Risk

Chapter XXXI

Field of Battle

Carly throws herself in the chair next to Stavros. She tilts her face back to get the afternoon sun. "Okay I've used up my quota of trouble making today."

"You have a quota?" Stavros says tongue in cheek.

Carly leans over and punches Stavros in the arm with her good hand. "Yes, and somedays I don't even go over it." Carly starts holding up fingers. "Talked to Jason to get him to check on Gia. Talked to Mama to get her to talk to Nikolas. Talked the Deception bottle makers in Italy into going out on strike. They always seem to like a good strike. Got all the information together for you to take back Jax's holdings in Greece-- not only the Cassadine ones but everything that has his name anywhere on it. Did you know he has an island there? He somehow managed to hang onto it even after the feds took all of his other assets away. It must be important to him."

Stavros takes Carly's hand and kisses the palm. "But what of this little finger here?" He kisses the poor pinky that hadn't gotten extended in Carly's list of troublemaking.

Carly extends it. "Mama wants Alexis to call Stefan." Carly winces at Stavros expression. "You asked."

"No." Stavros says flatly.

"How about an email? Alexis knows all about the internet." Carly is the one with tongue in cheek at that point. "You can have her write Stefan a note, hmm I bet Nikolas is worried too. He likes her for some reason. And then Andreas could be the one to actually send them."

"Why do you persist in snickering every time you mention Alexis and the internet?" Stavros asks as he considers the alternative that Carly has suggested.

Carly takes the computer and does a quick search of the net until she finally finds it. "Because of this." Carly turns the screen so Stavros can see a picture of his sister dressed only in a teddy reclining on a large mussed bed with a rose between her teeth.

"You have got to be... kidding me."

"Oh it's not as good as the one that Luke has in his club of your mother." Carly says critically as she looks over Stavros shoulder at the screen. "But that's an oil. A real painting."

"I've seen it." Stavros says wryly. "I was meeting with Elton while Luke was out of town."

Carly sits back down and resting her elbow on the table leans her chin against the palm of her hand. "And I bet he thought you were the neatest thing."

"Another thing of which I don't wish to speak."

"You know for such a worldly guy you do embarass easily." Carly teases.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Carly gets serious and sighs. "Yeah. You'll be okay with keeping Michael for awhile? While Sonny and I hash this out?"

"Of Course." Stavros nods.

"And you'll think about the email? It would make Nikolas feel better. And I thought you and Stefan were going to cooperate a little bit. Or at least look like you're cooperating."

At the coffee warehouse, Jason looks through the files on Deception until he finds the paperwork for the loan that Sonny had arranged for the financing. He prepares to go thru it line for line when there is an interruption from the floor below. He go to the window impatiently ready to tear into someone or something. By the time he gets to the window, Zander is already in the middle of the situation sorting it out and getting people back to their business. Jason nods and goes back to the contract. There has to be a payment schedule in here somewhere. Finally Jason picks up the phone. "Benny? Yeah, I know we just got back. I'm trying to make heads or tails of this Deception contract Sonny signed."

"I didn't have anything to do with that, Boss." Benny says quickly defensively.

"Yeah, I figured. Your stuff I can read. You can tell a couple of attorneys put together this piece of shit. It's giving me a headache. I want to know where the money for the company came from and what the repayment schedule is. Cause what I can make of this... it came out of Sonny and my joint ventures-- the ELQ and the coffee warehouse."

"He wanted the money to be strictly legit."

"Yeah, but that's Michael's money." Jason says tersely. "Frankly we don't need any tax write offs; we need income on that side of the books to cover the money we're making on this side. Laura didn't want us as investors.. having stock in the company. She wanted a simple loan. Not that you could tell from this." Jason throws the papers down on the desk in disgust.

"I tried to tell Mr Corinthos..." Benny doesn't finish the thought. "I'm on my way, Mr Morgan."

"Good. Cause I'm getting the feeling that Laura hasn't paid a dime back since before Carly got kicked out of the company and I want options." There is a knock on the door. It's Zander. Jason waves him in. "I'll have everything together for you when you get here." Jason hangs up the phone without saying goodbye. "What was going on down there?"

"Couple of guys just realized they were dating the same gal." Zander shrugs. "They'll take care of it off of work premises." Jason nods. Zander hesitates and then finally asks. "Have you heard from Alexis?"

