Chapter 22: Trickery Stefan opens the front door to Wyndemere to find Laura at his doorstep once again. He welcomes her in. Stefan:"Lasha, come in. This is really becoming quite a habit, your visiting me." Laura smiles at him as she enters his home. "I would have thought you expected me, all things considered." She sheds her coat once she is in the living room. Stefan follows her into the living room, bemused by her odd statement. "Why would I expect you to visit? Should I know what this visit is about?" Laura walks up to him and puts her arms around his neck. "I'm here to give you what you want. Me." She kisses him passionately. She's surprised that kissing him feels so good. Laura feels him respond to her seduction. His hands grasp her waist and draw her closer. Laura's hands stroke his chest, and she begins to unbutton his jacket. She wants to feel his body next to hers. She thinks to herself that giving herself to him will be easier than she thought. He feels so good to her. Stefan breaks the kiss to look her deeply in the eyes, "Lasha?" He strokes her face gently as he looks at her in wonder. Stefan sees the desire in her eyes. Laura: "Make love to me, Stefan." She pulls him back into a kiss. Stefan makes love to her mouth with his. Laura feels herself spiraling out of control, her desire for him is so intense. She never imagined it would be this way, so full of tenderness and passion. Nothing like Stavros. Stefan pulls himself away from her again, filled with wonder. He can't believe his Lasha is here with him, wanting to make love. He can't help but ask, it is too hard for him to believe. Stefan:"Why, Lasha? What's happened?" Laura: " This is what you want isn't it, Stefan?" Stefan: "I have never wanted anything more in my life." Laura: "I know if I give you what you want, you will give me what I want." Stefan is confused."What is it that you want, Lasha?" Laura braces herself. "My children, Lucky and Lulu. I know you have them." Stefan is flabbergasted. It's like a large bucket of cold water has been dumped on him. At first he is speechless and unresponsive. Then as what she's implying sinks in, he realizes her purpose. He is repulsed. He shoves her away violently. "What kind of monster do you think I am?" Stefan says in a deadly whisper. "A Cassadine monster!" She hisses back. "I know you have them. You are punishing Luke for Nikolas's death. You think Luke killed him. I know you. This is the perfect revenge against him, and you get me in the bargain. You know I'll do anything for my children, even sell myself body and soul to the devil!" Stefan is enraged. "I have NO idea where your children are! I would NEVER do anything to hurt your children. Or any child for that matter! How could you accuse me of such a thing? I KNOW what it's like to lose a child, Laura. I would not wish it on anyone, least of all you, Nikolas's mother." Laura: "You know, you had me fooled until my husband got the little present you sent him! Tell me Stefan, how did you do it? Did you call a photographer in in the middle of the night to take pictures of us, and then alter them? If you could do that, then you could kidnap my kids. You'll stop at nothing!" Stefan is pacing angrily, he is so angry that he let his guard down with her. What a fool he was. He has no idea what she is talking about, she's talking gibberish. "I haven't a clue what you're talking about. What picture? I have no reason to send Luke anything." Laura is incredulous. She can't believe what an accomplished liar he is. "Ok, since you're playing innocent, I'll spell it out for you. You sent my husband a picture of us sleeping in bed together. Except the kicker is that you had the picture altered so we look like we've just made love. So does it give you pleasure to ruin my life? To make my husband turn his back on me? And to take the very last thing I have in this world, Lucky and Lulu? Are you trying to drive me INSANE?! Stop lying and give me back my children!" Stefan:"I don't know anything about this picture you mention. You really believe I am the devil, don't you? That I would take the sacredness of our grief and use it to hurt you? That I would go to all the trouble of making Bobbie believe that everything that night was innocent, and then turn around and send the picture to Luke? I suppose I shouldn't expect any more from you. You are as deluded as your husband. Obviously I was too, if I have been thinking all these years that you were different. That we were at least friends. I truly have no idea what to say to you to make you believe that I had nothing to do with your children being kidnapped." Laura sees the hope of her children being returned vanish and she begins to panic. "If you didn't take my children, WHO DID?!" She screams at him. Stefan:"I have no idea. To be honest, I could care less at this moment. To think I have loved you all this time. What a blind fool I have been. You are no better than your husband. You are a prettier package, but that is the only difference. In fact, I prefer Luke to you. At least I know he is honest in his hatred of me.." Laura is so hysterical, she doesn't react to his insult. She begins to lose control "Oh my God, where are my babies? I have to find them. Tell me where they are, Stefan. PLEASE!!! You have to have them. You are my only hope! If you don't have them, they could be anywhere... They could be DEAD!!!!" Laura collapses into a heap of sobs. Stefan watches Laura dissolve before his eyes. He has never seen her come unglued before. His rage is temporarily forgotten. He gathers her up into his arms and deposits her on the couch. He grasps her shoulders roughly and shakes her. "Laura.... LASHA!" He says in his sternest voice. Laura pulls herself together at his harsh command. Once he has her attention, he continues. Stefan:"You belong with your husband now. Go help him look for your children. You are wasting time. I give you my solemn vow that I had NOTHING to do with their disappearance." Laura nods. After a few moments she gets off the couch. He helps her with her coat and escorts her to the door. As Laura leaves the Wyndemere dock, she prays that she can find her children soon. ****************** Nikolas glares back at Lucky. He sees his brother's eyes filled with hatred. He fights the temptation to push him back.Then he gets a clear picture of what's happening. He starts to search the room and Lucky looks at him strangely. Nikolas sees the questioning look in his eyes and puts his finger to his lips. He picks up a piece of paper and writes on it: "I think we're being played against each other on purpose. Help me search for a listening device. Jerry or Miranda probably planted one." Lucky decides to put aside his anger for a minute and help Nikolas search. Nikolas decides to keep up the charade of fighting in case his hunch is right. Nikolas: "What's the matter Spencer? Cat got your tongue? I figure as much as your father rambles you'd be just like him!" Lucky catches on and responds while searching. Lucky: " Well, talking to you Cassadine is a waste of breath. Heck, your own Uncle hated you enough to arrange for you to be kidnapped and your cousin can't stand you. What could I do to you that's worse than that?" Nikolas: "You're naive if you think Jerry likes you. Trust me, he likes no one. Which helps when most people are repulsed by him anyway. His brother was the golden boy. A real winner. Younger than Jerry but twice the man. Jerry hated that the family knew from the get-go he was a loser. My grandmother took to him though. She always liked to play with snakes." Lucky stifles a laugh at Nikolas's remarks. he had to admit that Nikolas had guts. If Jerry was listening he'd be fuming by now. Lucky: "Yeah well his girlfriend seems to like him. She sure is pretty." Nikolas: "Yeah, she is, but don't let her take you into her web. She's pretty, but lethal. At least with Jerry you know he's trash but with her she's a pretty package, but garbage just the same. But you're a Spencer, so you know all about trash right?" Lucky: 'Oh that really hurt Cassadine. At least my family doesn't kidnap me and pretend I'm dead!" Nikolas: "They didn't have to. My family did it for them." Finally Lucky finds what they are searching for. He shows it to Nikolas and they continue their facade. Lucky: "You think they're listening to our conversations??" Nikolas: "Wow, You are Spencer's son after all. The paranoid apple doesn't fall far from the tree. But now that you mention it, Jerry and Miranda might be bored enough to do it. Sheesh if I was Miranda, I would definitely be wanting some kind of distraction from Jerry. He is rather boring." Lucky: "Must be a family trait." Nikolas: "Boring?? You find me boring?? Or are you just having a hard time following my sentences because I use big words? Perhaps I can get Jerry to get me an English to white trash dictionary." Lucky: "Hey Nikolas, bite me. Help me look for a bug man." Nikolas: "Can't you find it by yourself? Very well." They smile for a few minutes and sit in silence. Finally Nikolas nods and Lucky speaks. Lucky: "Look what we have here." Nikolas: " Shame shame Guys. Not a very good job hiding it! " With that Lucky