Never Tear Us Apart
Chapter
Seventeen
Chloe felt the tip of the scalpel press into her skin as a searing pain shot through her skull. She used all of her power as a singer to scream loud enough to shatter glass. Her screams must have startled Rolf, as the scalpel moved away from her head and he jumped backwards.
"Mr. Kiriakis! I think we should have used some anesthesia after all. I can't work under these conditions... Not with her screaming like a banshee."
Phillip let out an exasperated groan and replied. "Fine, fine... Just make it quick, Rolf."
Rolf began moving around the room digging through his drug cabinet for something to knock Chloe unconscious. Chloe was sobbing loudly, her entire body quaking with fear. She had always thought of herself as a strong person, but it was impossible to not be afraid of what was about to happen to her. In the midst of her gut-wrenching sobs, she heard another person enter the room, someone whom Phillip addressed as Bart.
"Bart! I told you not to interrupt us."
Chloe quieted down so she could hear every word they said, but did not move. Bart stammered nervously in reply to Phillip's angry tone. "I'm -- I'm sorry Mr. K. But, this is very important. The princess is here."
Chloe held back her gasp of surprise and shifted her aching head so she could look at the others in the room. Phillip had his arms crossed over his chest, and he seemed mostly unconcerned.
"The princess is here? And how does this affect me? Why do I care?"
"Because, Mr. K. -- the Boss has instructed me to bring Rolfsky upstairs right now. So, he doesn't have time to do the future Mrs. K's procedure right now. He wants you upstairs too, ASAP."
Phillip sighed in frustration and ran his hands through his hair. "Damnit, Bart... That is NOT good news. Why the hell is Greta here anyway?"
Bart looked at him in confusion and shrugged slightly. "I'm not exactly sure but she's got that Maguire guy with her."
Bart and Rolf made their exit while Phillip kneeled down beside the gurney. He helped Chloe on to her back and brushed her hair out of her face. "I'm sorry, Chloe... You know how much I hate to delay things. But, I promise you won't have to wait much longer..."
Chloe stared at him through the tears in her eyes, her vision blurred from crying. "You're -- you're just gonna leave me here with a hole in my head."
"Oh Chloe, it's just a tiny little cut. He didn't get that far yet... You'll be fine."
Phillip planted a kiss on her forehead and then stood up, quickly making his own exit. She rolled on to her side with a loud grunt, her body barely strong enough to move her that far. She felt a slight trickle of blood travel down the back of her neck and even though the cut wasn't deep it was still quite painful.
Chloe tried to find the energy to stand, but she was too weak to do it. But, she knew she couldn't just sit here all night waiting for some miracle to rescue her. In her heart, she knew that Brady was doing everything he could to save her, but she would have to try and find a way to save herself until he found her.
She found enough strength to slide herself off the gurney, landing on the floor with a loud, painful thud. She cried out in pain, knowing that if she survived this night, she'd be one huge bruise tomorrow. Chloe could see the door ahead of her, although her vision was a little blurry. As she crawled towards the door slowly, she prayed that she would be lucky enough to find it unlocked.
~*~
Greta and Noah were ushered into a large study once they reached the house. The walls were covered with bookshelves, and a large antique desk sat at one end with chairs in front of it. They were told to take seats at the desk and wait patiently for Stefano's arrival. They did as instructed, both of them looking pale and nervous the entire while.
Noah looked around the expensively decorated room and then turned back to Greta with a whisper. "Nice place he's got here..."
Greta shrugged nonchalantly and frowned. "If there's one good thing you can say about the DiMeras, they do not lack for style."
"Listen, Princess... I just -- I wanted to tell you --"
Greta looked at him and shook her head. "No, don't say anything. Wait until this is over. And stop calling me Princess... I have a name, you know."
Noah grinned at her, something that Greta couldn't help finding irresistible and replied. "Sorry about that... Your Highness..."
