"Q.E.D." Part21
The torrent of lies pouring out of Luke Spencer's mouth was notenough to avert the guard's suspicions. But he kept talking, firingword after word, constructing one long sentence with no period insight. Perhaps he was hoping to buy a few precious moments before theguard ended his speech with a bullet.
Stefan watched the exchange, fascinated. He stood in the mouth of thecave, to the right side of the guard, beyond the boundary of hisperipheral vision. The guard's expression was that of a hunter with aprize buck in his cross-hairs. But, like some hunters, the gunmanwanted to observe his kill, and bask in the power of his life forcebefore releasing it from his body.
From this vantage point, Stefan could also see Luke. He was, at thismoment, thoroughly and completely alive. Clawing. Grasping. Clinging.Every motion, every word, every thought geared to survival. He wouldaccept no alternative.
Stefan smiled, pleased to be faced with the decision that had becomehis.
He unfolded his jacket and held it open, never taking his eyes off ofthe gunman. His mind made a few quick calculations, and he croucheddown, tightening every muscle. He visualized his next action,breathing deeply in the manner of his Tai Chi training, slowing hispounding heart, blocking out all distractions, focusing on histask.
He leapt from his hiding place, a sudden blur of motion, attractingthe attention of both men. He wrapped his coat around the guard'shead, pulling him to the ground. He wrested the gun from the man'ssurprised fingers and pressed the barrel against his skull, stillshrouded in the jacket.
And he hesitated. Questioning, for a split second, his elevation togodhood.
The answer came to him in the form of two simultaneous gunshots. Oneleft a hole in the cheap, wool fabric of the pilot's jacket, whilethe other buried itself in the cheap, wool fabric of the pilot'spants.
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He awakened suddenly, shocked by the pain coursing through his leg.He sat up straight and looked down at his right thigh, half-expectingto see blood soaking the bare mattress below him, but there was nowound. He shook his head at the odd dream, and rubbed his leg.
From the other room, he could hear the metal door open and shut, andhis grandmother's voice calling his name. He rose from his bed,pulling on his bathrobe over his pajamas.
He walked into the living room, whose walls now stood bare. Theservants had stripped away all illusions of gentility when theycleaned up after Nikolas' mad search. He preferred it this way. Aprison should look like a prison.
"What do you want?" he said to Helena.
"Do you know what time it is?" she asked. "Why are you not dressedyet?"
Nikolas yawned. "I inhabit a world with no windows," he replied. "Ihave no idea what time it is."
"Fine," she replied. "I shall ask your servant to bring you atimepiece..." Her gaze drifted to the stark, white walls. "...preferably one that isn't breakable."
"Well, since it is, indeed, a new day," he said, "I would like totake a shower. Please excuse me." And he turned to walk toward thebathroom.
"Wait," she commanded. "I have not finished with you yet."
He stopped and looked back at her in a slow, lazy motion. "We havenothing more to say to one another."
She smiled. "Oh, Nikky, there is much to say." She looked back at themetal door. "Pierce," she called, "you may bring her in now."
And the man that Nikolas recognized as Dr. Doorman entered the room,carrying Lesley Lu Spencer. He set her on the ground, and she ran toNikolas, hugging at his legs and looking up at him with her child'ssmile. Nikolas picked her up carefully, looking for any signs ofinjury, trying to hide his rage and fear from his half-sister.
"Five minutes," Helena announced. "Then she returns to her room.You'll be pleased to know that her quarters are far more pleasantthan yours."
Nikolas wanted to scream, he wanted to run at them with fists raised.But he looked at Lulu and tried to smile instead. "Hey, littlesister," he said, in an odd, choked voice. And she giggled, puttingher hand on his face, touching his hair.
He turned cold eyes on his grandmother and asked, "Why?"
"After she leaves, we will talk," Helena replied.
Then, she turned to Doorman, cupped his chin in her hand, and pulledhim to her for a kiss. Pierce responded to her, the passion betweenthem a familiar thing. "And I will see you later, my love," she saidto him, "to thank you properly for what you've done."
... one held her heart, and the other wielded her sword...
So, this is Helena's Grigori Orlov, thought Nikolas. And in the samemoment, he realized who her Alexie Orlov might be...
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"Go ahead Spencer... FINISH IT!" Stefan threw the gun aside, eyeingthe lifeless guard with considerable distaste. He tried to stand, buthis wounded leg would not support his weight. So he knelt, armsoutstretched, facing his executioner.
"It's what Helena has wanted all along...."
And he saw the gun waver.
"What do you mean, Cassadine?"
"You have always been her greatest asset, Luke. You took on the taskof killing my father and brother when they became...inconvenient."
"THAT'S A LIE!"
And the gun wavered again.
"You deny responsibility for their deaths?"
"Of course not! But even you know what my reasons were..."
"Yes. And it pleased her to know that you derived as much pleasure intheir deaths as she did."
"How could you know this?"
"Because I am my mother's son!" Stefan said, the corners of his mouthhinting at a smile. "And because I was hoping to use you in the sameway."
"You.... BASTARD!"
Luke threw the gun aside and lunged at him.
Stefan groaned as Luke's weight hit him full force. He grabbed Luke'sshoulders and held him at arm's length.
"Look at me, Luke! LOOK AT ME! Do I look like the master of thisisland?" He grasped the soiled, damp fabric of his shirt. "Are thesethe clothes of a king?" He pointed to his injured leg. "Do youhonestly think that my plan involved nearly getting myself killed,saving your miserable life?"
Luke released him, and sat back on his haunches, squinting at hisenemy in the harsh sunlight. Stefan sighed and raised himself to asitting position, gritting his teeth against the pain of his gunshotwound.
"My mother has made fools of us both, Spencer," he said. "She is farhealthier than she led us to believe..." He put his hand on his leg,and applied pressure over the wound, trying to stop the flow ofblood. "...certainly healthier than I am, at the moment."
Without a word, Luke stood up and walked away. Within a few minutes,he was back, carrying a backpack. He reached inside and retrieved awad of sterile gauze.
"Here," he said, handing the gauze to Stefan, "use this." He lookedover at the guard's body. "I'm gonna go feed the sharks with ourmutual friend. And then you're gonna talk to me." He jerked his thumbin the general direction of the Cassadine mansion. "My baby girl isup there, and I wanna know why." Luke picked up his fallen gun andblew the sand off the trigger. He positioned the barrel up againstStefan's ear. "...and if I smell even the slightest hint of bullsh*t,you're gonna end up being the sharks' next course..."