Chapter Fourteen
 

“Brenda, calm down, please,” Jax said, putting a hand up.
“Don’t tell me to calm down, Jax! How could you not tell me something
like this?”
“I was trying to wait for the right moment--”
“The right moment?! Hello, every second is precious! How could
you--you know what? Never mind. Never mind, just tell me what they said,
please.”
“Well call your penthouse, listen to the message,” Jax said weakly.
Brenda threw him a look of disgust and grabbed her cell phone, walking into
another room of the penthouse. Carly watched her walk away, and Jason
turned his attention back to the fax machine. Jax sat down heavily on the
couch, and Carly plopped down next to him.
“How you doin’?” She asked, rubbing his arm gently.
“I’m doing all right, I guess,” he said softly. “That was stupid, huh?” he
asked, motioning to Brenda’s back.
“It was,” Carly said, nodding. When Jax glanced at her, she smiled.
“Hey, why’d you do it, anyway?”
“I honestly didn’t get a moment to tell her,” Jax said. “I mean, I could
have told her in the car on the way over here, but it didn’t take long to get
here, and then we came in, and things sort of just happened. Any message
from these people is important, I realize that, but this particular one didn’t say
anything that would lead us to where Julia is. It was vague, is all I’m saying,
and it was just sending us a message.”
“Well, to err is human and all of that. I’m going to go and check on my
baby, but will you please apologize to her and bring her back down to earth
before I get back? I really hate to deal with her when she’s in b!tch mode.”
Jax laughed out loud at Carly and tossed a pillow at her behind as she scurried
up the stairs.
“I’m telling on you,” he called after her, as he got up and bent down to
retrieve the pillow.
“I wish you’d told me,” Brenda said, coming back into the room. She
glanced over at Jason, who still sat hunched over the fax machine in the
corner. He looked up just then, cleared his throat, and continued working.
Brenda just rolled her eyes in response. This was Jason’s penthouse though,
and he wasn’t one to leave the room anyway. Brenda just lowered her voice
and said, “We don’t have to get into this now--”
“Brenda, I’m sorry--” she held up a hand to stop him.
“Look, it’s fine, but next time, just tell me, all right? Just tell me.” Jax
nodded.
“I just wanted to protect you, that’s all,” Jax said. Brenda looked up at
him questioningly, just as Carly was coming down the stairs.
“What’d you find out, Brenda?” she asked, standing in between them.
Jax shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the arm of the couch and sat
down. Brenda sat next to him, and Carly perched herself on the arm of a
nearby chair, glancing back at Jason to make sure he was listening.
“Well I found the message from the people who have Julia. They said
that I didn’t know how to follow directions, whatever the hell that means--”
“You know what it means,” Jax said. “He wanted you to stop looking
for Julia the last time he called. But you didn’t. You went to Massachusetts
and brought me back. If they’re watching us, and obviously they are, then
they know that we’re still moving as quickly as we can to find Julia.”
“This is a mess,” Carly said, putting her head in her hands. “Well how
are we supposed to be able to do anything with them watching us all the
time?”
“Hold on,” Jason said. “What’d the message say, Brenda?”
“Just that because I didn’t follow directions, there was now at LEAST an
ocean between me and my sister.”
“Damn,” Jax said under his breath. “That means that before she was at
least in the states.”
“I know,” Brenda said, “and now there’s no telling where she is. This is
hopeless,” she continued, getting up and pacing the room. “I mean we have
no idea where to start looking. We don’t know how many people are
involved in this, or how many people are watching us. Julia could have been
involved in drugs, some of you probably believe she was actually using
herself, she may have been involved with the dead guy, Alexander Marshall,
he was the boyfriend to a crazy girl with mob ties, she’s after us, everyone she
knows is probably after us, we can’t make a move without someone knowing
what we’re doing, we’re trying to keep the cops off of us ourselves, and we
don’t even know where to start. What the f#$k are we going to do now?!”
“Brenda!” Jax said, standing up and facing her, grabbing her by the
shoulders. “This situation is far from hopeless.”