Jason looks over at the young man. "No. And I don't expect to."

"You don't know where she is and you don't care." Zander realizes.

"Not particularly."

"I quit."

"Your choice but why?"

"I have to find Alexis. She's been good to me and I do care that she is missing!" Zander explodes.

"Alexis isn't missing." Jason says impatiently. "She's having a little visit with her long lost brother, Stavros. And as for Alexis being good to you... she did her job. She did what Sonny told her to do. What she was paid to do... knowing her-- probably at triple rates to overrule her scruples."

"And Sonny? Where is he?"

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" Jason says quietly, too quietly. "I don't have to explain to you where anyone is. It's none of your business."

"Sonny hired me. He gave me this job."

"Sonny and I are partners in everything. He takes care of my interests when I'm out of town and vice versa. This is my company." Jason points to the floor for emphasis. "You've done good work here, keeping things moving but if you want out it's your choice. You want the job then do it. You want out-- then walk."

Zander tries to decide what his next move while his jaw moves like a fish out of water trying to get breath. Finally he turns around and stalks back down the stairs and to the floor. Furious at the situation and at himself for not getting the answers he wanted it starts tossing bags of coffee from one side of the warehouse to the other. Something that needed to be done but not necessarily by him.

"You okay?" One of the other guys says quietly not making eye contact with anything.

"That guy pisses me off." Zander says flatly.

"Yeah, but the checks are good-- and he doesn't forget to write them."

Benny comes racing into the warehouse practically at a run, fussily reaching up to check his comb over to make sure it isn't flopping to one side exposing his expanding bald spot. He doesn't even pause on the warehouse floor but makes his way up to the offices above. Zander's coworker takes in the whole situation. "Look it's not smart to cross Jase. He's a good guy to have on your side. But people who aren't on his side have a habit of... disappearing." With that bit of advice the guy distances himself from Zander and gets back to work.

Jax had followed the movement of the crew from the yacht to the Cassadine compound on the small South American island off the coast of Venezuela. No Alexis. No sign of Alexis. Nothing even anything coming off the yacht that would be big enough to stuff Alexis in. He waits until the traffic between the two places slows to nothing and most of the crew have left in trucks. Probably to find a party somewhere. Packing up his stuff and disguising his campsite, he slowly makes his way down to the compound steering clear of any guards. If Alexis is here she is still on the yacht. And if she's not on the yacht... well he had to get back to Caracas and work on his next move.

Sonny hears the approaching helicoptor and starts toward the landing site. As he is arriving the helicoptor is already lifting off, leaving only a slim blonde figure that he'd recognize anywhere. Going up to Carly he grabs her by the arm. "What the hell you think you're doing?"

Carly looks down at her arm and her husband's hand on it. Then back up to Sonny's furious face. Sonny releases her. "Coming back to clear the air. To hash it all out."

"Where is Michael?"

"With Stavros. I didn't want him to hear this."

"He's holding our kid hostage to get your cooperation."

Carly stiffens. "No, Stavros doesn't have to use my son to get my cooperation. Look. I'm tired. I've been up for the last twenty four hours getting everything done I could so I could get back here. Do you want to go up to the house and talk or not? Cause I'd really like to sit down."

"Fine!" Sonny stalks back to the plantation house with Carly. Carly walks straight thru to the kitchen and starts making coffee. Sonny brushes her aside and finishes the task. "So talk. Where is my cell phone? Where is Johnny? Where is the crew? What the hell you think you're doing?!"

"I think your cell phone is over at the Casino. I think Johnny is over there too." Carly shrugs. "He might have headed back to Port Charles by now. The crew will be back in time for harvest. You know that. And as for what I'm doing? I'm making a life for myself. You see I thought I was divorced and was going to have Quartermaines coming after me in a heartbeat."

"I can handle the Quartermaines." Sonny says impatiently. "Once I adopt Michael-- they'll never be able to get a hand on him."

Carly shakes her head. "You're not going to adopt Michael. That's one of the things I decided back in Martinique before Stavros ever showed up."

"You think I would hurt that boy?! I love Michael!" The hurt and anger in Sonny's eyes is plain to Carly

"Intentionally? Hell no. You'd cut your hand off before you'd lift it to Michael." Carly reassures. "Sonny, you aren't Deke. I know you would never physically hurt Michael."