stomps on the bug. They wait for the door to open but are surprised when no one enters. Lucky: "Okay, so they are playing us off each other. Not a hard thing to do, considering." Nikolas: "Look, as hard as it may be, we have to stop fighting and start comparing notes. You think the picture is real?" Lucky: "Looks that way, but truthfully they were both so shook up over your death I can't see them... well ... you know." Nikolas: "Okay, so then it's probably fake. That picture may have been used against your parents and my uncle too. Just don't know how." Lucky: "You know, the night Lu and I were taken, Dad left the house really mad, he received something in the mail." Nikolas: "Hmm... Try this on for size, let's say the picture is sent to him, maybe to make it look like Uncle sent it, your dad goes to confront our mother. They would be gone for awhile right?" Lucky: "So that leaves me and Lu alone and gives my parents a reason to suspect your uncle set them up!" Nikolas: "And when my Uncle tries to deny it he looks like a liar. Got to give my grandmother credit. She is good at this." Lucky: "Well, she's had practice. Okay, so we know how and why. What now?" Nikolas: " We figure out how to get out of here without hurting Lu and Grandma Lesley." Lucky: "Well, they know about the bug now." Nikolas: "But they think we're still fighting. Let's keep it that way. We have to stay a step ahead of them or we're never going to win." Lucky: "Okay, so we play their games." Nikolas: "Exactly. Hey, how was Lulu?" Lucky hushes for a second and then answers. Lucky: "Fine. She really is okay. Our grandmother is taking good care of her." Nikolas: "Okay, as long as they're okay we can do this. Keep letting Jerry think you like him. Start telling him about my anger towards my Uncle and such. I'll work on Miranda." Lucky: "What is up with you and her?" Nikolas smiles slyly Nikolas: "I played her game and won. I'll give you details when you're older!" Lucky scowls at his joke and then let's out a little laugh. Lucky: "So now what?" Nikolas: "Now we sleep. We need our rest." Lucky: "I didn't think vampires slept." Nikolas: "Sure we do. After we kill our victims. Sleep tight." Lucky watches him for a second and Nikolas smiles as he feels Lucky's stare. 'Leave him guessing' he thinks to himself. Chapter 23 After Laura leaves, Stefan pours himself a stiff drink. He had promised himself after the night of Nikolas's Memorial Service, that he would not drink like that again. But after the emotional blowout with Laura, he just didn't give a damn anymore. He replays the conversation in his mind. Who sent that picture to Luke and Laura, and who took her kids? It doesn't take him long to figure it out. Helena. She's the obvious choice. What surprises him is that he has disloyal employees. He had handpicked them himself. At least one of them is working for Helena. If not all of them. The whole altercation with Laura makes him feel sick. He feels like he has been kicked in the stomach. It had started with Nikolas. This latest betrayal by Laura is just the icing on the cake. He couldn't blame Laura for suspecting him, Helena had set him up quite brilliantly. But what galls him is Laura's conviction that he had done it. She didn't even give him the benefit of the doubt. What had he seen in her? Fool. His thought are interrupted by a phone call. Stefan answers it. "Hello? What?! Well what happened to her guards? They were supposed to protect her from something like this! All of them? Dead?! Can you tell how long ago this happened? " Stefan paces, becoming even more agitated than before. "Well, it looks like she was taken alive. Simms, I want you to find out who leaked her whereabouts. This must have been an inside job. I expect an answer in 24 hours. I could care less whether you think that isn't enough time. I expect results." Stefan ends the conversation abruptly. He looks determined. Head are going to roll, starting with the Wyndemere staff. His grief has paralyzed him long enough. ......................... Luke and Sonny are sitting in Luke's office. Both are silently sipping their whiskey. Finally Sonny speaks. Sonny: "How you holding up, man?" Luke: "I'm hanging in. I can't stand this waiting. My kids are God knows where and all I can do is wait here." Luke shakes his head derisively. Sonny:"Has Mac called with any information yet?" Luke: So far no fingerprints, no witnesses. Like they came out of nowhere and vanished again. This time with my kids. He is sending in some Agent Johnson from WSB. Supposedly he's been watching the Cassadines for years." Sonny: "You sound skeptical. What gives?" Luke: "I've been dealing with this family for nearly two decades. Hell, I wiped out almost an entire generation of them. What is this Agent Johnson going to be able to tell me that I don't already know??" Sonny: "I see your point man. Look my men are looking into every angle. I've called in every favor I have on this. We're going to get them back. What about a trade? What if we grab someone Cassadine cares about and offer an exchange?" Luke: "I've thought about that. That kid was his life. His only true joy." Luke rolls his eyes. "You know the routine, at least that's what he's been crying to my wife these past few months. He wants Laura but there's no way he's getting her. besides to go to this length he's not playing straight poker, you know? " Sonny: "What about his mother?" Luke: "What about her?" Sonny: "How about we grab her and offer a trade." Luke throws his head back and laughs coldly. Luke:" He maybe the only person that hates that woman more than me. He'd consider us snuffing her a favor to him." Sonny: "Okay, so he has no one to care about and this is strictly revenge. Man, that makes him very dangerous." Luke: "You don't have to tell me that. He has nothing to lose by killing my kids. I have to hope that he is just using them to get to me." Sonny:' "You know, when he walked into the club and threatened me he made a comment about my killing him would be a favor to him, that he had nothing to live for except to find out who was responsible for the kid's death. I thought he was bluffing." Luke:"No, he ain't bluffing. What gets me man, is whoever killed the kid went to a lot of work to make it look like a mob hit." Sonny:" Yeah, I thought about that. So someone off's the kid and makes it look like we did it. Then Stefan retaliates by swiping your kids." Luke: "Someone knew that he would automatically turn on my family. So we have to find out who would want the kid dead and my family hurting." Sonny:" Think he offed the kid?? Maybe this is some dramatic plot to bring you down. Make Laura turn on you." Luke:' I wish I could say yes, but no.He loved that little bastard. I saw his eyes the day Lucky pushed him down those stairs. He was genuinely upset and scared. He raised the kid and was as protective over him as I am over my kids. So that knocks him out of the running." Sonny:" Looks to me that our best bet is to figure out who offed the kid. Then we turn that person over to Cassadine and hopefully he realizes his mistake and returns your kids." Luke:' I agree, we have to do something. Can you handle it for right now? I don't want to leave Laura alone to long, and I have to meet that WSB agent later today. Right now Stefan has nothing solid connecting us to the kids death. Our best bet is that we give him something solid proving we didn't and who did before he decides to even the score." Sonny:"I have it under control, man. Go be with your wife. if you need anything I'm here. I'll keep you posted on any information that comes in." Luke:" Thanks. You're a real asset to me." Sonny: "Hey man, you know I'm always in your corner. And I'm praying for your kids, man." Luke:' Yeah me too. All right I'll call you later." ......................... Mrs Lansbury and Gibbons are in the Wyndemere living room with Stefan. They watch an angry Stefan pace in front of them. Stefan addressed them in a controlled voice. "It seems that at least one "loyal" servant has betrayed me. Right now I have one of my most trusted operatives combing all of Wyndemere for evidence. You both know what the penalty will be. The phone records are also being analyzed as we speak. Make no mistake, I will find the traitor, or traitors. I want information on who could be working for Helena, and I want it now." Mrs Lansbury and Gibbons glance at each other. They both know that this would eventually happen, if Stefan lived long enough. They had both hoped that he would be dead by now. Now they know what they must do. Mrs. Lansbury addresses Stefan in her most distressed voice. "Mr Cassadine, I am shocked to hear that one of our staff invaded your privacy in such a sordid way! I feel like I must take responsibility for this tragic betrayal. To think one of the staff could betray you is unthinkable. I screened the staff so carefully. I hired them myself. I must have missed something. But I have no idea who could have done this horrible deed, sir. I humbly offer you my resignation." Stefan:"I'm not interested in self-sacrificing resignations. I want to know who did this. Surely you don't expect me to believe you have no one you