It had been six months since Damian Spinelli left Port Charles.
The pain of leaving behind his life was so unbearable he often considered turning himself in to the FBI just so he could go back home. At least then his fair Maximista could visit him in prison. Seeing her through a glass window was surely better than never seeing her at all. His eyes ached for the sight of her.
It was the end of September and just thinking about the leaves changing color in New York made him particularly homesick. It didn't help sitting in the extreme heat in his one-room apartment, equipped with a ceiling fan that seemed to only circulate more of the hot North African air. He was accustomed to the hot Tennessee summers, but at least at his Granny's house, there was air conditioning. And privacy.
"The Priestess has a wonderful surprise for the Jackal!" Winifred Leeds burst through the door of their apartment, interrupting Spinelli's reverie.
"Is there news from the motherland that the Jackal and the Priestess might return?" he asked, getting his hopes up.
"Uh, no. As far as I know, the warrant is still active for the Jackal's detention. But, I got something that will cheer you up!" Winifred pulled out a six-pack of bottled orange soda from her cloth shopping bag.
"Nectar of the gods! The Jackal is most appreciative of the Priestess's kind offering."
"It was very difficult to track down, but I found a vendor that sells international foods and low and behold! Nectar of the gods!" she smiled proudly at the offering.
"The Jackal will put these on ice immediately and we shall enjoy them with our evening meal," gave Winifred a sad smile and placed the bottles in the mini fridge.
"That didn't really cheer you up, did it?" she frowned.
"The Jackal is feeling most nostalgic for Port Charles today. Today is the autumnal equinox, marking the end of summer and the birth of fall. It usually passes by unnoticed in Tennessee, as it does here in Morocco, but in New York, the vibrant colors of changing leaves and the cool breeze foretold the onset of winter. The Jackal is simply missing the change of seasons and fall foliage."
"It is most difficult to imagine autumn in this sweltering heat. Or anything else for that matter," Winifred sighed. "I am going to freshen up and I will be ready for dinner."
Winifred left the apartment to use the shared facilities in the building. The apartment was uncomfortable at its best and unbearable at its worst. The tiny flat barely had room enough for the two lumpy cots, a desk and two fold-up chairs. Spinelli thought back to his days at PCU, sharing a dorm room with his large athlete roommate who rarely picked up after himself and often locked him out of their room while he entertained lady friends. If he'd ever thought such arrangements unpleasant, he could never have imagined the stress of living with Winifred. Certainly, she made for a better roommate than any brainless jock ever could. She was eager to please him, she cooked his meals when she returned from work and did all the shopping. She smelled much better, too. He knew he should feel more grateful for her companionship as, without her, he would be stuck in a strange land without any friends at all. But it was difficult to have her around, knowing her feelings for him ran much deeper than friendly devotion. He saw himself in her, the love and devotion he felt for his fair Maximista mirrored in her eyes, a love that never had the chance to blossom. If he could have stayed, would Maxie have ever loved him as he loved her?
He sighed, chasing away thoughts of Maxie. He knew he needed to move on, and Winifred was the obvious choice in that regard. They were fugitives, and she had become a fugitive for him. Honestly, he might not even have gotten away if not for Winifred, he reminded himself. After their whirlwind tour of Western Europe, including a stay in Italy that nearly got them caught and required obtaining new identities once again, they headed across the Strait of Gibraltar.
It was Winifred's idea to come to Morocco after weeks of traveling around Europe on fake passports. Morocco had no extradition treaty with the United States, and no visa requirement for entry. Even better, Winifred was fluent in French and proficient in classical Arabic, abilities that (along with her computer skills) got her hired by the FBI in the first place, and would have eventually resulted in her transfer to a field office abroad had she paid her dues rather than going on the run with a computer hacker employed by the mob.
Her language skills allowed her to find work with the Belgian embassy, thus giving "Mrs. Jordan," a Canadian citizen, a residency permit. Her "husband" stayed home and worked as a "writer," which meant long, hot days of solitude for Spinelli. Throughout the sweltering summer, and the challenge of adjustment to a foreign land, the permanency of their situation had never quite set in. But the onset of autumn, and the realization that he would never go home, had driven his depression even deeper than before.
He couldn't help himself as he pulled out his laptop and headed out the door to the nearest internet café in Casablanca.
* * *
"Kate Howard's office," Lulu Spencer answered the phone as the elevator doors opened at the Crimson office. "Oh, Feddy, hi… Actually, Maxie's handling the photo shoot with the October cover model right now. She should be done any minute now. Can I have her call you back? Great, I'll let her know."
Johnny Zacchara walked in, looking debonair in a Federico original. "Hey, I thought I'd come by early and spend some time with my girl before work. How's your day been?"
"Well, it's been just a little hectic with the October issue an entire day behind schedule. I can't believe Kate's sending you and Maxie out in the middle of this. I'll be here all night putting out fires," Lulu said over her shoulder, still typing an email.
"Aw, Babe, I'm sorry. Say, do you think things will be better tomorrow? I was hoping you and me could go out. Spend some of this hard-earned money of mine," Johnny said, leaning over to kiss Lulu on the cheek.
