than nothing, right?” Sly asked V with a serious look.
V sighed and tried not to laugh at Sly’s enthusiasm.
“Everything we can get is good,” she confirmed.
“I remember it because . . . oh gosh, this is so embarrassing . . . because they are Lucky’s initials. LLS.”
Sly clapped his hands together once and jumped off the bed. “Finally, a woman’s unwavering dedication to my cousin pays off!”
“This has been a great help, Maxie. I’ll run through the computer the description of the van and what you just told us, and see what we get. You should probably go home to Port Charles where you can be safe,” V explained as she pulled her laptop onto the table.
“What? No, I’m part of this. I’m not crawling home to mommy just as things are getting good,” Maxie exclaimed.
Sly exchanged a look with V, letting her know he’d handle the young woman.
“Why don’t we take a step outside, Max,” Sly suggested as he opened the door to the motel room. V, Sly, and Maxie had driven to New Jersey and rented two rooms in a motel. The rest of the gang would be meeting them there later. She figured it would be better to get out of the city to set up a center of operations.
“This is ridiculous,” Maxie cried once they were outside. “Who does she think she is?”
“She’s a WSB agent, Maxie. She’s smart, and good at her job, kind of hot—I think she likes me,” Sly noted with a laugh. “But seriously, she has a point, Maxie. This is crazy. This thing we’re involved in, you don’t want to be here. You have a great life ahead of you. Don’t mess it up by getting involved in the Spencer/Cassadine war.”
“But I am involved, Sly. I saw the men take that woman into the van. I saw the van. I’m part of this.”
Sly shook his head. “Only a small part, kid. Trust me, you don’t want to be involved in this. Look at what it has already done to so many people. It stole three years of Lucky’s life. It has destroyed or come close to destroying so many lives. Be smart, Maxie, and go back to Port Charles. Spend some quality time with your mother and your little sister. You won’t regret it.”
“Fine,” Maxie said, an idea forming the back of her mind. “Can I just wait until Lucky gets here. I just want to say goodbye to him.”
Sly smiled and patted her shoulder. “Sure thing, kid. Now . . . do you think V likes me? I mean, really?”
“You’re pathetic,” she said with a friendly smile and went back into the motel room.
“Yeah, well, I work hard at it,” Sly said to himself at the same time as a couple in the room next door stepped out. They stared at him questioningly. “Good evening, hope you’re enjoying your stay in the Garden State. I’ll be going inside now.” He a gave them a thumbs up and a wink and slipped back into his room.
**
“What is that music?” Colin asked as he walked into the living room. The room was decorated with a very modern feel. Plus brown leather sofas sat on top of a plush cream colored rug. Under the rug, extending throughout the hallways of the mansion was off white marble.
“The Smashing Pumpkins,” Kristina said with a yawn as she extended her legs along one of the sofas.
“Turn it off, it’s shit,” Colin ordered. He stood at the bar and poured himself a Martini. “I told you to turn it off.”
“Turn it off yourself, Colin.”
He smirked at her and walked over to the stereo. He removed the CD and snapped it in half before placing his own selection in the stereo. Beethoven eased out of the speakers, soothing Colin’s bubbling rage.
“You’re just so hip, Colin. Classical, tres chic,” Kristina said snidely. “Have fun torturing Sarah Webber?”
Colin glared at her before cracking into a smile. “Jealous?”
“Of Sarah Webber? Hardly.”
He walked to the couch and picked her legs up, sliding under them onto the couch. “You know you are. To have my undivided attention. You’d do anything for it.” As he spoke Colin ran his fingers up her bare legs, sliding under her black Prada skirt. “What would you do to have me . . . touch you?”
“Colin, you’re too homicidal for my taste,” Kristina claimed, but she did nothing to avoid his advances.
“Well, I was the homicidal branch of my family. What branch of your family are you, Miss Cassadine?”
Kristina smirked and reached down to grab Colin’s hand. “I’d rather not share that information with you, Colin. Especially not right now with your hand up my skirt.”
“Fine,” Colin declared. He stood up, his lean frame stretching out effortlessly. “Maybe I’ll go make my own fun. I do have a beautiful woman tied to a chair downstairs. I can have all sorts of fun with her. And I won’t have to listen to her yapping.”