suspect?" Mrs Lansbury tears up. "Oh, Mr Cassadine, I have failed you so! You see I've been so distraught at Master Nikolas's death that I haven't been myself. I feel horrible that I have not paid as close attention to the staff as I should have. I'm afraid I'm responsible for this terrible turn of events. If I had been more attentive, perhaps I could have....." Stefan cuts her off. "Enough! I will not have you blaming yourself for your grief over Nikolas. If anyone can understand your grief, it would be me. I know how fond you were of Nikolas." Stefan turns his scrutiny to Gibbons. "Gibbons, you have said nothing up to this point. Tell me, what do you have to say about this?" Just as Gibbons is about to speak, Stefan's operative bursts into the room. "Mr Cassadine, I know who the traitor is!" ................................. As Lucky and Nikolas are about to go to bed, they hear the door open. They take a deep breath as they watch Miranda enter. Miranda: "You guys have blown it! Jerry is fuming over you finding the bug." Nikolas: "Yeah , well if he had hidden it in a better place he wouldn't be mad now right. Forgive me for not caring whether Jerry is upset or not." Lucky decides to play along. "Why do you always have to be so rude to her? I knew I should have just ignored you. Jerry has been nice to me, and Miranda was only trying to warn us!" Nikolas looks at Lucky in silent admiration. He follows orders well. Nikolas: "Look, you sniveling little brat, we aren't on vacation here. These people who have been so nice to you have kidnapped us!" Miranda: " Nikolas, please calm down. I know your upset but yelling at Lucky isn't going to help things. I know Jerry has been cruel to you lately, can I do anything to make it better?" Miranda gives him a caring look. Nikolas smiles to himself at Miranda attempt to get on his good side again. 'Divide and conquer' he thinks to himself as he looks at her with a sad expression. Nikolas: "Why should I believe you want to help me?? Everything you do is for Jerry. you don't care about me." Miranda eyes him suspiciously and then looks at Lucky who seems intrigued by their exchange. Miranda: "Nikolas, I told you that I had no choice in this. You seem to be enjoying being insolent, so i give up!" She turns from Nikolas and walks over to Lucky who is now sitting on his bed. She sits next to him and brushes his hair back with hand. Miranda: "Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" Nikolas watches Lucky's reaction with amusement. Can't help but to feel sorry for him. Miranda was very hard to resist. Lucky: "Um no, I'm fine." Miranda: "Are you sure? You seem tense." Lucky: "No, I'm just tired." Nikolas: " What are trying to pull Miranda??" Miranda: "Excuse me? I'm talking to Lucky not you!" She turns back to Lucky. "Well if you don't need anything, I'm going to say good night. Have a good night's sleep." She gives him a brilliant smile before leaving. Miranda gets up from the bed and starts to head towards the door but Nikolas stops her by pulling her into his arms. He kisses the back of her neck softly and then runs one of his hands down her side caressing her softly. He whispers into her ear Nikolas: "Trying to make me jealous??" Miranda struggles to get away from Nikolas but he keeps his arms around her. Lucky watches in amazement as his brother continues to kiss her down her neck. Miranda starts to sigh and becomes angry with herself for allowing him to get to her. Nikolas wheels her around and pins her to the wall as kisses her passionately. He keeps her pinned to the wall as he kisses her deeply. He feels her return the kiss and then stops. He pulls his mouth away from her and with an evil twinkle in his eye he speaks. Nikolas: "Tell me. Did you really want to make me jealous, or do you prefer your men younger and younger?" She tries to push him away but he keeps her pinned. Nikolas: "Why are you fighting me?? You said you wanted me. I'm giving you what you want, aren't I? Tell me, wanna do it here in front of my little brother or should I have him turn around?" Miranda: "You bastard! let me go now! I'll scream I swear I will." Nikolas laughs coldly. Nikolas: "Go ahead and scream Miranda. Make Jerry come in here. Let me tell him about our night together. " Miranda: "He'll kill you!" Nikolas: "Maybe. But my family already thinks I'm dead so what do I have to lose??. What would he do to you though Miranda?' Miranda starts to get scared.:"Nikolas, let me go now." Nikolas: "I thought you wanted to comfort me. You wanted to do that right? or did I miss read your signals?" Miranda: "Not like this Nikolas! I care about you and you treat me like a monster! What are you going to do? Are you going to rape me?? Like your father tried to do to your mother in front of Luke? She smiles as she see's Nikolas lose his control. She watches has Nikolas's face turns from triumph to self-disgust. Miranda moves in for the kill. Miranda: " Let's role play. You can be Stavros and I'll be Laura. Lucky can be his father. Though you'll need a knife and you'll have to tie Lucky to the bed post." Nikolas releases her suddenly and walks to his bed. Miranda looks at him coldly no longer caring what she said, only wanting to make him hurt as much as possible. Miranda: "What's the matter Nikolas? You don't seem so tough now, do you? Don't you want to live up to your father's legacy?? Now you see why your uncle hates you! He looks at you and he sees the man who tried to rape his beloved Lasha! your mother looks at you and sees Stavros, her rapist! Now maybe you'll understand why they had no problem sleeping together! Their last reminder of Stavros was gone!" Nikolas shakes with anger on his bed. He fights to keep control of the tears that threaten to overflow. Lucky stares at Miranda and then at Nikolas. he can't believe himself when he jumps to Nikolas's defense. Lucky: " Stop! You've said enough!" Miranda is shocked at Lucky defending Nikolas. She raises an eyebrow to him. Miranda: " I didn't know you cared?" Lucky: ' Look, you said your piece, you're talking about my Mom though. Please stop!" Miranda: "Someone has to tell this insolent little prince the truth. Your family went through hell because of his father and his family. Why does it bother you that he be forced to deal with his family's truth?" Lucky: " It doesn't. But you made your point! Let it go. I don't think I can handle listening about my mother's attack anymore." Miranda takes another look at Nikolas who seems lost in his own world. She watches him with satisfaction as he shakes with the anger he's trying to control. She looks back at Lucky and smiles to herself. Miranda: "Okay. I'll leave. But I need to get your dirty laundry first." She walks over to the closet and as she picks up their laundry hamper she slips another bug into the room. She then walks out, leaving the boys alone. As soon as she leaves Nikolas falls back onto his bed and lets the tears that he was holding back fall down his cheeks silently. He doesn't even care if Lucky can see him crying. Lucky watches his brother cry and actually feels for him. He walks over to the bed and puts him hand on Nikolas's shoulder. Lucky: " Look, it's okay. She's lying man. I mean yeah that stuff happened but Mom never felt that way about you. Neither did your Uncle. She's pushing your buttons. Don't let her get you man." Lucky sits by the bed and relaxes as he watches Nikolas regain control. Finally Nikolas turns around and faces him and as the last of the tears fall speaks to him. Nikolas: "I thought you'd like her throwing the truth in my face." Lucky: "Look, you said it before. If we want to get out of here we have to stop fighting and work together. If you start loosing your mind thanks to her head games then none of us will make it out. You have to remember you aren't responsible for your father's actions. Everyone is responsible for themselves and that's it. Shake it off man. They only way they can beat us is if we allow them to mess with our heads." Nikolas: " Yeah, but maybe i am like my father. I held her against her will." Lucky: "Yeah, you let your temper take control, but that ain't raping her man. Seems to me she was returning some of those kisses." Nikolas: "I shouldn't have done it in front of you. Hell I shouldn't have done it at all. My Uncle taught me to protect women, not take advantage. He'd be so ashamed of me. He didn't want me to make the same mistake as my father." Lucky: "You lost control and you pinned her. But look, we're fighting for our lives and our sanity here, man. She started pushing your buttons and you retaliated. Were you really going to take her in front of me? Or even take her after she said stop?" Nikolas: "No, I didn't want her. I just lost it when I saw her pulling the same stunts on you as she did on me. I had to expose her and I wanted to humiliate her to take away some of her hold over us. I never meant to scare her, but I did. I saw it in her eyes. When she started throwing those words at me she was angry that she was scared. I used my strength to intimidate her." Lucky: "Yeah, and she used her sex appeal to manipulate us. You crossed the line, you know it and it won't happen again. Quit raking yourself over the coals. You think she's scolding herself for saying those horrible things at you? She's probably gloating. If we're going to get out of this we have to work together and we can't lose our cool. You can't keep harping on this otherwise you'll be so consumed by it that you won't be able to help me get all of us out of this hellhole. We need each other. Let it go, man." Nikolas: " You're right. Thanks. We need to get some sleep though, if we want to fight them." Lucky: "Okay, good night man." Nikolas: "Good night." ................ Stefan addresses his operative. "Tell me what you have, Angelo." Alexis: "I found these in Gibbons' room." Angelo hands the camera and film over to Stefan. Stefan looks at the negatives as he holds it up to the light. He sees the picture in question. Stefan's face turns hard. Stefan:"Angelo, get the men. Gibbons, I want an explanation, now." Gibbons looks proudly back at Stefan:"My first loyalty has always been to Helena. You are weak compared to her, you lack the killer instinct. You are a shame to the Cassadine name!" Stefan stands grabs Gibbons' face in his hands and stares at him intensely. Gibbons tries to hide his fear. Stefan:"You have been a "loyal" employee for a very long time. To find out that you have betrayed me in this way saddens me beyond words. Tell me who else is in this with you." Gibbons stands up to Stefan bravely. "I am the only one. I am more powerful and resourceful than you ever gave me credit for. You will live to regret turning your back on Helena. She is the real head of the family! She is THE Cassadine!" Stefan ignores the insult. He is more interested in getting information. "Tell me where the Spencer kids are! " Two large men enter the living room and stand off to the side, waiting for Stefan's signal. Gibbons: "I have no idea what you're talking about. Helena has no interest in the Spencer kids. Why would she? She has just lost her grandson in a horrible accident and she holds you responsible!" Stefan shakes his head, he knows Gibbons well enough to know he will reveal nothing that Helena doesn't want revealed. Stefan kisses Gibbons on both cheeks as a final goodbye. The large men come forward to take their burden. "Goodbye Gibbons. It deeply saddens me to know you betrayed me. Make no mistake, I will find out if there are others." Mrs Lansbury silently weeps in the background. Chapter 24: Someone New Comes to Town Stefan is sitting with Alexis in the Wyndemere living room. He has just filled her in on the betrayal and firing of Gibbons. Alexis is shaking her head in amazement. Alexis: "Helena never ceases to amaze me. We both deluded ourselves that she would ever give up her power and die. She will outlive us all." Stefan: "Well, that's most probably true. She is obviously setting me up to be killed by Spencer. She holds me responsible for Stavros's death, Nikolas's death, and the destruction of our family. And she is bent on torturing Laura Spencer too. Why else would she take her kids? She never thought that Laura paid enough for Stavros's death. And she was enraged that Laura told Nikolas about her part in Lesley's death." Alexis: "Are you certain that Gibbons was her only operative? " Stefan shakes his head. "Any one of my servants could be working for Helena. Any one of them. I feel like I am in a fish bowl. Most likely my servants are reporting my every move to Helena. The cops are circling the island waiting to pounce on me for taking the kids. How am I supposed to operate this way?" Alexis: "You could dismiss all of your servants. I would be happy to screen a new staff for you." Stefan shakes his head again. "No, those very servants that are betraying me are my key to Helena's plan. If I fire them, I have no way of finding out what my dear mother is up to. And I want to find the traitors. I would not be able to do that if I dismiss them all. And some of them, like Mrs Lansbury, are like family. More so than Helena." Alexis: "So what about Nikolas's murder? Have the police come up with any more leads?" Stefan:"Not since the last time we spoke. There is nothing solid fingering Corinthos and Spencer. In fact, Jax actually gave me reason to doubt that Corinthos did it. According to him, Sonny's pregnant wife died in an exploding car. Jax is fairly certain that Corinthos would not use that method. I'm inclined to agree with him." Alexis: "So who else had a motive to kill Nikolas? Certainly not Helena, she doted on Nikolas. " Stefan: "I don't have a clue Alexis. But the most pressing matter is that I need legal counsel. I need you to help me prove my innocence." Alexis: "The most obvious way is for you to find those kids." Stefan: "I do not owe the Spencers a thing. And I am not feeling particularly magnanimous. However, Nikolas would want me to find Lesley Lu and return her home safely. I also have no intention of allowing my dear mother get away with this set up." Alexis: "Well, in the meantime, I'll go down to the station, and find out what I can on the Spencer kids. I'll keep in touch." Alexis gets up to leave. Stefan gets up as well. :Well, I'm going to continue the ruse of grieving uncle who suspects Spencer and Corinthos. That should throw her off base. I'm banking that my mother still has at least one operative on the premises. I plan to use that to my advantage." Stefan and Alexis exit the living room. Alexis gives Stefan a peck on the cheek before leaving Alexis: "Cousin, take care of yourself. It isn't healthy for you to continue grieving this way." Stefan gives her a secret smile, and responds in a tired voice, "Alexis, I know you care, but I did not ask for your opinions or your concern. Next time, keep them to yourself." He kisses her on the cheek. ............................. Luke walks into the house and his eyes rest on Laura. She's sitting on the couch clasping her picture of their family. He walks over to her and sits down on the couch beside her. She looks up at him with her tear-stained face. Without words he pulls her to him. For the first time since the kids have disappeared they cry together. They finally calm down and Luke speaks to her. Luke:" I saw Sonny. He's going to try and figure out who really killed Nikolas. It's our best bet at getting the kids back baby. Mac will be here soon with the WSB agent. We're going to get them back." Laura:"Well there's no easy way to tell you this so here goes. I went to spoon island to confront Stefan." Luke is shocked "You did what???" Laura:" Luke, please, I had to do something to try and get them back. I decided to offer him what he wanted. I wanted to see if he'd accept." Luke shakes his head and looks at Laura, obviously shaken. Luke: He could have grabbed you too baby!" Laura:" He's proven that he can grab anyone if he wants them. Luke I made a play for him. I offered myself to him to get our children back. He refused. he was actually infuriated that I would accuse him of taking our kids!" Luke:" Darling, that was dangerous, but I know why you did it. So was he lying?" Laura:" I don't know Luke. He is such a master manipulator, but something in my gut was screaming that he was telling the truth." Luke: "Baby, who else would take our kids??" Laura:" I know Luke, I know. But you didn't see his face. He was so repulsed by me. Whatever love he had for me just evaporated." Luke:" Don't kid yourself darling. Once a man loves you he can't get you out of his system. Maybe he's angry, but don't pretend that he still doesn't want you." Laura:" So, now what? He won't take me for the kids then what does he want??" Luke:" Baby, that's what I'm trying to find out. We just have to keep our heads together on this okay. As long as we stay level-headed we can beat this!" Laura:" I hope so. I have to get them back." Luke:" We will, darlin, we will." .................... Stefan opens his front door to find Kevin at his doorstep. Stefan give him a smile of welcome "Kevin, please come in. I'm glad you could come on such short notice." Stefan and Kevin seat themselves in the Wyndemere living room. Kevin refuses the refreshment that Stefan offers. Kevin: "You sounded pretty urgent on the phone. What's up?" Stefan: "I am hoping you can help me figure out some puzzles." Stefan updates Kevin on the entire situation, from the confrontation with Laura, to the altered picture, to the firing of Gibbons. Kevin looks at Stefan carefully. Kevin: "Are you sure that we aren't being overheard right now?" Stefan nods. "The room is being swept for listening devices on a regular basis. Once the doors are closed, the room is virtually sound proof." Kevin breathes a sigh of relief. "Ok, you must have a suspect. I can even guess who it is. I would venture it is your mother. Am I right?" Stefan nods. Kevin continues, "So what's the puzzle?" Stefan: "My mother. If she is just after revenge, why not just kill the Spencer kids? It would accomplish the same thing, without the risk of her getting caught. My mother is very careful." Kevin: "Tell me about your mother. Your relationship with her." Stefan gets up and paces wearily around the room. "When I was a child, I was insignificant to her. My brother Stavros was her