“How do you know that?” Brenda asked, the tears on her voice. “Are
you psychic or something?” Jax looked down a moment, and Brenda just
laughed weakly and pulled out of his arms. “See that? I can’t even insult you
correctly.”
“It wasn’t an insult, Brenda, I know you’re upset--”
“Upset doesn’t even begin to cover it, Jasper,” Brenda said, walking to
the window and peering out. Of course, it looked normal, she wouldn’t have
been able to see anyone who was looking for them anyway.
“Look,” Jason said, “everybody just needs to calm down. Obviously, we
need to make a couple of changes in the plan here. This is not like a normal
case that we handle for our clients. We can’t just go off half cocked, harassing
the appropriate people like we usually do,” he said, glancing at Carly. “We
have to be careful, we can’t make any mistakes, we have to be right on the
money, and we have to be on the same page.”
“What can we do?” Brenda said. “What can I do?”
“You’re in charge, boss,” Jason said, motioning to her. Brenda sighed,
her face twisted slightly in pain.
“I’m sick and tired of being in charge. I don’t know everything. In
fact,” she smirked, “I’m starting to realize that I don’t know much of anything
at all. I don’t know what we can do, I’m fresh out of ideas. I don’t even know
where to begin.”
“Well what about you, Jax?” Carly asked, eyeing Brenda to see if it was
okay to push the issue of Jax’s extra abilities. “Couldn’t you, I don’t know, try
and connect with Julia or something?”
“It doesn’t work that way,” Jax said. “I don’t connect with her, she
connects with me. So do you, Brenda. Any of you, really. Any of the people
that I care about. If something’s happening to you, you’re at the height of any
particular distressing emotions, then I feel whatever pain you’re feeling, and
it allows me to connect with you on a profound and deep level. Sometimes I
can see where you are, sometimes I can just feel what’s going on with you.
But I can’t force or initiate the connection.”
“Does it have to be a conscious decision on Julia’s part to try and
connect with you?”
“It helps,” Jax allowed, “but no, it doesn’t have to be.”
“Couldn’t you just try to feel her?” Brenda asked. “Can’t you just try and
see where she is?”
“Brenda,” Jax began, shaking his head, when suddenly, a white hot
flashing pain shot through his head. He was still trying to speak, but his voice
became choked, and he fell to the floor immediately. “It’s hot,” he rasped out,
suddenly. Carly was closest to him, so she ripped open his shirt. Jason was
up in moments, and standing next to the phone.
“Does he need an ambulance?!” he asked, frantically, it having been
years since he’d seen Jax have one of his visions.
“No,” Carly said, watching Jax intently. “It’s hot, Jax?” she asked, trying
to permeate his senses. He was falling into this one quickly.
“It’s hot,” he said, in a whimpering voice, almost child like. “She’s so
hot. And they won’t let her out. She’s thirsty,” he said, coughing.
“Jax, please try to see where she is,” Brenda said, urgently.
“Beach,” Jax said, “it’s raining. It’s always raining,” he said, in an even
fainter whisper, before passing out.
 

Hours later....

Jax slept on the couch, soundly. Carly and Jason were moving around
their apartment quietly and slowly, so as not to wake him, but still as quickly
as they could, they were preparing to leave the apartment. They didn’t know
when they’d have to leave, or how much they’d be able to take with them, but
they wanted to be prepared at a moment’s notice. Brenda sat, Jax’s head in
her lap, watching him sleep intently. When he stirred, she eased him back
into sleep. He finally woke, though. His eyes fluttered open, immediately
seeking her face.
“Did you hear anything?” he asked, sitting up too quickly, only having
to fall back down on the couch again. “Did you--was I any help?”
“Yes,” Brenda said, taking his face in her hands and kissing him on the
lips. It was impulsive, quick, and over before it began, but it left them both a
little speechless.
“Oh good, man, you’re awake,” Jason said, coming into the room and
handing Jax a glass of water. “Hey listen, we didn’t get much from you, but
it’s a hell of a lot more than what we had to begin with.”
“What’d I say?” Jax asked.
“You told us she was on a beach, that she was some where very hot,
and that she was thirsty. That she felt like no one would help her.”