Before Colin could leave the living room Kristina jumped off the couch. “Wait.”
He stopped but didn’t turn around.
“Play with me,” she said, a pang of guilt in her gut as she thought about what Colin would do to Sarah. “I’ll be much more willing, and you can have a lot more fun.”
A wicked smile on his handsome face, Colin turned to face Kristina. “Well, I’m not sure how much fun willingness will be.”
Kristina felt herself flinch at Colin’s statement. She hoped he didn’t see her. “You do know that if you do anything to Sarah before you’re supposed to, *she* will kill you.”
“You Cassadines spoil all my fun,” Colin muttered. “But you’re right, Madame will be disappointed if I bloody Sarah’s fine little form before we get to where we’re going.”
With a sigh of relief, Kristina walked out from behind the couch and crossed the space to where Colin was standing.
“So you were saying you want to play?” Kristina nodded. “Good,” he smiled. “I make up the rules.”
**
Nikolas glanced over at the passenger seat where Emily was sitting. The entire afternoon they tied up their loose ends and got ready to do whatever it would take to fix the mess they had gotten involved in. Now they were driving over the bridge to New Jersey.
In complete silence.
“Something is wrong,” Nikolas finally spoke.
“Nothing is wrong, Nikolas. Just drive.”
“Yes it is. I know you spent all last night by Zander’s side. I know he’s on your mind. I understand,” Nikolas said. “I have been thinking about Gia’s announcement all day. It’s perfectly natural. Just as we’re moving into a new relationship together, our former loves come back into our lives.”
“That is what you think is bothering me?” Emily asked, casting a weary glance at Nikolas. “Sure, I was scared for Zander. But I’m also scared for Liz and Lucky and my brother and Sly and you. But you, what, the only worry in your mind is that Gia is marrying a stable, successful, handsome plastic surgeon? It’s nice to know where your priorities are, Nikolas.”
“Oh god—Em, you can’t be serious?” Nikolas balked. “I was just making a point, that maybe we’ve both been a little distracted today. We spent all afternoon together and barely spoke. Something is certainly wrong. What is it?”
“Must we get into this now?” Emily asked impatiently.
“When would be a good time? In the middle of the meeting? Or maybe when the lunatics who took Kristina are holding guns to our heads. When would be a good time to discuss this obvious impasse in our relationship?”
“Impasse? Impasse, Nikolas, you’ve completely lost it, haven’t you? There is nothing wrong with our relationship, ok? Nothing wrong except for the fact that maybe we shouldn’t have one. The second something shaky happens you think we are instantly about to fall apart. Not to mention, according to you, neither of us is over our past. Maybe we should spend a little less time together.”
Nikolas looked over at her, unsure of what to say.
“Are you . . . do you . . . are you saying that this is over? You and I? We’re through? Now who is the one who is acting rashly at the first sign of trouble?”
“Just drive, Nikolas. I don’t want to talk anymore,” Emily said coldly as she stared out ahead of her.
Nikolas nodded his head, “I get it.”
**
Steven looked in the rearview mirror at Zander and Alison. “I really wish you’d let me take a look at you. I am a qualified doctor, I just want to help.”
“Cool it, man,” Zander ordered. “They didn’t touch her, she didn’t even see them. They wrecked her place and left a note. How many times do I have to tell you?”
“He’s just concerned,” Gia offered, defending her fiancé.
“Whatever. Let’s go to the motel, everything will be fine after that,” Zander said with a sigh. He looked at Alison and smiled, “You alright?”
“I’m still stunned, but physically I’m fine,” she said softly. “I still can’t believe Kristina was involved in the business of someone like Helena Cassadine.”
“We don’t know anything for sure yet,” Zander tried then shrugged, “but Lucky and Nikolas seem pretty certain its all her. And since they know first hand how Helena is I tend to believe them.”
“I thought she was in prison. Isn’t she supposed to be in prison?” Alison asked in obvious confusion.
“That’s what I thought, turns out that doesn’t stop a Cassadine,” Steven said with a sneer.