favorite. She doted on him. The only attention she paid me was to ridicule me. I was "too soft". I was stupid. I was the weak one. She would laugh when Stavros beat me up as a child. I hated her. And I loved her." Stefan fixes himself a stiff drink as he continues. "I would do anything to gain her approval as a small child. When I brought her flowers she would throw them away. Every once in a while, when she was angry with Stavros, which wasn't often, she would pay attention to me. She would praise me, even hug me sometimes. I lived for those times. But they wouldn't last long. Stavros would become jealous. He would do something outlandish to humiliate me or gain her attention. He always got it. And I was cast aside again." Stefan downs his drink, and finishes his story. "Fortunately, I had the luck of meeting Laura Spencer when I was much older. She gave me hope when I had none. She gave me the strength to hate my mother. She also gave me the ability to love and be loved. She was kind and giving. The only one actually, until Nikolas that is. He was her final gift to me." Kevin: "Tell me how Helena feels about the Spencers." Stefan: "She hates them. Especially Laura. She has said on more than one occasion that she lives to get her Timoria, atonement, on Laura." Kevin: "Seems like your mother enjoys torturing more than killing. If she killed the Spencer kids, then it would be over." Stefan: "That makes sense. The other thing that doesn't make sense is Nikolas's murder." Stefan fills Kevin in on the details of his conversation with Jax, and the doubtfulness that Sonny killed Nikolas. Kevin: "I am no Sonny Corinthos fan. But I would have to agree with Jax, Sonny would not kill Nikolas this way." Stefan: "So the question is, who killed Nikolas?" Kevin considers for moment before responding. "This might seem strange to you, but I'm going to say it. A perfect way for your mother to get to you is through Nikolas." Stefan nods. "The same thing has crossed my mind. But that doesn't seem to make sense either. Helena doted on Nikolas. She loved him as much as Stavros. Kidnapping yes, killing no." Kevin considers this information. "Are you certain that it was Nikolas in that car?" Stefan: "Don't you think I want Nikolas to be alive somewhere? I would like nothing more. But the autopsy was conclusive, it was him." Kevin: "Well, something doesn't add up. The only other alternative is that someone else set you up. Is there anyone else who would have wanted Nikolas dead?" Stefan shakes his head. "Not that I know of. Well, I will look into my mother's affairs, maybe I will learn something there. Thank you Kevin, you have been most helpful." Stefan escorts Kevin out of the living room to the door. Kevin: "Glad I could help. Good bye Stefan." Stefan shakes Kevin's outstretched hand. "Good bye, Kevin, and thank you again." ............................ Mac Scorpio hears a knock on his door and calls for the person who's knocking to enter his office. Without turning his chair around to face them he finishes his phone call. Mac: " Okay, well I want everyone on this case. We have to locate these kids. The sooner the better." He hangs up the phone and is mesmerized by the beautiful woman standing in front of him. She's 5' 6" maybe 5'7", with a firm body hidden under her crisp navy blue business suit. She has shoulder length brown hair that is kept neatly out of her face. Her hazel eyes shine brightly. Mac: "How can I help you?" Woman: "Perhaps the proper question would be how can I help you? She smiles at his surprised look. "I'm Agent Sarah J. Thompson. The WSB Agent assigned to help you recover the Spencer children." She flashes him her badge and identification. Mac: "What do you know about the case?" Sarah:'"Not much, Kids were kidnapped yesterday, looks professional. Number one suspect is Stefan Cassadine. Most likely his retaliation for his nephew's death, which he blames on Luke Spencer and Sonny Corinthos." Mac: "Well, you know quite a bit then. All I can really add is there were no prints and no witnesses." Sarah:"Yes, well if this was a Cassadine kidnapping then believe me it would not be a sloppy one. I'd like to go meet the Spencers now if you don't mind." Mac: " No, I'll escort you there, myself." .......... Stefan is on the phone in the Wyndemere living room. "Mikal, I want you to find out all you can on Helena's movements in the last few months. I don't have to tell you to be discreet. If she gets wind of this, you won't be alive to tell me." ............................. Luke answers the door and lets Mac and Sarah in. Laura rises from the couch and goes to meet them. Mac: " Luke and Laura Spencer this is Agent Sarah Thompson. She's the WSB agent assigned to the case." Luke:" You're Agent Thompson?? I expected ..." Sarah cuts him off " What Mr Spencer? A man?? " Laura: "Excuse my husband, he didn't mean to offend you." Luke shoots Laura a look and the four head to the living room. Sarah:" Mr. Spencer, I assure you I'm the best person for this job. I've been a Cassadine expert for all 7 of the years I've been with the WSB." Luke:" Well, at this point we'll take any help we can get." Laura looks surprised by Sarah's statement."The WSB still watches the Cassadines??" Sarah: "Absolutely. They have been known to try outlandish stunts. They kidnapped you didn't they?' Luke:" Man, you don't waste time do you?" Sarah:' Mr. Spencer, your kids are missing. Time is something we have very little of. I need your complete cooperation if we want to get your kids back." Laura:" Yes, they kidnapped me. I was there for two years." Sarah:" You married Stavros Cassadine, correct?" Laura:" Yes, after I was informed of Luke's death. " Sarah: "And you gave birth to Nikolas Cassadine ?" Laura:" Yes, he was my son. I had to leave him when I went back to Luke. I wanted to go back for him. But when I tried, Helena killed my mother." Sarah looks at Laura sympathetically. "I'm sorry you have to relive this. I know you just lost Nikolas." Laura: "Yes, i thought he died in an accident , but now.." Luke:" Now, it looks like murder and Cassadine blames me and My friend Sonny." Sarah: "Yes, Sonny would be a Michael Corinthos JR, Mafia crime lord. Interesting company you keep Mr. Spencer." Luke gets defensive. "Look woman, I won't have you critiquing my friends." Sarah: "Mr. Spencer, I have to examine all angles here. And You may address me as Agent Thompson or Ms. Thompson or even Sarah. but I'm fully aware that I am a woman and I don't need you to remind me of that." Luke opens his mouth to respond but changes his mind. Sarah:" Now, that we have that settled, I have some questions for you. You hated Nikolas Cassadine correct?" Luke:" No secret there." Sarah:" You tried to frame him with drugs??" Luke:' Placebos." Sarah: "very well, did you want him dead?" Luke:" I wanted him gone, out of my family's life. I didn't kill him though." Sarah:'"Mr. Corinthos didn't do a little favor for you did he?" Luke: "No he didn't. He's trying to find out who killed the kid as we speak." Sarah: "Good idea, the faster you prove you didn't kill Nikolas, the better chance we have of getting your children back. If Stefan Cassadine has them ." Luke : "What do you mean??" Sarah: "I mean yes, he is the best suspect. But then you're the best suspect in Nikolas's murder. Perhaps he's been set up too." Luke and Laura exchange glances. Laura seems to remember something. "Please, I forgot something." Laura goes to her purse and retrieves the photo of her and Stefan. "This was sent to my husband the day the kids were taken. We think it was part of a plan to lure us away from the kids long enough for them to be kidnapped. I know this photo was altered... what is shown there never happened." She hands it to Mac. Mac: "This could be very important. I'll take it back to the station to be analyzed." Sarah:"I'm going to pay Mr. Cassadine a visit now. I'll keep you informed and please do the same with me. Good Day " She briskly walks out of the house, leaving Mac trailing after her. Chapter 25:Working on a Plan Miranda is still fuming as she enters the living room and looks at Jerry. He glances up at her and his face is overcome with concern. Jerry:"What's the matter darling?" Miranda sits on the chair across from him and tries to hide her feelings. Miranda: "Nothing. Everything is going according to plan. The new bug has been planted." Jerry touches her knee lightly and then brings his hand up to her chin. He gently brings her face up to meet his gaze. "You are horrible at hiding your feelings. Always have been when it comes to me. Talk to me Randi. What happened in the room that has you so angry??" Miranda looks at him with sadness in her eyes. She knows she has no choice but to tell him that Nikolas pushed her buttons, but she has to keep her true feelings hidden. She knows it is foolish to care about Nikolas, but she can't help herself. Miranda: " Nikolas, angered me. He's so damn insolent that it makes my skin crawl. He pushed some of my buttons and I'm kicking myself for letting that little brat get to me." Jerry laughs openly and Miranda shoots a glare at him. Miranda: " Go ahead, laugh. I'm glad you find this so