“Yes,” Jax said, nodding, “I remember now. She feels so alone,” he said
sadly. “She thinks no one’s coming for her.” He looked around the room at all
of them. “She’s starting to give up. I can feel it.”
“She can’t give up,” Brenda said, resolve on her voice. “My sister’s
stronger than that.”
“Whatever they’re giving her,” Jax said, shaking his head, “it’s pretty
strong stuff. I don’t know how much longer she can hold out.”
“What do you think they’re trying to do to her?” Carly asked.
“They’re probably trying to make her an addict,” Jason said, “if they
haven’t done it already. It only takes a couple of times to become dependent,
and if that’s what they’re doing, she may already be past the point of no
return.”
“So what are you saying?” Brenda asked Jason angrily. “Are you trying
to say that my sister doesn’t deserve rescuing if she’s an addict?”
“He’s not saying anything of the kind,” Carly said.
“Well maybe I am,” Jason said, challengingly.
“What?” Carly asked.
“All I’m saying,” Jason went on, “is if she’s on drugs, if they want her,
she knows these people, then maybe there’s nothing we can do. We’re all
putting our lives on the line, here. I got a kid upstairs, you know? I can’t be
gallivanting all across the globe, when there’s a chance I’m not coming home
to him. I don’t know if I should be risking everything for a junkie--”
“Jason,” Carly said imploringly. Brenda was at a complete loss for
words.
“I can’t believe you,” she said. “Well tell me this--what the h#ll are you
doing in the PI business, Jason?”
“Come on, Brenda, these people are big time, and we’re not. We’re a
bunch of amateurs, and we know it, and they know it. The people in Port
Charles that we work for are dangerous, but they’re local. They’re small time,
and not all of them belong to the Life. Whoever’s got Julia, they’ve got access
to a large supply of drugs, obviously, which means they have money. If they’re
moving her from continent to continent like this, then they obviously have
major connections, or have their own transportation, like a jet or something,
which means they’ve got even more money. And guess what? We’re all
comfortable here, but we don’t have money falling out of our pockets, none
of us. The only one here with a little bit of money is--”
“Me,” Brenda said, grudgingly.
“That’s right,” Jason said. “And what are you going to do, go ask Daddy?
Neither you nor Julia speak to the man, and the way he treats you guys, he
wouldn’t give you the money anyway.”
“That’s enough, man,” Jax said.
“He’s right,” Brenda said. “I don’t know how we’re going to go up
against all of these people. I don’t know where we’re going to get the money
we’ll eventually need, and I don’t know how we can ask the two of you to risk
so much, when you have your own lives, you have a son to take care of, and
he comes first.”
“We’re your friends,” Carly said, coming to hug Brenda. “That’s how
you can ask us. As friends.” She looked back at Jason, who nodded and said,
“I’m sorry.”
“We’ll work something out,” Carly said, nodding. “We will. Jules
wouldn’t give up on a single one of us, no matter what the odds.”
“That’s right,” Jax said. “Now listen, if money’s the problem, I have a
little bit saved, and there’s always Jerry.”
“That’s right,” Brenda said. “Jerry’s got money.” Jax should have money
too, but he had cut those ties with his family long ago. He had some money on
his own, but if he put it to saving Julia, he wouldn’t have a penny left,
especially since most of it was tied up in Botanicals, back in Massachusetts,
and taking it out would ruin Ned and Lois financially. Jax’s hands were tied,
even though he wanted to help.
“I’m still not so sure we should involve Jerry,” Jax said. When Brenda
looked at him quizzically, he reasoned. “Well, Jerry still loves Julia, but they
haven’t been together in a long time. I’m not sure how he feels about her.”
“So we find out,” Carly offered.
“Well yes, but suppose we find out he’s angry with her, and won’t
help?”
“All we have to do is explain the situation,” Brenda said. “Jax, why are
you so against this?”
“I’m not so against this, Brenda, I just want to make sure that we have
our bases covered. Now just hear me out. I think that we should do this
without telling Jerry. If we need his money, then I say let’s go to him and tell
him it’s for something else. He’ll buy it, whatever excuse I give him, he’s my
brother. But if I can’t get the money out of him, and we do end up telling him
about Julia’s situation, he could react one of two ways. He’ll either be so
angry, he’ll not agree to give us anything, or he’ll take over the entire project,
bring in the friggin’ president of the United States, and he’ll blow our covers
right out of the water. He’ll make this thing so high profile, none of us can
work as PIs ever again.”