Zander ignored Steven, “That’s where Kristina comes in. Along with the men who hit your place and, well, my hand. Helena has eyes, ears, and hands on the outside doing her dirty work. But she’s the brains behind it all.”
“She’s dangerous, Alison. You have no idea what you’re getting involved in,” Gia warned.
“I didn’t get involved in anything, they involved me in it,” she explained nervously. “I’ve heard all the stories about the Cassadines. Everything they did to Lucky and the Spencers, everything. I should have known not to take Kristina on as my roommate. But I was stupid, I thought it would be nice to live with someone from Port Charles. I guess her being a flaming bitch should have been my first sign.”
“Did she ever make you think she had warm and squishy feelings for Psycho Granny?” Gia asked. “Kristina never seemed crazy enough to keep something so sinister hidden.”
Zander, recalling his own bad judgement in regards to Kristina, leaned his head against the window and sighed. “She fooled everyone.”
**
A bad situation was turning terribly worse, Elizabeth thought. She stood over the sink in the motel room adjacent to where everyone was gathering for the meeting. Not only was she thrown back into the Spencer/Cassadine war, but her sister was most likely a victim of it as well. All she wanted to do was go to New York, have some fun at Carly’s club opening, and maybe see Lucky again.
Lucky.
Elizabeth glanced into the room, to find an ever-loyal Lucky sitting patiently on the edge of the bed. Here they were, friends and getting closer, it felt like an eternity ago when he could barely look her in the eye. And there he was, waiting for her, being there for her when she needed. Fate or destiny had to exist, because without it there was no explaining why Lucky was back in her life again. Why he meant so much to her still.
She took a deep breath and returned to the room.
“You feeling better?” he asked hopefully, smiling warmly at her. “I hope it wasn’t my driving that got you sick.”
“I don’t think it was your driving. It wasn’t you, Lucky. It is everything but you,” she explained softly. Elizabeth could feel herself on the verge of tears again. She and Sarah weren’t best friends, but they had worked through so many of their problems and were close. To think that her sister was missing, at best, and dead, at worst, was tearing her apart inside.
“Remember that time when you conned me into driving out to the Cassadine cottage to stop my brother and your sister from having sex?” he asked, trying desperately to lighten her mood.
“How could I forget?” she asked with a fond laugh.
“And after you hit the ice and got us stuck and we sat and talked.”
“I recall it was more like fighting,” Elizabeth pointed out with a smile.
“That was the first time that you let me see who you were. There was no false bravado, just you. Raw, angry, really funny, and so frustrating . . . but I really liked it,” Lucky paused and looked into her eyes. “You always . . . Elizabeth, you were always on my mind. There hasn’t been a day in the last eleven years that I haven’t thought about you.”
She returned his gaze, getting lost for a moment in the intense blue pools of his eyes.
“I just wanted to make sure you knew that no matter what was going on in your life, someone was thinking about you . . . and wanting to see you smile.”
“Lucky, I . . .” she whispered, wanting desperately to feel his lips on hers. But they were both frozen, locked in place.
“You don’t have to say anything, just know it,” he said with a half smile. “Hmm,” he rubbed his hands together briskly before pointing over his shoulder. “We should go join everyone else. See what V and the Golden Boy dug up.”
“Why don’t you like Jason anymore?” Elizabeth asked curiously as they went over to the other room. “You two were once friends.”
“I like the guy, that hasn’t changed. I just don’t worship him like some people have,” he said pointedly, “in the past.”
“Wait,” Elizabeth said, stopping Lucky from opening the door. “What do you mean? What are you talking about?”
“I shouldn’t bring it up or anything but . . . I never understood why you treated someone you thought was me, even if he wasn’t, like crap in favor of Jason. Don’t get me wrong, Elizabeth, it kills me that you believed the creep was me. But it just scares me that Jason was able to make you doubt the idea of us.”
“But I didn’t, Lucky. I could have left Port Charles with Jason but I didn’t. I stayed for our dream, even if I was an idiot for believing that he was you,” she admitted. “Nobody could ever change the fact that you will always be my ideal, my dream.”
