| �This is annoying.� Xenia yawned. �It�s three in the morning, can�t we just kill him already?� �Patience, pet.� Stavros hung up the phone. Gregor�s latest report was the same as the others. Sonny made another attempt to get to the island, Gregor�s men thwarted him. �Patience for what? Why are we toying with him? I want to go to bed.� Stavros crossed the room and stood behind Xenia who was sitting on the sofa. His hands found her shoulders and began to rub, she was tense but tired. �Perhaps we should sink their boat.� �Drown them? Yes, there�s a plan. Good. Can I go to sleep now?� Xenia winced as his grip on her shoulders tightened. �Oh that�s good, right there.� �Why are you so tense?� �I�m not tense, I�m tired.� �You�re tense.� �You�re sister annoyed me at dinner.� �My sister is always annoying.� Not always ,Xenia thought. There was a time when she had been more��interesting. �I just don�t understand her, where is her family loyalty?� �This family has never been very kind to Alexis.� He had a point. �Still, she has an opportunity here��.� �She doesn�t see it as an opportunity. She may change her mind, give her time.� Xenia didn�t want to give her time. She wanted old Alexis, smart Alexis, savvy Alexis back. And she wanted her back now! �Are you letting him live for her?� �No.� �Then why?� �After what he has done? Shouldn�t he suffer as she has?� Xenia brushed his hands from her shoulders and rose from the couch, she crossed the room and poured herself a drink. �Suffer?� �Yes, I think it is too soon to end this.� Xenia shook her head, �This is the mistake they always make in the movies.� �Mistake?� �Yes, yes, all those James Bond films. They finally catch him and instead of just putting a bullet in his head, they decide that is too boring or whatever so they devise some preposterous way of killing him like feeding him to piranha or loading him onto a conveyer belt and then they turn their backs and he gets away blah, blah, blah�.� �I would never turn my back once I sentenced a man to die.� �Well then sentence him and be done with it.� �I�m not ready yet.� �Why not?� Stavros crossed his arms and turned his nose up. He looked like a pouting child. �Because, this is fun and���..I�m bored.� Xenia smiled, �Bored huh? Why didn�t you just say so?� ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Alexis tossed and turned. If she checked on Kristina one more time the nurse was bound to think she was crazy. She couldn�t do this to Chloe. She just����.couldn�t. �What if I can�t get you off?� Alexis had no appetite for the food in front of her despite the fact that Adonia had outdone herself. �I�ve done quite a bit of research on you Alexis. I have the up most faith that you will find a way.� He looked so damn imperious, not an ounce of regret and Alexis was shaking. �I won�t do it.� Xenia slammed her fist down on the table, �You ungrateful���� Alexis jumped up before she could finish, �And I�ve had enough of you too! Who the HELL do you think you are? I haven�t seen you in years and you show up��.� �Both of you stop this at once! Alexis, take your seat.� She remained standing. �You have been away TOO LONG! I said take your seat.� Alexis sat down slowly. Her breathing was hard, labored, her face red. �She was an angel.� She had tears in her eyes. Stavros sat his fork down and dabbed at his mouth with his napkin. His eyes never left her and the tension in the room mounted. �Xenia, you may go.� �But���� �I said, leave.� Xenia nearly knocked her chair down when she stood up. She threw her napkin back on the table and left the room. �I hate her.� Alexis spat as the door slammed closed. �She is not too fond of you at the moment, either.� �Why is she even here? Why are YOU here? Why aren�t you dead in some bottomless pit?!� Stavros shook his head, �At least you are finally showing some backbone. And Mother always said you were born without one.� �Just let me leave.� �I cannot.� �You mean you will not!� �No, I need you Alexis.� He was telling the truth. She knew now this was the only reason he was putting up with her. �Just let us go.� Stavros rose from the table. �Does this room remind you of anything?� �Every room is the same. It just reminds me that I want to leave.� �Those drapes. I believe they are identical to the ones in the study at Wyndemere.� Tears slid down Alexis�s face as she pictured Chloe�s lifeless body in the middle of the study floor. �I�ll do anything to protect my daughter but don�t make me do this.� �I frightened her.� �I can�t listen to this.� �She was emphatic that she and Stefan would leave, go to Milan and never return.