damn amusing!" Jerry stops his laughing and looks at her lovingly. He lets his hand brush her cheek gently. Jerry: " I'm sorry Randi. It's just my cousin is indeed insolent, but the idea of him getting the better of you is a little amusing! I've seen your temper darling, I'm sure you put him in his place!" Miranda allows a smile to cross her face, yet she feels a twinge of guilt.She knows she really hurt Nikolas with her words, 'damn him for making me care..he had that tongue-lashing coming.' Miranda: "yes, well I doubt he will be so quick to cross me again. I went for the kill and then some. He is a rather sensitive young man isn't he?" Jerry shakes his head and sighs. Jerry:" Too sensitive if you ask me. Stefan has made that boy into a sniveling child! He should have better control over his emotions by now. When I take total charge of him, he will become a man." Miranda: "You really are looking forward to taking over as Regent aren't you?" Jerry: "All my life I've waited for this. Stefan never took full advantage of it. No, he was content playing with Nikolas in the park and lusting after his precious Lasha. He allowed many business opportunities to slip through our family's hands because he felt they were too "dirty". He isn't a real Cassadine. He reminds me of Jasper sometimes." Miranda: "Jax had a gentle soul, that can be a good thing." Jerry: "Darling, a gentle soul will get you nowhere in life. Jasper was coddled and doted on, much like Nikolas. Nikolas can be changed though. And mark my words, I will change that boy! He's had everything delivered to him on a silver platter, yet he turns his nose up at the very business that made him who he is! When I take control that boy will learn what a real Cassadine is expected to do in a position of power! Jasper and Stefan are to far gone, But Nikolas will be molded into a proper Cassadine leader, to follow in the footsteps of Mikkos, Stavros and yes, even me." Miranda: "Modesty, such an endearing quality ." Jerry: "You didn't fall in love with me for my modesty baby. I know who you really are. Jasper never saw the real Miranda. He wouldn't have appreciated you the way I do baby." Miranda: "Yes, the real Miranda. The girl who allows herself to destroy people's lives based on loyalty to a family she doesn't even belong to." Jerry: "Nonsense. You are as much a member of the Cassadine family as anyone. Your father was a great scientist. He worked alongside Uncle Mikkos, and together they built the weather machine. And your mother has been a trusted employee for years." Miranda: "Yes, she was loyal to Helena, but abandoned her own children." Jerry: "Darling, will you ever forgive her for leaving you?" Miranda: "Why should I? She left Pierce and me with my father! All for a tryst with Victor Cassadine!" Jerry: "Yes, and your father divorced her and kept you from her. Not your mother's fault!" Miranda: "She didn't have to sleep with him!" Jerry: "Yes, well it's in the past now. Helena kept her on regardless, and you're both on the same team now." Miranda: " I know, but I still get so angry when I think of her betraying us! She's lucky I do still care about her. Otherwise I wouldn't be here." Jerry:"Your loyalty is one of your more charming qualities, Randi. Miranda: "Yes, well I would have left this entire family operation had it not been for Helena's threat! I can't believe she threatened my own mother's life! A trusted employee for years." Jerry:"Aunt Helena would kill her own son, and yet you find it amazing she would use your mother against you??" Miranda: "I know you love your aunt Helena, but I hate her." Jerry: "Careful who you say that to my darling. I admire Helena. She goes after what she wants! Much like you." Miranda: " I am not like her Jerry!" Jerry laughs again and pulls Miranda into his arms. he kisses her passionately and whispers.. Jerry: "Of course not darling, of course not." ............... Mac and Sarah are in a car driving back to the station, they are discussing the kidnapping case. Mac: "So what can you tell me about Stefan Cassadine? That guy has been, a puzzle to me since he arrived in Port Charles. Is he like the rest of his family?" Sarah: "Stefan Cassadine plays his cards close his chest. It is hard to know what he's planning. No one saw his coup against his mother coming, not even the WSB, and we have inside contacts." Mac raises his eyebrows."A Coup? A Cassadine against a Cassadine? I didn't think they fought each other." Sarah nods. "About 9-10 years ago, Stefan took over the Cassadine organization forcefully. Our contacts report Stefan and Helena despise each other, almost as much as they despise the Spencers, maybe more so. Apparently Stefan did it to free Nikolas from Helena's control. From what I can tell that's a good thing. The number of suspected Cassadine murders has gone down considerably since Stefan took control. In fact all illegal activity by the Cassadine seems to have been reduced. Either Stefan is really good at hiding his illegal activity, or he is making the organization legit." Mac looks surprised. "The Cassadine empire legit? That's hard to believe. So are you saying you don't think Stefan is behind this kidnapping?" Sarah shakes her head. "Stefan is still the most likely suspect. The altered picture Laura Spencer gave us confirms this. With Nikolas Cassadine being dead, it's natural to assume that Stefan might revert to Cassadine-like behavior, like kidnapping. You know, kidnapping is more his mother's style. We need to check on that angle. At the same time we have to check out the other Cassadine family members. Any one of them could have taken the Spencer kids in retaliation for Nikolas's death." Mac: "Other Cassadine family members? Other than Alexis, I didn't know there were any." Mac and Sarah arrive at the police station. They exit the car and head towards the station. Sarah: "I have a file containing a list of the Cassadine family members with pictures and histories. You can take a look at it while I go visit Mr Cassadine." Sarah gives Mac two large files from her briefcase once they enter Mac's office. Sarah: "The first file is on the Cassadine family. The second is on their most loyal operatives. All have pictures,fingerprint files etc. You'll want to check them against what you find on the envelope." Mac: "This is incredible." Mac looks through one of the files. He looks shocked at it's content. He looks up at Sarah. "The Jax family? They're Cassadines?" Sarah smiles. "We do our homework and we are very thorough. Jasper Jax is the front man. He handles the legitimate businesses. Jerry Jax is the man behind the scenes. He does the dirty work He's known to be very cruel and ruthless. His closest ally in the Cassadine family is Helena, understandably. He hates Stefan. Seems that Jerry thought that he should be the head of the family." Mac shakes his head in amazement. "Incredible. How are they related?" Sarah:"As you'll read, Lady Jane and Helena are sisters. They aren't very close actually. But John Jax, her husband, has very close ties to Helena." Mac:"Any one of these could have done it! " Sarah:"Yes. The WSB is investigating these leads as we speak. Jerry Jax has all but disappeared. But we aren't sure what that means. He often disappears for long for no apparent reason. Any resources you can add to assist the WSB would be greatly appreciated." Mac: "You bet. I'll get right on it." Sarah: "Now I'm going to go pay a visit to the illustrious Stefan Cassadine. Call me if you have any fingerprint matches on the photo or it's envelope." Sarah leaves Mac's office briskly. ........................ Nikolas is practicing Tai Chi, as he does every morning. Lucky watches him with a mixture of interest and amusement. Lucky:" Man, you look pretty silly doing that. What are you doing? Is this some sort of weird Greek dance or something?" Nikolas's concentration is broken. He looks at Lucky with an annoyed expression on his face. "You do better when you don't open your mouth, Spencer. You just confirm what people already assume. That you are a complete idiot. I'm doing my Tai-Chi exercises, and you just ruined my concentration." Lucky shakes his head but is silent. Nikolas assumes the Tai chi pose again. He goes through the entire exercise, without breaking concentration. Once he's done, Lucky starts the conversation. "So what is Tai Chi? And why do you do it?" Nikolas: "It helps me gain peace and self understanding. It also helps me understand my enemies. It is a mental exercise as much as it is a physical one." Lucky: "Well you look goofy doing it." Nikolas: "Well you look goofy just laying there. So I wouldn't talk, Spencer." Lucky: "Man, I'm getting tired of this place, of being cooped up. I need to get out of here man. If I don't, I'm going to go crazy. I don't think I could stand another session of Jerry's truth." Nikolas: "There isn't a way out of here. I tried, remember? I have the split lip to prove it." Lucky: "There has to be a way out of here man. With the two of us, we could do it. I know we could." Nikolas: "Ok, Spencer. Tell me how. Show me one of those famous Spencer plans." Lucky looks around the room for anything. He checks out the