"Then why?"

"Sonny I love you... probably always will, but I don't trust you."

Sonny recoils stepping back and running into the kitchen counter. "What do you mean you don't trust me?! You're the one that betrayed me, betrayed our vows!"

"You didn't like what I did. You were unwilling to hear the reasons why I did it. So you took my company away. I don't trust you. What happens the next time I tick you off?"

"I think you're about to find out." Sonny says grimly.

"Michael!"

"Yeah Stavros?" Stavros looks at Michael censoriously as the little boy comes running out of the hotel room to the terrace. "I mean... yes, Stavros?"

"I need to send an email to my sister and I want to send a picture from the internet. Show me how."

"Let me see." Michael climbs up on Stavros lap so he can get access to the laptop computer on the table. "Wow! This picture is naughty."

"Maybe you shouldn't see this." Stavros worries as he covers Michael's eyes with one hand.

Michael pries Stavros fingers off his eyes. "Nah it's okay. It's like out of one of Leticia's catalogues she gets in the mail. She likes frilly things but not as much as her boyfriend." Michael dismisses Stavros' concerns. "Okay so what you do is highlight this part here and then you copy it." Michael sticks his tongue out a little biting it between his teeth as he concentrates. "And then you go over here to the email you've already started.... put a link to the site here. There you go. When she gets the email she can click on the link and get the picture."

"Thank you, Michael. You have been of great assistance."

"Now you do one. Send her a link of something else on the net so you can do it too." Michael directs bossily.

"I have no idea what to send her."

Michael hums. "Well Mama likes to read the Herald online so she can see what is going on in Port Charles even while we're on vacation. Your sister is on vacation too right? Maybe she'd like that."

"Where is the Herald online?"

"Mama has it bookmarked." Michael hits the bookmarks and opens up the Herald. "Now you do it."

Stavros carefully follows what he'd seen Michael doing. "There! I did it."

"Perfect." Michael pats Stavros arm. "You're getting a lot better."

"Michael!" A voice from inside the room calls out to the youngster.

"I think the tutor is back from dropping your mother over at your Uncle Sonny's." Stavros whispers in Michael's ear.

"Yeah. I mean Yes." Michael grimaces. "He wants to do history. He says since we're in Puerto Rico we should study history of the cari-bbean."

"Perhaps I should join you." Stavros nods seriously. "I believe this area was settled by..." Stavros drops his voice down low and whispers even lower in Michael's ear. "...pirates."

"Pirates?! Really?" Michael hops off of Stavros lap and goes running into the hotel room. "You're going to teach me about pirates!" Michael hollars at the tutor.

The tutor's laughter can be heard inside the hotel room. Stavros smiles at the happy noise Michael is making and then turns back to the laptop to compose a letter to Andreas and Alexis.

Benny has been hard at work at the spare desk in Jason's office. He'd made a copy of the contract so he could highlight the portions that Jason needed to read. And then he'd gone over the books and then just to verify called up the online banking option and made a list of the deposits to the clean accounts. He verifies each deposit matching it to the source of the monies. He winces as he looks at the totals.
Mr Morgan didn't have a lot of expenses. And Mr Corinthos always paid for everything out of the other business just made sure there was enough in the income of the legit businesses to cover his expenditures if the feds should ever inquire.
The loan to Deception had been a healthy chunk. And according to the contract it should have been a nice return. Better than leaving it all in the bank to gather interest. It should have been. There were interest payments on the loan as long as Mrs Corinthos has been partners in the company. But after she wasn't... there had been only one payment since then and that was six months ago. "Um... Mr Morgan, did Sonny say anything about deferring loan payments?"

"No."

"Then we have a problem."

"Show me." Jason comes from his desk to where Benny is working.

Jacks comes up from the back of the yacht easing silently out of the water. He makes his way up onto the fantail, pausing briefly to listen for any of the crew on board. He eases into the great room where he'd met Stavros and Alexis before and then starts searching the staterooms for any sign of Alexis. Finally he finds it. The room itself is like all the others but there are items of clothing in the closet. Nothing that Alexis would be caught dead in but the only female clothing on board. He searches further and then he finds it. A folded piece of heavy bond paper embossed with the Cassadine seal.