The door nearest to the desk opened slowly and Stefano entered, looking as imposing as always. If Noah didn't know better, he would have thought the Devil himself had just walked through that door, flanked by his minions, Rolf and Bart. Stefano sat across the desk from them as the two others stood nearby to observe.
"Greta, my dearest... It's so good to see you again."
Greta rolled her eyes and scowled at him. "Whatever..."
Stefano ignored her defiance and turned towards Noah. "And... the famous Noah Maguire... I believe we haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet."
Noah gave him an impatient glare and replied quickly. "The pleasure is all *yours*... Now... give me what I came for."
"Are you sure you wouldn't like a drink first? Perhaps, some tea... a glass of wine..."
Noah leaned forward and put his hands on the edge of the desk, fire burning in his blue eyes. "No games, no stall tactics, just the truth... Maybe this is how you play it with the rest of your enemies. But, I'm from the South, and we southerners like to cut right to the chase, DiMera..."
Stefano paused to consider his words for a moment and then nodded. "As you wish then, Mr. Maguire... I guess it's time to tell you about your brother. Your brother was a... fine employee... trusted, intelligent, and clever... Too clever. I had him doing surveillance on my beautiful daughter, the Princess, as well as Mrs. and Mrs. Brady Black... But, then, I found out that he was a spy... working for the ISA... a traitor to me and the life that I had given him."
"I know all this... You're wasting time, DiMera..."
"You are awfully insolent for a man who is relying on my kindness to give him the answers he's seeking."
Noah shook his head and pointed towards Greta. "Your kindness? That's not why we're here, and you know it. We're here because you didn't want me to harm your precious little Princess Greta. So, either tell me what I want to know or I will find a way to make her suffer."
Stefano looked at him angrily, his words coming through his clenched teeth. "Fine then... Perhaps it's better if you hear the truth from someone else..."
Noah stared at him in confusion as he tapped the intercom button on his desk and spoke into it. "Come on in... It's time to tell Mr. Maguire where his brother is."
Noah and Greta turned their eyes to the doorway to await the mystery guest's entrance nervously. The doors slid open and Phillip strode in to stand near Stefano, looking more than a bit annoyed at having his plans interrupted. Greta gasped loudly, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.
"Phillip... Oh my God... Phillip... you're -- you're --"
Phillip grinned at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Alive? Don't worry, Greta... I've been getting that reaction a lot lately. Yes, I am alive and quite healthy... Better than ever, I guess you could say."
Greta's lower lip trembled, her eyes wide with shock as she stammered back at him. "You -- you -- you took Chloe. Stefano has no need for her, so it was you who wanted her. Oh God, you didn't hurt her, did you?"
"I love Chloe... I would never hurt her." Phillip didn't give her a chance to respond, quickly turning to address Noah, who was staring at him in confusion. "Now, Maguire... I guess I'm supposed to tell you where your brother is."
There was a moment's pause and Noah's words came out sadly, as if he already knew. "You... You look like him. Younger, but similar... You..."
His words trailed off and Phillip nodded in agreement. "I guess Southerners aren't so dumb after all. Yes, by some strange coincidence or luck -- well, luck on my part -- your brother bears a striking resemblance to me. That's why I have to inform you that your brother is now resting in what I assume to be a very expensive, high quality casket in the Kiriakis plot at the Salem Cemetery."
Noah looked towards the floor without a sound. He felt the blood in his veins run cold as Phillip's words confirmed what he already knew deep down. Greta looked at him with concern and sympathy, her heart breaking into pieces for what he was going through. There was a long silence until Noah spoke again.
"You... you switched places with him..."
"Yeah... Pretty much. Stefano found out he was a traitor... And, my good pal here always likes to say 'Death before Disloyalty'... So, we scrapped our other plans for getting me out of the big house and used your brother instead. That way it was killing two birds with one stone. We get rid of your brother, and I get out of prison. Perfect."
