Chapter 2
Opening the passenger side door, Sam hopped up, or tried to hop up as much as she could with her expanding belly which was more of grab a handle and push, pull, and shove her body in the passenger seat. Slightly out of breath she turned to her mother and held up a brown bag. "Since you changed your mind about lunch, I grabbed some food for me and Danny. Is everything ok?" She questioned just as Alexis hit the gas little too hard causing Sam to jerk back. "Woah mom, what's the hurry?" She asked as she quickly put her seat belt on.
"Nothing's wrong sweetie, I'm just happy to see you and pick up my grandson." As she turned to Sam to give her an air kiss, her hands turned the steering wheel to the right causing the car to jerk as she righted it hastily.
"Mom!" Sam cried out as she held the door handle with one hand and the center console with the other. Hearing her mother giggle and mutter out sorry, Sam knew something was wrong. Leaning more towards her, she jerked back in surprise and horror at what she smelled. "Oh my God! Have you been drinking?"
Feeling guilty, Alexis looked towards her oldest daughter and tried hard to keep the car straight but she was failing miserably. Seeing the disappointed look on Sam's face, Alexis was suddenly frustrated with having to explain herself first to Julian then to Sam, her voice was a little loud as defended herself. "Look! I've had a terrible year and I just needed something to help me relax. OK?!"
"Mom you need to pull over right now! I cannot believe that you are driving drunk! What the hell is wrong with you?" Feeling a slight jerk, Sam grabbed the door handle tighter. "Stop the car. Stop the car right now!"
"I'm fine! It's fine! I've only had one drink." Feeling agitated, Alexis didn't realize that the car was picking up speed as she spoke. "God! My husband tried to kill me Sam so excuse me if I have a drink every now and again…."
Not listening, Sam kept repeating to Alexis. "Mom. Stop. The. Car. Right. NOW!"
"… I loved him Sam and I thought he changed! I thought he gave it all that up for me. But he lied! The bastard lied to me! Nothing but lies!"
"Mom please! Please stop the car!" The pleading in her voice cut through Alexis' rant causing her to turn sharply to look at her daughter seeing the tears falling down her cheeks as Sam protectively covered her growing belly with her arms. She was scaring her pregnant daughter. 'What the hell was she doing?' She thought. Raising her foot off the gas, Alexis pulled herself together to concentrate as she turned to the road again but it was too late. Seeing the sharp turn ahead, she slammed on the brake causing the car to lose control as it veered off the road and slammed into a tree. The air bags immediately inflated and the last thing she heard was her daughter's scream before she lost consciousness.
After searching through a few of the rooms, Jason and Curtis were growing frustrated at finding all the rooms practically empty besides a chair and a cot. They were growing increasingly anxious to find what they were hoping were more clues and get the hell out of there. The last room next to the bathroom looked like it would be a bedroom, hoping that it led them to something, Jason opened the door and stepped in with Curtis on his heels.
"Finally." Curtis sighed as they saw a desk covered with files and photographs. "If I see one more damn mouse in this place, I'm shooting it." He grumbled as he hurriedly walked over to the desk and began a search.
"We need to hurry up. We've been here too damn long and if someone has an eye on this place then they will definitely send somebody to do a check." With Curtis on one side of the desk, Jason searched the other. Finding old photographs, he pocketed a few of them hoping to give to Sam and Spinelli to see if they can get an identity on anyone of them.
"I'm not seeing much man. Just a bunch of old newspaper articles and receipts." Curtis said as he picked up a few papers and started reading as Jason continued his search.
Both men didn't realize that in the basement of the pawn shop, one guard was watching the security lights carefully.
The motion sensors kept going off but the screens were showing him empty hallways, the guard was thoroughly confused. He gently tapped the screen hoping that it might have been a glitch or something. When the monitors showed him the same image, he stood up. "Ms. Jerome. There seems to be a glitch in the security system, I'm just going to do a walk through to make sure everything is ok and nothing is wrong with the motion sensors."
"Good idea." Olivia Jerome replied just as her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID to see that Rudge was calling. Waiting for the guard to leave the room, she answered. "Is it done?" She asked.
"Almost. Seems that Julian's ex wife was in a car accident." Rudge relayed the news in his thick British accent. "She's unconscious but her pulse is strong and steady."
"Then what's the problem? Grab her and bring her to me."
"Her and Julian's pregnant daughter was in the car as well. Jason Morgan's wife. She's unconscious as well. What will you have me do?" Rudge asked as he looked down at the young girl. The gash on her head was bleeding heavily but her pulse was strong and she had no other signs of distress. They were lucky that the car managed to hit a smaller tree on back end and the heavy shrubbery slowed them down enough before the impact on the driver's side.
After giving it some thought, Olivia gave her orders. "Jason Morgan has been a pain in our sides long enough. Grab Julian's daughter and meet me at the safe house. It's time he realized who is calling all the shots here." Hanging up, she grabbed her purse and left the office. As her driver opened the door for her, she looked towards the shop, then to her second guard and ordered. "Burn it down." Before she folded herself gracefully in the car.
Opening his eyes, Julian immediately groaned at the pain in his head that was blinding him. Breathing through the pain, he tried to sit up but was assaulted by the massive headache that seemed like it was going to kill him. Groaning, he held on to his head and tried to remember what happened. Thinking back, he remembered telling Alexis the truth about his psychotic sister. Of course she didn't believe him, he scoffed inwardly.
