PROLOGUE

They say that strange things happen during a storm in Port Charles. Day turns to night, sun turns to clouds, and the resident's personalities seem to shift with the changing winds. As nature grows darker, madness sets in. Decisions are made, regretted much later. Lives are ended and created. Hearts are shattered and healed. Impulsive actions sweep through the city, and some people are never the same.

This night would be no different.

CHAPTER 1

As Lulu Spencer hurried along the pier, she sighed with relief that she had finally made it. The boat ride had been rough, the harbor swirling with wind and waves. Her naturally strong stomach felt queasy, and she was soaked to the skin. Of course, the feeling in her gut could be a result of something other than sea-sickness. She brushed tears from her eyes as she tried to push it out of her mind. What she had learned tonight would make anyone sick, and she didn't have the strength to think about it just then. She tightened her coat and hitched her black leather tote to her shoulder, keeping her head bent down against the snow. She sighed again, this time in irritation, as the trendy black boots she wore did nothing to prevent her from slipping on the wet ground. Lulu fought to keep her balance. "Why do I even wear heels in the first place?" she muttered to herself, scowling as she looked down at her feet.

The air grew colder, and Lulu nearly gasped as she looked around. The snow was swirling madly, and she could barely see three feet in front of her. The streetlamp was either out, or the snow was thickly covering any possible light. Had she not lived in this town her entire life, she would have no idea where she was going. Her hazel eyes scanned the docks as she tried to adjust to the total darkness. She heard soft footsteps behind her, and as she whirled around, she lost her balance again. Lulu smacked into something solid, and the breath rushed out of her lungs. With a small cry, she instinctively reached out to prevent herself from falling. As the muscular arms encircled her body, she struggled to keep her feet on the ground. Lulu braced her hands on his chest and looked up, her heart pounding as she caught the dangerous glint in his eyes.

Dante Falconari's eyes flashed as he growled to the person on the other end of the phone. "It's done. I'm already on my way out." He listened for a moment, and his face hardened. "We don't have enough," he bit off, yanking his coat on as he continued to pace the small room. "I already gave you everything I have. Now I have to work on keeping myself alive," he said as he grabbed the already packed duffel bag from the bed. "Chances are, he already knows who I am, and what I'm after, and he won't stop until I'm dead. I'll call when I get to wherever the hell I'm going." Dante looked out the window. "That is, if I can even make it out of town in this mess."

Dry branches scratched against the window as he snapped his phone shut. What had started out as a quick flurry of snow had lasted all day, and there must be at least a foot on the ground already. He stood for a moment, furious with himself, with his department, and with the entire situation in general. Dammit, he couldn't leave now! Not with how much he'd learned, not after everything he'd sacrificed, not after a certain blonde bombshell was finally beginning to…no, he thought, trying to clear his mind. Thinking about her is not going to help right now. Dante let out a breath and dropped the duffel bag back down, thinking quickly. His mouth slowly curved into a smile as he re-formulated his plans, but it was a smile he wouldn't have recognized on his own face. He was, in that moment, every bit his father's son. And he wasn't going anywhere.

Johnny Zaccharra stumbled out of the bar and shoved a hand through hair that had grown too long. As the wind and snow began to swirl around him, his thoughts grew darker. He cursed as he tripped over a fallen branch, and slowly began to make his way down the sidewalk, not anxious to get home at all. Home, he thought in disgust. What a crock of shit. The room he loosely called an apartment was hardly home. He hadn't even been there in months. For all he knew, the slow leak in the ceiling had turned into a major problem. With the blizzard coming in, he thought it best to be anywhere else. He knew Olivia would be worried and waiting, but he couldn't face her right now. He spent too much time burdening her with his problems anyway. Johnny closed his warm brown eyes, now more bloodshot than chocolate, and turned his face up, letting the snow fall. The tequila hadn't done its job. Oh he was drunk, all right. He'd had plenty of time to get good and jaked. Jaked at Jake's, he snorted laughter. But no amount of liquor could keep his mind closed off.

He knew the control he worked so hard to keep in check was slipping. He could almost feel the bonds of sanity stretching. What's the point in trying so hard? Johnny angrily wondered. I have nothing to show for it. He started again, barely noticing the snow that reached halfway to his knees. He paused every few feet to look up, squinting his eyes against the wind. He finally stopped, and with the fumbling motions of a man who has too much to drink, slid inside the car and turned the engine.

Jason Morgan listened to the caller, his face growing cold. He said nothing when the man finished the short message, and ended the call, shutting his phone quietly. He turned to face the dark-haired man standing across the room, who was pouring a drink into a short crystal glass.

"You are not going to like this," Jason finally said, sliding the phone back into his pocket. "That was Bernie. We finally found Tommy Soto – you remember, the job Dominic botched?" Jason continued when the man nodded. "Tommy didn't escape."

The man looked up sharply. "What do you mean, he didn't escape?" he asked, biting off each word.

Jason sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Dominic," he said slowly, "let Tommy go. Dominic is a cop."

For a moment there was only silence.

Then the sound of crystal shattering as it hit the wall.

Sonny Corinthos turned to Jason, his eyes blazing. "Find him," he yelled. "Now!"