Noah looked up and into the cold blue eyes that were the same color as Jake's, but carried the completely opposite kind of personality in them. "Why? Why did you do it?"
Phillip laughed loudly and shook his head. "Why wouldn't I? I didn't belong in prison..."
Greta interrupted him harshly. "You almost killed Brady, yes, you did..."
"Shut up, Greta. This doesn't concern you. The point is... I wanted out. I wanted my life back, my life with Chloe. Stefano... well, he wants a lot of things... His daughter to be at his side as she should be. And... The Black family destroyed -- either physically or emotionally, doesn't matter which one. All of them. John first, Brady next... I think Belle's on the hit list eventually... So, we figured this setup would be mutually beneficial."
"Phillip... I know you've made some mistakes before, but I just -- I can't believe you'd go along with all of this. I can't believe you'd work with Stefano. And Belle -- Belle was your friend... She never did anything wrong to anyone -- especially not you. You would let this man destroy her life? And Chloe... You destroy Brady and Belle; you hurt Chloe in the process. She would never want to be with you. Never."
Phillip's voice rose with anger as he snarled at the princess. "Greta, I told you to shut up. Belle is not my friend. Nobody in Salem is. None of those people care about me. Not even my own parents anymore. All of them turned their backs on me the day I was arrested.. As for Chloe, she will be with me... whether she wants to or not."
Noah's gaze shifted from Stefano to Phillip and then back to Stefano again. "Why tell us all of this? If you don't want to get caught.."
Stefano interrupted him, waving his hand to quiet Noah. "We won't get caught. Because you won't tell anybody what happened here. I'm not an idiot, Mr. Maguire. I know that you would never have pulled that trigger... But, I figured I might as well bring you here anyway... I might be able to put a man like you to good use."
"If you're offering me a job, you can forget it. Never gonna happen, DiMera."
"Well, not willingly, I know. You're one of those self-righteous do-gooders just like Brady Black, and my precious daughter, and the rest of those uptight Salem people. If I wasn't planning on turning you into my pawn, I'd suggest you'd move to Salem. You'd fit in perfectly with all those saints."
Noah stood suddenly and began shaking his head, his eyes filling with fear. "Turn me into your pawn? Excuse me? What does that mean?"
Greta looked up at him, tears filling her eyes. "He's -- he's gonna put in a chip in your head. Just like mine. He's going to make you into whatever he wants you to be... His employee, his mercenary, his pawn."
Phillip had a pleased smile on his face and nodded in agreement. "Well... It's a good thing Rolf has everything all ready to go for Chloe. Looks like we're getting a little two for one brain surgery."
Noah reached for the gun in his holster, but before he could get it out, Stefano already had his own pistol trained directly at him. "Don't even think about it... Take the gun out and lay it on the desk."
Noah did as instructed and held his hands up in the air to show that he wasn't going to make any sudden moves. Inside, he was praying that Brady would somehow be able to help them. Stefano motioned for Greta to stand and she did as instructed.
He stared her down shamefully, as if he was scolding a child. "I can't believe you, Greta... My own flesh and blood and you'd rather be with these people than your own family."
Greta was practically spitting fire at him as she replied. "I'd rather be dead than be related to you."
Phillip grinned and walked up towards her, poking one sharp finger into her back as Stefano motioned for them to go out into the hallway. He spoke into her ear, causing a chill to run up her spine. "You will be dead if you don't keep that pretty mouth shut, Princess."
The entire group walked into the hallway, Stefano keeping his gun pointed at Noah and Greta the entire time. Bart led them to the stairs that led to the underground level and Stefano watched as Noah and Greta began the descent downwards.
"Come on... Let's go see your friend Chloe... I believe she's waiting for us."
Noah reached behind him and sought out Greta's hand. Out of instinct, they clasped hands tightly, reassuring each other. The moment of comfort wasn't helpful at all, as they both knew how dire their circumstances really were. Brady was their only chance now, and their futures all relied on him finding his way into the mansion.