“Yeah, well, I killed that dream a long time ago,” Lucky said coldly and left. He didn’t want to get into the past. What he was building with Elizabeth was new and different, it wasn’t supposed to be based on their past, it was supposed to be about their future. But every time he thought about the past he realized how stupid he was to leave her six years ago, to not fight for their dream even if she was with Aiden then.
**
Everyone was gathered in the hotel room, waiting to find out what was going on. Lucky, Nikolas, Zander, and Alison were seated on one of the double beds. Emily, Elizabeth, Natalie, Carly, and Jax on the other. Maxie, Sly, and Jason were sitting around the table while Gia and Steven were both sitting on top of the dresser. V stood in the middle of the room, ready to speak.
“This is big, and dangerous. You all have to know that before I continue. I have decided to hold off on calling in my superiors yet because I think there are enough capable people involved in this to get us through. Is it stupid? Am I protecting my partner’s ass? Yes. Can it get us all killed? I hope to hell not, but it is a risk we sometimes have to take. So anyone who doesn’t want to be involved in this, walk out that door right now. Jason and I have some connections, we can put guards on you 24/7 so you won’t be in danger. But if you think you can take it, understand the risk you are putting yourself in,” V explained, waiting for someone to get up and leave.
“Good, I need all the manpower I can get. I traced the last owner on record of the van used the other night to a small town outside of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. I seriously doubt this is the man who took Kristina and attacked Zander, but we have to speak with him anyway. Additionally, Jason’s research did give us two leads to Kristina’s activities the last two years. She’s spent a great deal of time in Los Angeles, reasons undisclosed. And, before we got the call from Natalie, we were on to something in Greece. We’ll send a group out to Los Angeles, a group to Greece, and a third group will go to Pennsylvania.”
Jason stood up and moved towards his partner. “Lucky and Nikolas will lead a team to Greece. Sly will take a group to LA and V will start in Pennsylvania and see where that takes her.”
“That’s not everyone, Jason,” Carly pointed out. “How are these teams being broken up?”
“I figure there are particular dynamics within this group, so we should separate based on how we can get the most work done,” V noted.
“I—I’m not going to Greece,” Lucky stated shakily.
“What?” Jason asked, confused. “You and Nikolas know that place better than anyone. Isn’t that where you--.” Jason felt V nudge him in the side. “I mean Sly’s going to LA because he knows the city, has connections.”
“I’m not going, man. Ok? I’m not going to Greece,” Lucky stated, his calm visage giving way to agitation. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “I need some air.”
“I just—it’s what’s best,” Jason stammered.
Elizabeth stood up to go after Lucky. Carly cut her off, giving the other woman a kind smile. “Let me take this one.”
Elizabeth nodded and watched Carly follow Lucky outside.
V took a deep breath and continued with the plans.
“Nikolas, do you have any objections about going to Greece?”
“No, I’m fine with that.”
**
“Jason doesn’t think sometimes,” Carly said as she approached Lucky. He stood at the edge of railing, looking down at the parking lot below. “But I don’t think he really understands why you don’t want to go back.”
“What does he think, Carly? That I was on vacation?”
She smiled, “He’s Jason, he’s not the idea man.”
“Don’t make excuses for him, please.”
“I know you don’t want to go back, but, pal, I think it may be a good idea,” Carly suggested, rubbing his back gently. “Confront your past, kick it in the ass, prove that you’ve survived. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known, Lucky. I know you’ll survive this.”
He glanced up at her, “What if I don’t?”
“That’s crazy, you will. I know it, I have faith in you.”
“I don’t,” he admitted. He turned around so that his back was against the railing. “Do you realize I never really dealt with what happened on that island? I never confronted it. I never got over it. I just ran away. I didn’t start over in New York City, I hid there.” He paused, studying the palm of his left hand as if it held the mysteries of the universe. He wished it were that simple. “What if I return to Greece, and the Cassadine Island and everything they did to me comes back? What if I can’t survive it again?”
“I know it sounds ridiculous and trite, but I just know you will. You are simply the most amazing person I’ve known. And I’m not just saying that because we are from the same bloodline. I mean it. And I promise, I won’t let anything ever happen to you. I’ve got your back, pal. Remember, New Year’s Eve, four years ago?”