"Um, maybe. But I told my dad I'd do some work on the Haunted Star," she glanced back, apologetically.
"You told your dad, or Ethan?" he began, when Maxie suddenly appeared in the room, escorting out the October cover model and the photographer.
"Johnny! Hey, you're early, I haven't even started getting ready yet. Oh, Feddy's suit looks fantastic! Turn around, let me see," Maxie Jones commanded, running at her usual fevered pace. "Feddy is such a genius, he's really outdone himself. Anyway, I'm going to be awhile doing my hair..."
"Oh, no problem. Mind if I come back and keep you company?" he shot an unhappy glance at Lulu, who continued typing.
Maxie shrugged. "Sure, whatever. Come on back to the studio."
Once in the studio, Maxie put on a silk robe and started working on her hair and makeup. She sat down at the vanity and began fashioning a stylish updo. "So, Johnny, you wanna tell me what's going on? You could cut the tension in there with a fork."
"Uh, dontcha mean knife?"
"Yeah, that would be your utensil of choice. Seriously, what's going on?" she stared at his reflection in the mirror.
"Nothing big. Just Lulu blowing me off again to spend time at the Haunted Star. Funny how she never cared about the place until her father hired Ethan."
"Yuck, that Ethan guy is such a creep. I mean, he's totally hot, with that Australian accent and bad boy image and everything. But he'd probably steal my wallet and jewelry after we were done having all of that hot sex and I passed out from exhaustion. Uh, not that I've considered it or anything," she stopped applying her lipstick to give him a coy grin.
"Right," Johnny smirked, shaking his head.
"Okay, so maybe I gave it a passing thought. But I would never actually hook up with him, even casually. Seriously, John. You know I haven't been with anyone since…" she stopped suddenly mid-sentence and closed her eyes to regain her composure. She couldn't bring herself to say his name.
"Yeah, Maxie, I know," Johnny said softly, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"I can't believe how much it still hurts," she whispered.
"Look, I was gonna wait until after the party tonight, but maybe this will cheer you up. I just talked to Claudia. We have another lead."
"Really? Oh my God, that's great!" she turned to face him, smiling brightly.
"Now, I don't want you to get your hopes up. We've been here before only to come up empty. You know how good he is at covering his tracks. He's been completely off the radar for months, until just now. It could just be a glitch," he warned her gently.
"I know. But I have to keep looking. I have to find him. We should have caught up with him Italy, I don't understand. And I just don't understand why he hasn't come back on his own since the warrant was rescinded. Maybe… John, what if he doesn't want to come back?" she asked, airing her biggest fear.
"Maxie, I know how much he cared about you when he left, it was written all over the guy's face every time he was in the same room with you. I can't imagine that any amount of time would change that, let alone just six months."
"Thanks, Johnny," she said, hugging him. "And for what it's worth, you are much better than that Ethan creep, and definitely much hotter. I'll talk to Lulu and find out what's going on with her. I'm sure it's no big deal, okay? Just don't freak out."
"Hey, you guys, not to interrupt this heart-warming moment, but the limo's here," Lulu walked in, obviously not pleased at the sight of her boyfriend embracing Maxie Jones.
"Crap! I'm almost done, I just need to put the dress on. Be right out!" Maxie scurried into the dressing room.
"Lulu, that wasn't anything, I hope you know that," Johnny explained.
"Johnny, I know. I know. You're just friends, who happen to go on hot dates wearing hot clothes. I've heard it all before. I've got work to do," Lulu sighed, returning to her desk.
* * *
"Johnny, Maxie, the pictures look fantastic. Good work last night. Now, I want you both in Milan for the fall fashion gala on Saturday night. Go pack a bag. Lulu, book two flights to Milan," Kate Howard demanded, as usual disregarding the opinions of her employees.
"No way, I'm supposed to take Lulu out this weekend," Johnny replied, crossing his arms, ready to take on the stubborn fashion icon.
Kate sighed, obviously not in the mood to fight with her Crimson model/escort. "Fine, Lulu, book three flights to Milan, you're all going. Johnny, just be seen at the gala. I leaked it to the press yesterday that you and Maxie would be there. I tell you what, since the October issue is complete, I will give you all the entire week off to spend in Italy on Crimson's dime. Just stick to the travel per diem, and don't go overboard. I'm trusting you three to represent Crimson while you're there, so go to some hot spots. And, Lulu, bring some decent clothes, just in case you're photographed with them in public. Now I have work to do. Hold all of my calls. Well, unless it's Sonny… then tell him I'm done with him and I have nothing to say to him. Then put him through," Kate finished, slamming her office door.
"Wow, I feel like a total third wheel now," complained Lulu.
"Lulu, get over yourself. I'll be with Johnny for one whole evening at the gala. The rest of the time, you two love birds will be making out in public places, yuck, while I go shopping and make Crimson look good with my fabulous sense of style."
"Fine, whatever. I need to go home and pack and find my passport. I'll book the tickets on my way home," Lulu muttered, leaving the office.
