A/N: This story has been rolling around in my head for awhile now. Enjoy...


After nearly three years, Port Charles had drastically changed; it was hardly recognizable from the interstate. Mob violence had really taken a toll on the city. Newer buildings were in the place of ones that had been burned to the ground, while some were skeletal remains left untouched. If Cooper Barrett had the choice, he would not even be within one hundred miles of this place; after all he was just a phantom to all the residents.

Coop had settled down in a shabby motel room right off the highway at the edge of town. His room looked as if it hadn't been redecorated since the 60s, the wallpaper was pealing off the wall and the appliances in the kitchenette were practically relics. At least there was a decent coffee machine that made a semi-respectable cup of joe. He sat down at the small table in his room thumbing through the file labeled "Jerry Jacks."

In the file it listed all known aliases used by Jerry: James Craig, James Bronsan, and Mr. Monreau. The case had been closed since November 2008, but after the LAX airport surveillance cameras had filmed the presumed dead man boarding a plane to New York, the government had reopened the case, which meant Coop had to revisit a past that he was forced to leave behind.

Coop rubbed his temple, as he looked at every piece of information available on Jerry Jacks.

"What are you up to now, Craig?" he asked aloud then took of sip of the mediocre coffee.


"Oh my god!" Maxie said almost breathless, eyes wide staring at the necklace lying in a large jewelry box in Kate's hands. There was an enormous oval blue sapphire surrounded by dozens of smaller diamonds forming an upside down teardrop shape. The pendant was attached to a diamond-studded necklace in a platinum setting. "That has to be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

Kate snapped the box close. "The people at Harry Winston were kind enough to loan it to us for the cover of our September issue. The sapphire is 47.41 carats and there are 116 flawless diamonds. I'm putting this under your care, I know you are an editor now, and no longer my assistant, but I trust you more than that new girl."

"Naomi." Maxie corrected. She felt kind of bad for the new assistant, she was the sixth one this year. Kate went through assistants faster than you can say haute couture.

"Naomi, that's right," Kate responded, "Anyway, I need you to take this to Marty so that you can put it in the safe. I do not want this to leave your hands until it is in there, do you hear me? If there is so much as one microscopic scratch on this, we are both dead women."

Maxie nodded her head, "I understand. We are too chic to die anyway."

"Good," she smiled as she handed the box to Maxie.

"I will guard it with my life," she joked as she clutched the box to her chest.

Maxie left Kate's office and headed to the elevator.

Right as Maxie was about to knock on the door to the General Manager's office, it swung open and Marty was on the other side.

"Kate told me you were on your way down here," he said as he motioned her into his office.

"I have precious cargo that needs a safe resting place."

"So I've been told. Come on, I'll take you into the vault."

Marty guided her to the colossal metal door, he entered a code and turned the large dial to open the door. Maxie took in a deep breath as the door inched open. It was nothing like she remembered. The hotel had upgraded their security after the hostage crisis in 2007; there was no trace of the room where she was locked up with a masked stranger. It seemed colder. The room was steel from top to bottom. Instead of the black boxes that had previously held the hotel patrons' treasures there were various sizes of doors and drawers lining the walls, each one had a keypad on it. It looked very high-tech to Maxie, like what you see in the movies. She followed Marty into the vault, the past two years melted away and suddenly she was staring into the eyes of a ghost.

"Obviously it was stupid of me to take off your mask. But look at it from my point of view, I've been stuck in here with you for hours not knowing what you look like, and it was driving me crazy." Maxie said with her back pressed up against the wall with Three's mask in her hand.

"If I let you live you can I.D. me," Three gritted through his teeth aiming his gun at the petite blonde.

"No I won't. I promise," she tried to assure him.

"And I'm just suppose to trust you on that?"

"Look, you didn't expect any of this right? You took this job thinking it was going to last five minutes and pay you a million dollars. You didn't think of what you would have to do for that money," she paused searching his eyes, "If you kill me, that's murder. And that ruins the rest of your life, you don't want that right?" she asked, almost afraid of what his answer would be. After a moment of silence that seemed like an eternity to Maxie, he finally replied.

"You're right," he said and walked over to the other end of the vault and lowered himself to the ground, "I didn't think this through. That's the problem with me."

"Yah, me too," Maxie exhaled, " Obviously, or I wouldn't have taken your mask off."

"You mean that, or are you just playing me?"

"A little of both. I want you to like so you don't shoot me," she grinned.

"Okay, here you are, Box number 25," Marty said, jarring Maxie out of her trance. The sooner she got out of there the better. She quickly entered the code and the little door opened. Maxie carefully laid the jewelry box in the opening and closed the door.


"Barrett," Coop answered his phone.

"Agent Barrett, we have a mission for you," the voice on the other end of the line said, "We have learned that Jerry Jacks is putting together a new team as we speak. Our Intel reported that he has his eye on some goods that are being stored in the Metro Court safe. His plan is to assemble a team of the most qualified criminals in order to steal it. As of right now we do not know was the vault contains that Jacks is after, but we hope that you can uncover that for us."

"I'll do what ever you need me to do," he replied.

"The Agency needs you to infiltrate Jacks' team. In order to do this you must gain his trust, you worked with him before so it should not be too difficult."

"There's a problem with that sir. I'm a dead man," Coop reminded the man.

"So was he. Be expecting paperwork on the new mission soon," the line went dead.

Just then somebody knocked. Coop walked over to the door and peered through the peephole. He had one hand on the doorknob and his other hand on his gun, which was tucked into the back of his pants. He opened the door.

"Agent Barrett, your new mission," the man on the other side said as he handed Coop a large envelope with a seal, "Good luck."

"Thanks," Coop said taking the envelope and then closed the door.

After he read everything that was in the envelope, Coop gathered all the paper and placed them into an empty metal trashcan, he took a match and dropped it into the can. He watched as the flames engulfed every piece of paper and waited until there was nothing left but ash before he put the fire out.

His first move, contact Jerry Jacks.