� It was even worse than she imagined. Chloe said she would take Stefan with her? She�d been so angry with him but in the end she�d tried to protect him any way, save him. And that was just like Chloe and it made her death even more tragic, for Stefan, for Chloe, for everyone. Alexis tried to stand to leave the room but Stavros placed a hand on her shoulder and forced her to stay seated. �I had no intention of allowing Stefan to ride off into the sunset after his betrayal.� Laura, it always came back to that damn woman! �I admit, I went too far. Scared her into believing I would indeed kill her. Wrapped my hands around her throat����� �Stop it!� �She passed out. It wasn�t even from lack of oxygen because I applied little pressure. I checked her pulse, it was racing but very strong when I left her.� �Liar.� �I have no need to lie. This is my island, you will do as I say, regardless. But you need to know, when I left her, she was very much alive.� �You admitted she knew who you were. You KNEW when she told Stefan���..� �I had every intention of using that to my advantage. He was so besot with the creature, it would have been very easy to control him once he knew I had her. Her death only made things more difficult.� �Difficult for Stefan, he�s the one they suspected.� �Yes, and with him behind bars it was inconvenient to use him. Not to mention that my return was tipped off far too soon for the plans I had in mind.� �Why would you leave her?� �I only went to fetch a guard to take her back to the lab.� �Then how����.� �Mother and I had opposing agendas.� �You seemed to be getting along quite nicely.� �Yes, she managed some control. Told me my recovery was not complete. She said I needed more treatments and only she knew the correct methods. It was a lie.� �So Helena killed her. How convenient.� �How predictable. She�s killed every woman you have ever loved. Your Mother, Chloe, our sister���.� �I have a daughter now.� Alexis moaned. �Helena is not allowed here.� �You said you sent her money.� �I did, but I have not seen her since I left Port Charles. She knows I am alive and she knows I will not see her. It is her fault I am trapped here.� �How did you survive the fall?� �It was only a holding cell designed for Luke Spencer.� �Luke checked.� �Luke saw what we wanted him to see.� �Smoke and mirrors.� Alexis sighed. �Mother�s specialty.� Alexis shook her head, �What if I don�t believe you? You are saying you only frightened her and then she was dead.� �Found in the middle of the floor I believe. I left her on the sofa. I went to find the guard who had accompanied me to the island but he was not where I left him which can only mean that Mother was there as well.� �So Helena framed YOU for murder?� �She would if it suited her, I know that now. Actually, she framed Stefan, that always suits her.� �There is no way to prove it. No one will believe it.� �That is why I have you my dear. You�ve done the impossible before.� �Chloe has been dead for two years.� �And I was dead for twenty and yet here I am, walking about. Science is a marvelous thing. Find a way Alexis. That is all I ask and then you and your daughter are free to go wherever you please, under my protection for the rest of your lives. I�ll make that clear to Mother as well, if she survives this latest tiff with Stefan.� Stefan. Alexis wondered if he was still alive. He had to be! He was her only hope of getting off this damn island. Because there was simply no way to prove Stavros was innocent whether it was the truth or not. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Two passes at the island and there was simply no way they were going to make it with the speed boat. The last pass, they�d barely missed being shot. �We can go back. I�ll make some calls, find a chopper and a pilot.� �That could take days.� Sonny checked the gear again. Three wet suits, three tanks and one gun. �Sonny, what are we going to do if we even make it to shore?� Brenda felt her stomach tighten into a knot. The last time she�d attempted this, the results weren�t so good. She�d nearly died, again. Brenda was getting the distinct impression that the water was <i>not</i> her friend. �We hide the tanks and find the main house, Alexis and Kristina will be there.� �We�d have a better chance by air.� �Damnit! I�ll go alone.� �No!� �Well if you�re going to fight me on this��..� �We�re not prepared. I don�t see why��.� �I�ll tell you why, I don�t even know if Alexis is there willingly.� Sonny finished zipping up his suit. �We saw her leave, she wasn�t forced.