window again. He sees that the fall from the window would land them on sharp rocks, and probably off the nearby cliff, if the fall didn't immediately kill them. Lucky: "Well the window is out. We'd kill ourselves if we tried, plus I wouldn't trust Grandma and Lulu to Jerry. He'd probably kill them just because." Nikolas: "I could have told you that. If only we could overpower Jerry. Miranda wouldn't be a problem I don't think, either one of us could take her. Then it's just a matter of getting LesleyLu and Grandma Lesley out of here." Lucky paces around the room for a few minutes. Then he looks up at Nikolas, all excited. "That's it! If we could surprise Jerry, we could knock him over the head with the chair. Then he wouldn't be able to follow us." Nikolas nods in agreement. "Ok, that might work. I know exactly where Lulu and Grandma Lesley are. When I had dinner with them a while back, I was able to get the full layout of the house- exits , security, and all. I don't think we'll have a problem with that. And Jerry and Miranda took pity on me a few days before you came. They let me take a walk outside. I made a mental map of the area. I know the best hiding places and escape routes. Here, I'll draw us a map." Nikolas uses the soap from the bathroom to write on the floor. He makes a rudimentary map. They plan their escape route. After they are done, Lucky sits back with satisfaction. "I think this will work. As long as we can put Miranda and Jerry out of commission, there shouldn't be a problem. The snow and cold might be a problem." Nikolas nods. "My guess is that there is some sort of car on the premises. If we can get to it, we should try to use that. Do you know how to hot-wire a car? I hope your dad taught you that skill, my uncle didn't see any need for me to know that. Oh, and I can't drive." Lucky smiles, "No problem, man. I can drive well enough, and of course I know how to hot-wire a car. My Dad taught me all the survival skills." Nikolas shakes his head in bemusement. "I never thought I'd be thankful for that. " Lucky laughs. "Well, be thankful. My dad prepared me well for this kind of situation. Never thought I'd have to rely on a Cassadine either." Lucky pauses for a moment. "Well, so we hit him over the head right? Shall I do that?" Nikolas shakes his head. "No, I will. If you do it, he might kill you and we don't want that. If I do it, and we get caught, he might beat me up, but he won't kill me. He wouldn't dare." Lucky: "Ok, so how do we catch him off-guard? Shall I create a diversion to get him into the room? Maybe I should say you've locked yourself in the bathroom and you won't come out? Yeah, that'd work." Nikolas nods, "Ok, then I'll hide behind the door, and hit him as he comes in. Then we'll tie Jerry and Miranda up." Lucky and Nikolas seem satisfied with their plan. Nikolas makes one final comment. "You know, we have to do this right. We only have one chance to escape." Lucky nods in agreement. "So when do we do this? Nightfall would be best. It'll be harder to find us." Nikolas nods in agreement. "Ok. Tonight then." ............... Sarah starts up the dock and stops as she notices the lean figure going through Tai Chi movements. She admires him.. his firm body in tune with his movements as he shuts the rest of the world out to concentrate. His chiseled good looks take her breath away. She watches for a few minutes and then finally speaks. Sarah:"Your hand is in the wrong position and you need to straighten your back up." Stefan curses to himself as he loses his balance and concentration. Stefan:" Who are you and why did you interrupt me?" Sarah:"Sarah Thompson, WSB Agent. I'm here to talk to you about Nikolas Cassadine's death. I take it you are Stefan Cassadine." Stefan:"So the WSB takes time out of their busy schedule to inquire on my nephew's death. Funny, I thought you people spent your time behind bushes listening in on the evil Cassadine family schemes, not helping to solve a Cassadine's murder case." Sarah:" My, you are angry aren't you? This isn't because I critiqued your Tai Chi movements is it?" She flashes him a smile and Stefan returns it. He has to admit she is self-assured, much like Alexis. Stefan: "I don't take critiquing very well but perhaps you'd like to show me your moves?" Sarah:"Another time perhaps. I really am here on official business and I love this suit I'm wearing. So forgive me for not messing it up by hiding in your bushes." Stefan:"A sense of humor as well as beauty. I'm impressed." Sarah: " Are you?? You seem more intrigued than impressed. I'm sorry about Nikolas, I take it you were close." Stefan flinches at the mention of Nikolas. Sarah notices his the grief that shows in his eyes as he speaks. Stefan:" Yes, Nikolas was my greatest joy. I raised him after his mother left. He had so much to give ..." Sarah:"I understand Mr. Cassadine. This is a difficult time for you. It's a horrible thing to lose a child." Stefan:" Have you ever lost one??" Sarah:" Well, no..but I can imagine your pain." Stefan:" No you can't. Their is nothing that compares to it. I know that when I get up in the morning he's not going to be there to greet me. I won't be able to check on him in the middle of the night to see if he's okay. I can't watch him light up as he watches a child he's working with smile at him. And I won't ever hear him say I love you Uncle ever again. I lost my best friend and my greatest joy in one fatal minute." Sarah:" I'm very sorry Mr. Cassadine. I never meant to presume that I knew your pain." Stefan:" No, I apologize. My manners have been tossed out the window since his death. Please forgive me. Might I make it up to you by offering you tea??" Sarah:" Absolutely." They walk up to the house in silence and Sarah is intrigued by the home when the enter. Sarah:" This is fabulous. Did you decorate this yourself??" Stefan:' My staff did under my direction, of course. Nikolas said the place reminded him of a gothic romance novel. Please have a seat." He waves his hand to an empty chair and she sits. Sarah:" Yes, well I can see what he meant, it is quite exquisite though." Stefan:" The tea will be ready shortly. Now I assume you have some questions for me." Sarah: "Yes, I was wondering if you had any idea who might be responsible for Nikolas's murder?' Stefan:"I was inclined to believe Sonny Corinthos and Luke Spencer were behind it, now I'm not so sure." Sarah: " What changed your mind??" Stefan: "Nikolas was killed by a blow to the head then a car bomb. An associate of mine pointed out that Corinthos's wife was killed in a car bomb. I doubt he'd use one in a hit." Sarah: "It looks as though whoever killed Nikolas would want you to blame Corinthos and Spencer then." Stefan:" That is how it appears." Sarah: " Mr. Cassadine, did you kidnap the Spencer children?" Stefan:" Absolutely not! So this is why you're here?? I should have realized that the WSB could give a damn about Nikolas." Sarah: " Mr. Cassadine, we do care. We want to find out who killed Nikolas and who kidnapped the Spencer kids. You are the prime suspect in the kidnapping right now. Someone went to a lot of trouble to make it look like you kidnapped those kids and the same people might have killed Nikolas and framed Spencer and Corinthos. Do you have any idea who could have done this?" Stefan rises from his seat and walks over to Sarah. Placing his hands on the arms of her chair he leans over and with his breath gently hitting her cheek whispers.. Stefan:" You're the professional..why don't you tell me??" Sarah shifts uncomfortably at having him so close..She looks into his eyes and feels herself drawn to him. Just as she's about to speak her phone rings. Sarah:" Excuse me...Thompson here..yes..really? okay I'll be right there.." Sarah hangs up the phone and looks at Stefan. "We need to go downtown. We have some crucial evidence that links you to the kidnapping. " Stefan: "Do you have an arrest warrant??" Sarah:" Do I need one?? If I do I'll escort you out of here in cuffs. Let's make this easy on both of us, shall we?" Stefan:" Very well. let's get this over with." Chapter 26: The Escape Mrs Lansbury walks up to a pay phone and makes a call. Mrs Lansbury: "Mistress, this is Mrs. Lansbury. Everything is going according to plan. Gibbons made sure he was caught, and didn't reveal any information. " Helena smiles:"Well, then things are going very well. Tell me. Have they arrested my dear son yet?" Mrs Lansbury: "Well, some investigator just took him to the Police Station to question him. It should only be a matter of time. Either Stefan will die in jail or by Luke's hands." Helena: "Excellent. Excellent. His humiliation is all but complete." Mrs Lansbury:"Tell me. How is Master Nikolas doing?" "That's not really your concern, Mrs. Lansbury," Helena answers impatiently. "But since you have been so loyal, I see no reason not to tell you. Nikolas is very comfortable. Nothing is too good for my Grandson. Very soon he will be ready to take his rightful place at my side. Once my plans for my dear son are complete, I will recall you here. It won't be long before you are reunited with us." Mrs Lansbury looks relieved. "Thank you, Mistress. I will