<<<
If you have found this then you've realized that your wife is no longer onboard and hasn't been since the day of our reunion. When you are willing to be more reasonable feel free to contact me. Until such time Natasha will be fulfilling a task more suitable to her station.

Your brother,

Stavros Cassadine>>>

Jax flips the note over and studies the whole thing rereading the brief missive. "Feel free to contact me... but does he leave a number? Oh no. That's too easy."

Andreas reviews all the correspondence to the project. Ms Alexis has already retired for the evening with a book still trying to recoup from her jet lag. Andreas is very careful where access to the outside world is concerned. No phones, no access to the outside world to disturb Ms Alexis from her much needed vacation. There is a beeping noise that announces email coming in. It is from the Prince. The first page is directions to him, and then there is an attachment The Prince wants printed out for his sister. Following Stavros directions to the letter, Andreas prints out Stavros' letter to Alexis as well as a copy of a picture off of the internet. Andreas' brows go up as he sees the subject of the picture. He puts the letter along with the picture in a folder and then shuts down the computer and locks it up along with the phone. Tucking the folder under his arm, he walks over to the living quarters and knocks sharply on the door.

"Yes?"

Andreas enters. "I apologize for disturbing you so late, Madam. These came in for you and I thought you would wish to see them before you retired for the evening." Andreas hands Alexis the folder and then stands back at the ready for any task Alexis should set for him.

Bored and her curiosity aroused-- Alexis flips open the folder wincing at the picture on top. She flips that one over fast to get to the other paperwork. "An e-mail from Stavros?" She reads thru it quickly.

"Yes Madam."

"What did he send you?" Andreas had taken the additional measure of printing off the directions from Stavros and reaching into his inside jacket pocket pulls it out and hands it to Alexis. There is nothing there that the Prince would mind his sister seeing-- thus no reason for subterfuge at this juncture. "Okay, so if I'm getting this right... I can email my friends and family and let them know I'm alright."

"I'll take care of emailing them for you, Madam." Andreas pulls out a small microrecorder and hands it to Alexis. "Just dictate them and I will send them promptly."

"Edited."

"Only if your location is mentioned or hinted at. As you surely noted, that is the only condition The Prince put on me."

"And Stavros gets a copy of them."

Andreas shakes his head. "I was not given that direction, Madame. That could possibly change if The Prince believes you aren't follow the spirit of the agreement."

"Agreement?" Alexis snorts. "Agreement implies two or more parties agreeing. Compromise. Each side getting something."

"Madam, were you allowed to have any contact with your family or friends yesterday?"

"I get your point." Alexis sighs. "Leave me. I'll get on this." Andreas half bows and turns to leave. But stops at Alexis' voice. "I see you got the additional monies for security at the lab. Good work on that."

"Thank you, Madam." Andreas bows again and then softly shuts the door behind him.

Round and round. They keep going round and round with neither of them listening to the other just trying to make their point. A few coffee cups had lost their existence to the verbal battle. Finally Carly has had enough. "Damn it Sonny! Where is Francis?"

"What do you mean where is Francis? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Where is Francis?" Carly demands again.

Sonny waves a hand impatiently. "He's back in Port Charles. Where I should be. Where we should both be!"

"No. Sonny, Francis is DEAD. He tried to cover for you at a meeting that you missed. And they killed him. That was over three months ago."

"You don't know what the hell you are talking about! Francis is back in Port Charles!"

"Think about it! When was the last time you saw him? You haven't been taking care of business for months! People are getting killed. And the people who work for you are getting scared wondering if they are going to be next because your head is not in the game! Port Charles is a match away from going up in flames!"

"Who told you this? Jason?! You're in this together." Sonny starts pacing. Everything he'd done since he married Carly was to make sure that she and Jason didn't spend too much time together. He'd seen the way Jason had come between her and AJ just by his existence and knew that Jason could do the same to his marriage.

"Jason loves you." Carly tries to deflect from Sonny building up his persecution complex. "You taught him everything he knows about the business. And no, Jason didn't tell me about Francis... Johnny did. Damn it Sonny, you know the situation is out of hand if Johnny and Benny want me back to be your stable pony."

"Stable pony?"

"You know the thing that keeps the thoroughbreds from getting too nervous." Carly explains impatiently.