“What difference is it to you?” Brenda asked. “You’re not a PI.”
“No, but I care about all of you,” Jax said. “And this case could break us
all.”
“But this is my sister!” Brenda said, getting to her feet. “Nothing should
matter at all other than finding her.”
“Brenda,” Jason said, “he’s right, you know. None of us are any good to
Julia if our faces are plastered across every magazine, newspaper and news
broadcast. Also, by the same token, we can’t make any kind of move without
some revenue, so we need Jerry, either way you look at it, Jax.”
“Fine,” Jax said. “The three of you decide. Whatever you want to do, I’ll
play it your way. But I’m telling you, you need to let me handle this. Let me go
to Jerry, let me ask him for the money.”
“It sounds like a plan to me,” Carly sighed, standing beside Jax.
“Well all right,” Brenda said, feeling slightly better that things were
now moving along. “What should we do first?”
“How much--” Carly was cut off by Jax.
“First, the two of you need to decide how far into this you are. I know
you’ve got Michael, and I’ll understand if you want to jump ship before this
thing goes too far.” Carly glanced at Jason, who nodded. She smiled up at
him and kissed him quickly before saying,
“We’re in. In to win, baby.” She squeezed Jax’s hand.
“All right, love,” Jax said, grinning at her. “Now then, just how much
money are we going to ask my big brother for?”
“Couple thou?” Brenda asked, throwing out a number.
“Nah,” Jason asked. “If your brother’s really loaded, why not say,
$250,000?” Brenda’s jaw dropped.
“A quarter of a million dollars?! We could need that much?”
“It’s possible,” Jax said. “Especially if these people are as high up as we
assume. Plus, we may need to pay off a few people.” Brenda nodded.
“Still, that’s an extravagant amount of money.”
“You think so?” Jax asked. “Cause I was going to say half a million.”
When Brenda’s jaw dropped again, Carly said,
“Hey listen, as long as we’re going for the big bucks, why not go for a
cool million?” Jax smiled at her.
“I like the way you think.” Brenda laughed out loud, and then caught
herself, her hands going over her mouth.
“Hey,” Jax said, pulling her hands down. “Don’t do that. It’s okay to
laugh. It’s okay, it doesn’t mean you’re betraying your sister by trying to keep
it together.” Brenda nodded, and Jax, cocking his head to the side, pulled her
into an embrace, before turning back to Jason and Carly. “Okay, we’re going
to need to come up with one h#ll of a story to convince my brother to just
drop a million dollars into my lap.”
“Well why don’t you say it’s a business venture,” Carly said. “You know,
Botanicals is branching off or something.”
“Yeah, but a million dollars? We wouldn’t need that kind of money at
Botanicals unless we were going overseas, and Jerry keeps up with my
business enough to know that we’re not even close to being a large chain
yet.”
“You never said how your brother makes his money,” Jason
interrupted. “What’s one thing he wouldn’t know about?”
“Us,” Jax said, motioning to the four of them. “He doesn’t know about
us, and what we do here. I mean, not really. He knows that we’re PIs, and
that we have some less than sterling clients, but he doesn’t know how deep
we go. That’s it!” Jax said, the idea suddenly coming to him. “I could tell him I
need it for a job.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t think you’re a PI, Jax,” Brenda said. “And
technically, you aren’t. You always sort of stayed away from that life,--you
know, when you lived here before,” she added quietly.
“Well he doesn’t know that for sure,” Jax said. “And as many times as
the people in the Jacks family switch careers, this won’t come as a surprise to
him.”
“Okay,” Carly said, moving to the computer and turning it on. “You call
your brother, get him to transfer the money to this little account I’ve got set
up, off the Cayman Islands.”
“You can do that?” Jason asked, coming to peer over Carly’s shoulder. “I
didn’t even know you had this.” Carly turned to kiss him briefly before
continuing on the computer.
“All right,” Jax said, “let’s get started.”