Using his cane and the couch, he pushed himself up. Closing his eyes in pain, a quick image flashed in his mind. Alexis was looking for her car keys. His eyes flew open and panic set in as he remembered why. Sam called and needed a ride. Something glittery from the side of his eye caught his attention, and his head swung towards it. Broken glass. Broken glass from an empty vodka bottle. Alexis had been drinking. "Oh my God." Suddenly he remembered everything. He was heading to the kitchen to make her coffee to sober her up and she must have hit him with something. In a panic, Julian hobbled to his phone on the table. His fingers could barely dial because they were shaking so bad. He called Alexis' phone, no answer. He tried again. "Oh God, please pick up Alexis." No answer. "DAMN IT!" He shouted as he dialed Sam's phone. "Come on baby. Please pick up." No answer. He tried again. "Please please please." He chanted as the phone rang and rang. No. Answer. "Fuck!"
Not knowing what else to do, Julian dialed one last number. Jason's.
"Hey. Ever heard of a Dino Antoinelli?" Curtis asked Jason as he held up the newspaper article that he was reading.
"No. Who's he?" Jason asked as he walked over to the other man. Taking a minute, Jason tried to recall ever hearing that name. All of his memories returned but he had a few missing details from long ago. That name didn't sound familiar.
"Don't know, but it must be important. Why have an article on his death?" Seeing the question in Jason's eyes, Curtis answered. "It's from last year. He was shot twice in the head. Guess they wanted to be sure he was dead."
"What could be so important about him to keep an article?" Jason asked. Just as Curtis was about to speak, both men froze solid at hearing footsteps walk what sounded like towards them. "Hide." He mouthed to Curtis as they scrambled around. With not much in the room but one lone desk, Curtis ducked behind it as Jason flattened himself against the wall on the other side of the door. Quietly pulling his gun from his waistband, they stayed motionless. As the door creaked opened and the ceiling light filled the room, Jason waiting for the man to step in front of him before he brought the butt of his gun down and knocked the man out.
"Good job." Curtis complimented as he quickly grabbed a handful of papers and shoved them in his pockets as he walked towards Jason.
"We need to get the hell out of here before our covers blown and more guys come up." Jason said as he led Curtis back down the hall and out of the window they climbed in from. Getting in the passenger seat, Jason pulled out his phone and turned it on. "Let me call Sam and see if she can find out who this Dino guy is?" Just as he was about to dial, his phone rang. Julian's name was on the display. "What the hell?" He asked under his breath as he answered. "Julian. Now is not time to…"
"Is Sam with you?" Julian interrupted.
Hearing those words, Jason froze. Normally, that question coming from her father wouldn't faze him because now a days Sam was ignoring the hell out of Julian. No, what caused his heart to skip a beat was the panic and fear that Jason could hear in the other man's voice. "No, Sam's not with me." He calmly spoke. "I dropped her off at Kelly's where Alexis was going to pick her up. Why?" He asked.
"Have you talked to her at all? What about Alexis? Have you talked to either of them?"
Hearing the panic escalate in Julian's voice was causing Jason's chest to feel tight. "What's going on?" Hearing Julian's breathing heavily, Jason was trying not to lose it. "Julian." He growled. "What the fuck is going on?"
"I tried to stop her Jason…"
Hearing those words barely uttered in that scared voice, Jason closed his eyes in seek of patience. "Stop who?" When Julian repeated the same words, Jason lost it. "Answer me! Who the fuck did you try to stop?"
Taking a deep breath, Julian explained. "Alexis was drinking. God Jason, I tried to stop her but she knocked me out with a paper weight and left to pick up Sam and then to pick up Danny."
No. No way. There was no way that Jason was hearing this. His mother in law drove drunk to pick up his wife and son. The ice was slowly enclosing his heart but Jason was just feeling fire coursing through his veins. "What the hell was she thinking picking up my pregnant wife drunk?!" He roared. Not waiting for an answer, he hung up and dialed Sam's number and prayed. No answer. He hung up and dialed again and hoped she would answer not realizing that he was rubbing the spot over his heart breathing heavy. No answer. He let the voice mail pick up. He squeezed his eyes shut tight as he heard his wife's beautiful voice. "Hey Sam. Baby, I need you to call me as soon as you can. Ok? I love you." He hung up and dialed Alexis' number. No answer. "FUCK!" He shouted as he punched the dashboard. Ignoring Curtis' questions he dialed his mom. Thankfully she answered right away. "Jason, Hi." "Hi mom. Is uh Sam there? Has she picked up Danny yet?"
"No. She's actually late but its ok, the hospital called and my surgery was cancelled so I get to spend some more time with my perfect grandson."
Not wanting to worry her, Jason thought of something. "That's uh perfect. Do you mind watching him for a few more hours? There's something I'm working on and I need Sam's help."
Her answer was immediate. "Of course I don't mind. I love having him here. Just make sure not to over work Sam, she needs to rest Jason."
Hearing the concern in his mom's voice, Jason breathed deeply. "Thanks. I'll call you later." He hung up as soon as she said her goodbye. Closing his eyes tight, Jason took a minute to gather his thoughts. They would have left Kelly's and headed towards the Quartermaine's. If Sam was making a last minute stop, she would've called Monica. He dialed Sam's number again. No answer. Fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck him! "I need you to get me to Kelly's now." He needed his car to look for her.
"Just tell me where you wanna go." Seeing Jason about to argue, Curtis went on. "You don't need to drive right now in your state. I can see you coming apart at the seams man. Just stop wasting time and tell me where to go." He stressed.
Glad he had Curtis because Jason was losing it, he replied. "Head to the Quatermaine's." Thanking God that Curtis didn't give a fuck about the speeding limits, Jason sat back, breathed deep and prayed. He silently begged for his wife and their baby to be safe because if anything happened to them, then Jason world would go dark. She was his everything.
