| The stable boys were nearly tripping over each other in an attempt to get everything ready. The stable master blanched at their clumsiness and looked wearily over at the Prince who appeared to be ignoring their pathetic attempts to organize the hunt. But the stable master was certain it had not gone unnoticed. The senior staff on the island met nearly every night trying to decide how best to handle the situation. Because the young Prince had been gone for so long, the staff had dwindled down over the years. Those they had left to work with were poorly trained and not fit for the level of service the Cassadines were normally accustomed to. In other words, the senior staff had expected to die within the first week. But for some unknown reason, there had been few complaints from Stavros. Even though soup had been served cold, priceless crystal had been smashed. Serving girls stuttered, upstairs maids forgot to turn down the beds, stable boys had been caught napping�..everyone was still alive. It was a complete mystery. Xenia exited the front door of the compound and approached her horse. Dressed in formal riding attire, she was breathtaking. Tall, confident, her hair tied back in a tight bun, she fasted her helmet in place, mounted her horse in one fluid movement and moved closer to Stavros. Guests and guards milled around. Every single horse from the stables was on hand for the hunt. Everyone was excited. For all intensive purposes, this was the first official event on the island in nearly a decade. �Well Stavros, this is a splendid idea. I�m sorry my granddaughter could not be here to attend, she is on the main land, very busy girl you know.� Stavros nodded polity and held his breath. He wondered how the poor horse would survive Lady Brimbrook. The smell of her perfume alone was enough to knock the beast over. Sixty five years of age and easily 250 pounds, Stavros could not believe she was attempting the hunt, but she�d insisted. The penniless Lady Brimbrook had lived on the island for decades. One of many poor aristocrats who came for a visit and never left. Since Stavros�s return she spent every waking minute trying to force her granddaughter on him. The fact that the girl was barely 19 didn�t seem to matter. �Yes, that is a shame.� Xenia frowned. �Please excuse us Lady Brimbrook but the Prince and I must see to a few last minute details.� Lady Brimbrook nodded and pulled her horse back to another group of ladies. �Disgusting, isn�t it?� the first one noted. Lady Brimbrook sneered. �He spends all his time doting on that girl and she�s his cousin!� �Well, you know how the Cassadines are.� Another of the old hens leaned in towards Lady Brimbrook. �Don�t worry Brim, your granddaughter is a delight.� Brim stuck her nose up in the air, �Cecile could have her choice of any number of eligible bachelors. If the Prince chooses to ignore her, it is his loss.� Truth be told, she was relieved Cecile was away, she was never very good on a horse and she didn�t want her to make a fool of herself. �You can breathe now.� Xenia laughed. Stavros let out a breath. �Intolerable woman.� �Oh, but Cecile is just so divine.� Xenia fluttered her lashes. �Cecile is a child.� �Cecile is an idiot.� Xenia added. �Oh, my, my, my, my��am I late? I hope I didn�t hold everyone up.� �Not at all Professor. Your steed awaits.� Stavros pointed to a gentle old mare they had chosen specifically for him. Xenia leaned toward Stavros. �You�re going to let him ride? You�re giving him a gun?� Stavros shrugged. �His�his pants are on backwards!� She hissed. �Did you retrieve the information I requested?� He asked, flashing her a wicked grin. She shook her head. She didn�t really give a damn what happened to most of them but Professor Tindel was harmless and offered much needed comic relief to the compound, she didn�t want anything to happen to him. She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and passed it to Stavros. �May I have everyone�s attention, please?� Stavros moved to a position in front of the party and the groups quieted down. �I would like to welcome you all to the first hunt of the season����well the decade actually. But if today is a success, I hope this will be the first of many.� Soft murmurs filled the air as guests grinned at each other with anticipation. Was it possible? Could Cassadine Island actually be an exciting place once again? �You have each been given a file, please study the pictures with-in and prepare yourselves because those three faces are very important. We are not hunting fox or foul today, today we are hunting intruders. Intruders who would dare to disrupt our lives here, who would dare to threaten my family and by extension, yours.� Eyes widened and people checked the photos again. What kind of people thought they could show up here and threaten the Cassadines? Were they mad? �I warn you now, these intruders may be armed and dangerous.� �Not for long!� Dante shouted. Stavros resisted the impulse to roll his eyes. �If you are not up to the challenge, please feel free to remain here at the compound.� No one dismounted or headed for the stables, Stavros was impressed. �I thank you all and now for the rules of the hunt.� Stavros unfolded the piece of paper Xenia had printed off from the internet. In all honesty he had not attended a hunt since he was a young man. He cleared his throat, �If, when a fox is run to ground, the decision is that the fox be killed, it must be humanely destroyed.� What sort of rubbish? Stavros frowned, crumpled the paper up and threw it over his shoulder. �Never mind. We play by Cassadine rules. Find them. Shoot them. Bring them back here. Any questions?� The crowd looked around but no one said a word. �Good. Are we ready then?� Xenia nodded. �Very well. Release the hounds!� The crowd let out a little cheer but Stavros found one of the stable boys anxiously tapping his leg to get his attention. Stavros sighed, �Yes, what is it.� �Um, sir, we�.we don�t have any hounds.� �We don�t?� �No, sir. We�.well�we just have the dobermans. Cleopatra and Spot.� �Spot?� �Yes, sir.� �We have a dog named Spot?� �Yes sir.� �A doberman?� �Yes, sir.� Stavros�s shoulders sagged and he let out a sigh, he had a dog named Spot. What was his world coming to? He drew in a big breath, �Very well, release��.. the dobermans!