“You mean when we were drunk at your club in Miami?” he asked with a slight laugh. “Vaguely.”
“We promised that no matter where life took us, even if it was in different directions, if things got rough for one, the other would be there for back-up. I’m here, man,” Carly said, holding out her hands.
Lucky hugged her and smiled, “Maybe it’s time I kept a promise.”
“Have you ever broke one?” she asked.
“One, from a long time ago. I promised I’d never lie to someone,” he said with a frown, gazing at the closed motel room door. “I broke that pretty easily.”
“Lucky, I’ve told my share of lies, and trust me there isn’t a lie you could tell to match me,” she boasted. “I lied about the father of my child, and yet I was forgiven. I have a feeling that the person you lied to, about whatever, hasn’t held a grudge for six years.”
Lucky looked at her, his eyes raised. “You think so?”
“Yes, I think so,” she said with a wink. “So, you going to Greece?”
“Face my demons?”
“I’ll be with you the entire time,” she told him sincerely.
He tilted his head and grabbed her hand. “Let’s find out what’s behind door number 1.”
**
“We’ll have fun,” Sly said with a proud grin as he talked to the group that was going out to LA.
“Sly, we’re not going out there to have a good time,” Emily pointed out. “We have to get information about Helena and Kristina and whoever else is involve.”
“DRAG,” he complained. “No wonder the Prince didn’t put up much of a fight when you said you were coming with me.”
“Yeah, that’s why,” Emily sighed.
“So, we’ll leave as soon as possible,” Jason announced as he approached the group that consisted of Emily, Sly, Gia, and Steven.
“No!” Sly jumped off the bed they were sitting on. “No!”
“What?” Jason asked, clenching his fists.
“You are not coming to LA, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb,” Sly said adamently.
“He’s right,” Gia admitted.
“That’s fucking ridiculous,” he grumbled.
“You’re going to ruin everything,” Sly said calmly. “V, you and Jason switch. He’s going to Pennsylvania, you’re coming to LA.”
“No,” Natalie cried. “I’m going to PA.”
“And they call me Captain Obvious,” Jax noted with a chuckle.
Before anyone could get another word in Carly and Lucky returned.
“I’ll go to Greece,” he announced with a proud Carly by his side.
“And I’m going too,” she added.
“No,” Natalie repeated. “If Morgan is in this group, you have to be here—you have to be a buffer.”
“She’s got a point,” Jax interjected. “Jason and Natalie, Jason and me . . . it won’t be pretty, Caroline.”
“Well, where is Jason going?” Carly wondered.
“He’s not coming to LA, it just won’t work,” Sly cracked his knuckles in frustration.
“Fine!” V threw her hands in the air. “Jason, you’re in group B, you’re going to PA. I’ll go with group C to LA. Lucky, you’re in group A going to Greece. Carly—I don’t give a damn where you go, JUST GO!”
Carly and Lucky made eye contact. He gave her a confident smile, telling Carly to go with Natalie.
“Someone is in a pissy mood,” Steven whispered to Gia.
“I heard that.”
“Wait,” Lucky stopped, looking at the three groups. “What about Maxie? Is there a reason why she’s by herself? Is she going on a secret mission?” he asked sarcastically.
“No, she’s going to Port Charles,” Sly said, enunciating the name of the city. “H O M E.”
“Whose cockeyed idea was that?” He looked around the room, “Jason?”
“I don’t care at all.”
“She’s young and has no part in this,” V pointed out.
Lucky looked at her as if she had a second head sprouting from her shoulders.
“And obviously you don’t agree.”
“No, I don’t. She’s young, yeah, but she is involved in this, she’s a witness” Lucky explained. Maxie stood up excitedly, standing by Lucky. “She’s going to Pennsylvania with you four.”
Maxie frowned while at the same time Elizabeth, who was heading to Greece with Lucky, Nikolas, Zander and Alison, smiled.
“Someone’s in take charge mode,” mused Sly.
“Nikolas, get the jet ready, we’re going to bring down your grandmother once and for all,” Lucky declared.
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