� �But you said yourself she didn�t know they were taking her to the island.� �What are you thinking?� Brenda asked trying to distract herself from the length of the swim she was about to attempt. �It could���.it could be Helena.� Jason placed his hands on his hips and sighed. �This is just her style.� Sonny added. �You know her?� Brenda asked incredulously. �Alexis talked about her. The woman hates her. There�s no telling what she would do to Alexis, or the baby. So that�s it! I�m not waiting. I�m going tonight. Now if the two of you want to go back���..� �You know I�m coming.� Jason grabbed his tank. �Me too.� Brenda added shakily. Sonny nodded. �We�re heading for those cliffs. See if we can find a place to stash our gear and change. Then we will make our way up the beach���..� Brenda�s mind wandered. He was getting ahead of himself. The water was choppy. The boat had been rocking hard all night. There were currents, it was dark. Jason saw the dazed look on her face. This was more than she�d bargained for. �Are you ready?� Sonny was suited up and fastened the tank around his back. Jason and Brenda nodded. �Head for those rocks. We wait there until all three of us make it ashore. Stay low, there may be guards on the beach as well. Be careful.� There was a splash as Sonny hit the water and Brenda sat down to go next. �You can go back or you can just take the boat out and wait for us.� Jason tried. �You don�t have to do this.� �I�m going!� Jason kneeled down in front of her. �You don�t have to prove anything to me.� �I�m not.� �Do you have your light?� Brenda held up the underwater lantern. �Don�t go too deep but���..� �I know, I know. We don�t want them to see the light. I�m not as stupid as you think.� She snapped more out of nerves then genuine irritation with him. �I never said you were stupid.� �Sure you did.� �When?� �Plenty of times.� �Name one.� Brenda drew a blank. Surely he����well he����..well maybe not stupid but some other word. �You make me crazy. I�d like to strangle you most of the time and you�ve done some stupid things����.� �See.� �No. I never said you were stupid.� Brenda drew a big breath. �We need to go.� Jason checked her tank and tightened the straps around her shoulders. �Ow!� �The water is rough.� Jason�s voice was calm and quiet. That was all the proof she needed. They were going to drown. �I noticed.� �Just pretend you�re in the Caribbean having fun with Jax or something. Jax. They were going to drown and she hadn�t even bothered to call Jax. She�d meant to. She�d had plenty of time on the flight but for some reason, she just couldn�t force herself to do it. �I can do this! It�s just��..it�s dark.� �I�m right behind you.� �But���� �Wait for me. We�ll go together.� Brenda pursed her lips but finally nodded. �If I drown���..I�m taking you with me!� Jason smiled at her. �We won�t drown.� �We better not. I want to live long enough to divorce you.� Jason held his hand out. �It�s a deal. We both live through this so we can get the fastest divorce on record.� Brenda grasped his hand and shook it. �Well now I have something to live for.� Jason sat beside her on the edge of the boat. �That makes two of us." �On the count of three.� Brenda nodded. �1�..2�.� �Jason, wait.� �What?� �Promise you won�t leave me.� Jason looked down at her, she was scared to death but determined. � I promise. Now�1�2�3� ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ �Well, they�ve decided to make a swim for it.� Xenia hung up the phone. She�d managed to get about an hours nap in before Gregor�s latest report. Stavros stroked his goatee. �Well, so much for sinking the boat.� �Now what?� �How long before they make it to shore?� �You mean if. The currents are strong on that side of the island.� �How long?� �Gregor estimates they should reach land in less than an hour. He�ll let them change and then his men will pick them up. Shall I have Endicott prepare their rooms?� �Tell Gregor to leave them.� �What?� �The sun will be rising in about an hour.� �Yes.� �Wake the entire house, except Alexis of course, she�d never participate.� He looked excited. �In what?� She had a feeling she was going to like this. �I think I was merely a boy the last time����.but it�s perfect.� Xenia was grinning from ear to ear. �Tell me, tell me.� �A hunt.� �A hunt?� �A formal English fox hunt. Only we won�t be hunting for foxes.� �I doubt they are as clever.� �The entire island is invited. Well, all those not detained in their cells.� �You�re serious.� Xenia laughed. �I told you���.I�m bored. Are you with me?� Xenia nodded her head, �Talley-ho! Lead the way old chum.� |