"Well then come back to Port Charles with me!"

Carly shakes her head. "If you go back to Port Charles you're going to die. I won't be part of that. I don't know where it will come from... one of Sorel's goons trying to seize what's left of Sorel's scraps. One of the bosses down in New York. Hell maybe Taggart or one of the PCPD. Maybe it will be one of your own guys who is afraid he is going to be the next one in Francis' shoes. Maybe it will be somebody that your crew has picked to succeed you. Maybe it will be the Feds. You wouldn't do witness protection." Carly holds up a hand at Sonny's protest. "Okay, I know I screwed that one up but it seemed our only shot at normal! It is the only thing I saw. Sonny, you strapped a bomb to your chest. A BOMB."

"He had a gun on you!"

"You leveled the penthouse floor! You almost killed yourself, me, Alexis and Zander too! Even Taggart! And Sorel like the damn cockroach he was still survived!"

"He had a gun on you!"

"Why?! Why did he have a gun on me? Because you didn't take care of business. You were too busy diddling his daughter out at loon lake! Letting me believe you were dead. You didn't let me know I was in danger! You pulled my protection. Pulled Michael's protection! He stuck a knife in you and you didn't warn me there was a problem. Didn't tell me there was a problem!"

"I called Benny!" Sonny shouts defensively.

Carly gives him a thumbs up. "Oh and that did a hell of a lot of good!" She adds sarcastically.

"So you throw in with Cassadine, you faithless bitch! I bet being frozen for twenty years got him good and hard for you."

Carly recoils but then goes on the offensive again getting right in Sonny's face. "Bitch, slut, whore, tramp, liar. Get it all out, Sonny. Tell me all the reasons I should come back to you!"

"I would like to speak to Mrs Spencer."

Elton looks up at the older man in front of him and sniffs. beancounter Obviously someone who doesn't care about his appearance or he would have gone in for an eye job and hair plugs a decade ago. "Do you have an appointment?" Elton asks snottily about to send the man on his way.

"I represent Mr Corinthos and Mr Morgan."

That slows Elton way down. He reaches for the phone. "I'll see if she's in." Elton stage whispers in the phone after Laura picks up. "There is someone here who says he's from Mr Corinthos and Mr Morgan."

"Tell her it's Benny."

Elton repeats the phrase then nods at Laura's answer. "She'll be right out."

Even as Elton is saying that Laura is already at her office door. "Benny?"

Benny nods. "Mrs Spencer. Could I have a few minutes of your time?" Benny asks politely.

"Of course. Is there a problem? Luke tried to get hold of Sonny this morning and Jason picked up the phone."

"Mr Corinthos is on... vacation." Benny doesn't bother taking off his coat or scarf but instead just opens his briefcase. "As is the practice when Mr Morgan and Mr Corinthos cover for each other, Mr Morgan reviewed all contracts including the one with Deception."

"I made my deal with Sonny, not Jason."

"The financing for this venture came from both of them. Making a deal with Mr Corinthos is making a deal with Mr Morgan." Benny hands a letter to Laura.

"What is this?" Laura looks at it blankly.

"It's a demand letter. You are six months behind on interest payments. Mr Morgan wants you to bring it current along with the penalties that were outlined in the contract drawn up by Mr Baldwin and Ms Davis."

"But Sonny..."

"Mr Corinthos is on an extended vacation. Have a nice day, Mrs Spencer." Benny snaps the briefcase shut. "I'll see myself out." Benny turns around and walks out.

Laura sits down behind her big desk, in her big office and tears open the letter. "Fifty thousand dollars! I'm suppose to come up with fifty thousand dollars within 72 hours or he's going to demand a return of the principle?" Laura reaches for the intercom to have Elton contact Scott Baldwin but it is already beeping.

"Mrs Spencer, the glass factory in Italy is on the line. The foreman is quite stressed and my Italian is rusty but I think I caught the phrase-- wildcat strike. Could be because that was the only thing he said in English."

Laura groans. "Okay, I'll take that in a second. Elton, please get Scott Baldwin on the phone-- better yet here in the office. See if you can stop the check to the glass factory. If they aren't going to give us the product I sure as heck don't want to give them our money... and see if you can find me some aspirin. Lots of aspirin."