"You knew we'd be going to Milan, didn't you?" Maxie accused him, once the elevator doors closed.
"Yeah, I did. In fact, I probably read about it the same time Spinelli did."
"Spinelli knows we'll be in Milan?" she repeated, hardly believing it.
"Yeah. He hasn't used his computer in months, but he signed on at an internet café in Morocco last night. One of the websites he checked was a fashion gossip blog, and guess what the latest posting was?"
"Our trip to Milan. Oh my God. Do you think he'll be there?" she sat down, allowing the possibility to sink in.
"I don't know, but even if he doesn't show up, we go from Milan to Casablanca if our people locate him. We've got people in Casablanca looking for him now, but nothing so far. He was careless signing on with his own machine. Our people picked it up right away. Unless he did it on purpose to throw us off, which is a possibility."
"Okay, so we'll look for him in Milan, and if we don't find him there, we go to Morocco."
"Right. I've got family in Milan that can put us up, and connections that will help us keep an eye out for Spinelli. Claudia is arranging everything as we speak."
Maxie frowned. "Do you think Winifred is still with him?"
"Probably. She hasn't shown up on the radar anywhere else. It's likely they're posing as brother and sister, or a married couple, if they're together in Morocco."
Maxie paled a little at the idea of Spinelli and Winifred as husband and wife.
"Hey, it's okay," Johnny pulled her into his arms, "I keep telling you, there's no one but you for him. And we're gonna find him this time, dammit. I promise, I'm gonna find him for you."
* * *
"The Jackal is most appreciative for the delicious meal. The olive pate was the very essence of perfection." Spinelli said politely, knowing the compliment would please Winifred.
Winifred blushed. "I know it isn't February, but the Priestess felt a heart-healthy meal was still appropriate. Would the Jackal care to accompany the Priestess for an evening stroll?"
"The Jackal has actually done quite a bit of walking for one day, and there is plenty more walking to be done tomorrow as well. The Jackal is going to take a pilgrimage north to Rabat for a weekend getaway. Does the Priestess care to accompany the Jackal?"
"Oh, the Priestess would enjoy that immensely, however, I have been asked to work this weekend for the Diplomatic Ones due to the impending arrival of Secretary Clinton. Perhaps another weekend soon?"
"That would be most enjoyable. Priestess, the Jackal is going to retire for the evening. I bid you good night and sweet dreams."
"Goodnight, Jackal," Winifred kissed him lightly on the cheek, before leaving the room to go to the common washroom.
Spinelli pulled out the plane ticket from under his mattress. He would fly from Rabat to Milan. Now he just needed to figure out a way to get into the fashion gala. He knew this plan was insane and could get him caught and hauled back to the US to federal prison. But he couldn't stand another moment without his fair Maximista. The temptation was too great to resist with her so close.
* * *
"I just spoke to Claudia, and we're all set for the family estate. She's even arranged transportation, they're waiting for us now." Johnny snapped his cell phone closed and tucked it back into the pocket of his ridiculously overpriced suit. As stupid as such expensive clothes seemed, he had to admit, he felt confident in them. He put his arm around Lulu. He was certain this trip would be good for all of them.
"Sounds great. I just hope your bedroom is far away from mine. I don't have any interest in hearing your sounds of passion in English, let alone Italian," Maxie rolled her eyes and struggled with her giant suitcases.
"I'm not really comfortable with us staying with your mob family, but I know it's for a good cause. Did Claudia say anything more about Spinelli?" Lulu asked, rolling her one small suitcase behind her.
"He's back on the radar. He is booked on a flight from Morocco to Milan under an assumed name. She doesn't think he'll make it to the gala due to the difficulty of getting tickets and also with all of the cameras he probably won't risk it, but I suspect we'll catch sight of him," Johnny said, picking up one of Maxie's extra suitcases from the conveyer in addition to his own.
"Will we? Or will he avoid us again? You know he was there in Florence back in April. There's no way he missed us even though we somehow missed him," Lulu frowned.
"I have a feeling Winifred had something to do with that. And she probably has something to do with the fact that he hasn't come home yet, even though he's not in trouble with the feds anymore," Johnny said, letting Maxie get ahead so she wouldn't hear their conversation.
"Do you think they're together? I mean, as in a couple?" Lulu lowered her voice.
"I hope not. I don't know what it would do to Maxie if they're together."
"Look, Johnny, I'm sorry I've been giving you a hard time lately about Maxie. I know there isn't anything going on with you, I know you're just friends. And I'm grateful that you're such a wonderful guy that you've gone out of your way to be Maxie's friend and help find Spinelli. She was devastated when he disappeared, and I just hope for her sake, we find Spinelli and not with Winifred."
"Me too. And I'm sorry I've been getting on your case about Ethan. I know you're trying to help out your dad, but I just can't stand the sight of that guy."
"Johnny, you have nothing to worry about," Lulu smiled, stopping to kiss him lightly on the lips.
"Let's hope that continues the rest of this trip," Johnny said, spotting the limo waiting to take them to the Zacchara family estate.