� The crowd cheered again as the two togs were released and ran full speed across the front lawn and towards the beach. Though not trained to hunt, they were excellent guard dogs and Gregor had spent the morning prepping them with the scent of the three intruder�s clothes they had gathered from the abandoned speed boat. A horn sounded and Dante was the first to reach full gallop as he followed the dogs. The crowd followed in various stages. The younger and more agile riders in the front and the small group of little old ladies in the rear. Stavros and Xenia held back, savoring the sight. �They could be killed.� Xenia pulled on her riding gloves. �I think it�s past time to thin some of that heard.� �Still���.� Xenia tilted her head. She worried about the Professor. He was bouncing around in the saddle and looked like he would never make it over the first fence. Stavros smiled at her. �He�ll be lost soon and head back.� She was startled to realize he knew exactly who she was concerned for and it worried her that he could read her so well. She took her rifle from the stable boy standing to her left. �I�m leaving four guards here to watch the compound, in case they slip past us.� �You always plan ahead.� �We should be careful, they may be stupid but they will also be desperate and desperate men are always dangerous.� �Yes, and I trust you will be careful as well?� He reached out and stroked her cheek. �While you worry for the Professor, I am only concerned for one member of this party.� She tried not to smile, �I can handle myself.� �I have no doubt. But that is precisely why I cannot afford to lose you.� �You won�t.� She kicked her heels in and charged after the group, Stavros followed. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ �What the hell was that?� Brenda pulled on her sneakers. �It sounded like a horn, a bugle maybe?� Jason looked up the cliff face, it came from somewhere above. �Daybreak. You stash the gear?� Sonny asked. �There is a small cave just behind those rocks.� Jason pointed. �Good.� �So now what?� Brenda asked. Jason was mildly impressed. He�d expected another sarong or maybe an evening gown at this point but she�d actually packed reasonable clothes. A gray t-shirt, khaki shorts and sneakers. She looked normal, he didn�t know it was possible. �We head for the main house. It should be big so maybe we can sneak in, take a look around����� �And find Alexis and get the hell out of here.� Brenda added. Jason looked up and down the beach. He had an uneasy feeling. They probably knew they were there. They <i>had</i> to know they were there. But there was no sign of guards. He hadn�t even seen a patrol pass by on the water and by his estimation, one should have passed by now. Sony started making his way up the beach and Brenda and Jason followed. It didn�t really matter of they knew they were coming or not, Sonny was determined and there was no stopping him. Jason couldn�t blame him, if someone had Michael, he�d do the same. Actually someone had taken Michael, once upon a time and it had been one of the most terrifying experiences of his life. At least then, it had been on his turf and he had resources at his disposal. Here, he had a gun and not much else. One gun wasn�t going to do a damn bit of good against the amount of security he�d seen so far. There had been numerous patrols around the island. Several boats all filled with men just itching to take a shot at them. He assumed they hadn�t had any real threats in years, but they looked well trained, confident. Brenda certainly wasn�t confident. She was very anxious. She rushed to keep up with Sonny as Jason trailed along behind them. Sonny was on a mission. Brenda was nervous. Jason was ready for whatever lay ahead. Or at least he thought he was. �There they are!� All three froze on the beach and looked up. A man on horseback at the top of the cliff. He pointed down and four other men came up behind him, all on horse back, all armed. �Well, so much for sneaking in.� Brenda swallowed hard. One man took up his rifle and aimed. Brenda let out a squeak and Sonny grabbed her hand and all three ran for the rocks. Two shots were fired, both hit the sand behind them as they leapt behind a huge boulder. �I should have just drowned. This sucks. I can�t believe we made it ashore and now���..� Brenda covered her ears as another shot rang out. Jason peered around the edge of the boulder, more people on horseback were approaching the cliffs edge. �How many?� Sonny asked. Jason turned around and looked at Sonny and a terrified Brenda. �Ten so far. But they can�t reach us from up there. They�ll have to move down to those hills and double back.� Jason pointed up the beach. �Unless there is a faster route on the other side.� Sonny sighed. They couldn�t see around the face of the cliff to their left. �So����� Brenda looked back and forth between them. �So we don�t know what direction they will choose until it�s too late.� �So head or tails?� Brenda blanched. �No, we split up.� �Uh-uh. No way.� Brenda shook her head wildly. Sonny looked at her and then Jason. If they headed to the left, there might be a better place to climb up. If they headed to the right, there might be a cut off before the hills and they could make for the woods. Question was who took Brenda. �Climb or run?� Jason asked. �What?� Sonny rubbed his hands in the sand. �I can climb, but it�s dangerous. I�ll take the left.� �But��..� �Brenda, you take a couple shots to the chest and your lung capacity ain�t what it used to be. I�ve got a better shot climbing than running, but it�s dangerous. You go with Jason and it will be a full run to those hills. Safer, but you gotta move.� �And I told Jax I didn�t need to go to the gym.� Brenda sighed. �We�re running out of time. Do you want to climb or run?� The thought of scaling that cliff was beyond terrifying. She didn�t know if she could do it. At least she knew she could run. Maybe not as fast as Jason but���. She gave Sonny a hug, �Be CAREFUL!� �I will.� �Don�t fall!� �I won�t. Just keep up with Jason and do what he tells ya.� Tall order. �Are you sure?� Jason asked him. Sonny nodded. �I got some strength but I�d slow you down on the run. Take her, go to the main house and try to find Alexis. See if you can reason with her.� �What if we can�t get in? Or what if Helena has her?� Sonny took a deep breath, �We meet back here, after dark.� �And then what?� �Got all day to come up with a plan B.� Brenda squeezed her eyes closed. Why the hell didn�t she just go to Lisbon? |