keep you informed as often as I am able. It won't be as easy now that Stefan has all of his phone lines bugged." Helena: "Understood. Good day, Mrs Lansbury." ......................... Sarah escorts Stefan into the station. Stefan: "I insist that I be able to call my lawyer before we continue." Sarah leads him over to a nearby phone. "Of course, Mr Cassadine. I want to make sure we go by the book. I wouldn't want anything to jeopardize our case." Stefan glares at her but says nothing. He picks up the phone to make a call. Meanwhile, Mac joins them. Mac:"The judge granted the search warrant. Unless you want help interrogating him, I plan to supervise the search at Wyndemere." Sarah nods as Mac hands her a copy of the search warrant. "That is a excellent idea. We don't want miss a single piece of evidence in this case. Your reputation as a PI is well known, even in WSB circles. I can certainly handle Mr Cassadine." Mac leaves Sarah and Stefan. Sarah watches Stefan as he finishes his phone call. "Are you ready to continue, Mr Cassadine?" Stefan nods and follows Sarah to the interrogation room. Stefan and Sarah sit across from each other at the table. Stefan face is blank. Sarah can't read anything from it. Sarah reads him his rights. Stefan:"I have no intention of talking to you any further without my lawyer present. " Sarah: "That would be Alexis Davis, your cousin, right?" Stefan: "No one could accuse you of not doing your homework, Ms Thompson. Tell me, do you know what I had to eat last night, too?" Sarah smiles at his attempt at humor."Actually, chances are I will know that by the end of today. You see, Mac Scorpio is on his way to Wyndemere to supervise the search of your home. Perfectly legal of course." Sarah hands over a copy of the search warrant. Stefan eyes flash at her in anger. "Of Course," he growls. "Never mind that you are invading the privacy of an innocent man." Sarah shrugs her shoulders. "That remains to be seen." Stefan: "So what do we do now? Stare at each other until my lawyer gets here and tells you to either charge me or release me?" Sarah:"Well, I can think of more interesting ways to pass the time that just staring at each other. How about I tell you what we know. Then you can decide whether you want to wait for your high-priced cousin." Stefan rolls his eyes. "Fine. I would love to hear your case against me. I am sure that will prove to be quite entertaining." Sarah: "We know you sent a sordid picture to Luke Spencer. We have identified the fingerprints. They belong to a man by the name of "Gibbons" who is under your employ. A long term loyal employee of the Cassadine family as a matter of fact. Can you tell me where we can find Mr Gibbons, or has he conveniently disappeared?" Stefan feels the noose tighten around his neck, but continues to play it cool. "Do you really expect me to beg for your mercy and incriminate myself? I guess I will just have to keep repeating myself. I have no reason to kidnap the Spencer kids. I did not kidnap them and I have no idea who did. As far as Mr Gibbons is concerned. I couldn't tell you where to find him. He has left my employ. Now, as much as I enjoy your charming company, I would really like to leave." Sarah: "No, Mr Cassadine. We have just begun. Let's start from the very beginning, and go through it together. You have as much as said Nikolas was like a son to you." She watches him nod. "You were frantic when he went missing a few months ago, weren't you?" She watches Stefan nod again. "You were devastated when he died, weren't you? The whole town knew how crazy with grief you were. Some even thought you might kill yourself. Many even heard you threaten both Sonny and Luke if they were found to be responsible. Have I gotten anything wrong so far?" Stefan shakes his head in impatience. "No, that's all correct, but that...." Sarah interrupts him. "Let me finish, Mr Cassadine. May I call you Stefan? It would be so much easier." Stefan shrugs his shoulders. Sarah continues. "Thank you Stefan. And please call me Sarah." She smiles at him sympathetically. "Now you have been crazy with grief-probably not eating or sleeping. You threatened Luke and Sonny, and everyone associated with them if they had anything to do with your nephew's death. And you were wracked with guilt over your nephew's death, weren't you? You felt responsible for his death. For not protecting him. And the only way you could find to deal with that death, was to strike back. Strike back at the enemy that had taken everything you cherished away from you - Nikolas, Laura, Stavros, and your father. You decided to make him pay. It probably doesn't even matter to you that you might get caught. So you sent the picture, and while Laura and Luke were fighting, you took the Spencer kids." Stefan shakes his head. "So now you have convicted me, are you going to arrest me?" Sarah reaches across the table and grasps one of his hands: "Stefan, please. End this Timoria, this atonement. Return the kids. Better yet, tell me where they are. I guarantee you that I'll find a way to get you help, not punishment. Any judge would see that you are insane with grief. Please, Stefan, do this for Nikolas. He would want you to let the kids go. I can see that deep down you have a kind heart." Alexis bursts into this room. "What are you doing, harassing my client? Stefan, do not let her fool you. She is out for blood." Stefan removes his hand from hers, "Don't worry Alexis, I told her nothing. Because I have nothing to tell." Alexis: "Either charge my client or release him immediately." Sarah: "He can go, for now." Sarah turns to address Stefan. " But I'm telling you Stefan, we will find these kids. And if you had anything to do with this kidnapping, I will personally see to it that you get the maximum sentence. If Luke Spencer doesn't kill you first." Stefan: "Thank you for a most enjoyable afternoon. Let's not do this again." Stefan leaves the interrogation room with Alexis. ................ Nikolas and Lucky are sitting in their room working out the last details of their plan. Nikolas: " Okay we start fighting and then you call for Jerry. After that we move into action." Lucky: " Got it..okay ready when you are." Nikolas: " I've had it with you Lucky! You're acting like this is a vacation or something! Get a clue we're being held against our will!" Lucky: " Shut up already! I'm tired of your yammering. Jerry and Miranda ain't that bad! You just bring out the worst in people." Nikolas: " They are playing you for a fool! I've had it!" ....... Miranda and Jerry are listening to the boys .. Jerry:" What do you think their plan is??" Miranda: "Not sure, but I think you should go up. I'll be right behind you." Jerry:"Well, let's see how this plays out." ............. Lucky: "What are you going to do?? Jump out a window?? Break your neck why don't cha?" Nikolas: " It's better than staying here with you! Why can't you see what I'm telling you! We're fighting for our lives here!" Lucky: "Man, get a grip! You're going nuts or something. Look, they ain't so bad. You getting popped in the mouth is your own damn fault! You shouldn't keep pushing people!" Nikolas: " I've had all I can take! " Nikolas slams the bathroom door and then moves behind the bedroom door. Lucky starts banging on the bathroom door and yells Lucky: " What are you doing man?? Come out of there!!" Lucky then moves to the bed room door and starts pounding... Lucky: " JERRY !! JERRY COME QUICK! NIKOLAS HAS LOCKED HIMSELF IN THE BATHROOM AND WON'T COME OUT." Jerry comes bounding up the stair case and is yelling as he walks towards the room.. Jerry:" Enough of this nonsense Nikolas! He opens the door and as he walks in Nikolas wheels a chair around and knocks him on the head.. Nikolas: " Go Lucky! Now!" Lucky runs out and Nikolas looks to the ground where Jerry lays unconscious. He runs out of the room and as he descends down the stairs he sees Lucky has stopped cold. Nikolas: "Go lucky now!" Lucky: "I can't man." Nikolas looks down and sees two burly men and Miranda all holding guns on them. Miranda: " Stupid plan boys! We had you bugged..where's Jerry?" The boys exchange glances and finally Nikolas speaks. Nikolas: " I knocked him unconscious..." Miranda: " Are you nuts?? Do you want to die?? My God, he's going to beat you both for this." Lucky shifts uneasily and Nikolas realizes there is truth in Miranda's words. They knew there was a possibility of them getting caught but they hadn't planned on the bug in the room. Miranda: " Back upstairs boys, and don't try anything. I don't want to shoot you." The boys tread back up the stairs and walk into the room. Jerry is still unconscious and Miranda falls to her knees beside him. The boys sit on Lucky's bed and watch as she tries to shake Jerry awake.. Miranda: "Jerry, please. Jerry wake up.." She shoots glares at the boys who stare down at the ground. Miranda speaks to Nikolas: "You better pray you didn't seriously hurt him, Brephos!" Nikolas flinches at her words. Helena called him that when she was angry with him. Jerry stirs and Miranda breathes a sigh of relief. Nikolas and Lucky brace themselves for the inevitable- Jerry's revenge.. NEXT