Chapter 4

Ric came through Sonny's door a half hour later. He rushed over to his brother and hugged him.

"I'm hear for you." Ric said

Sonny moved away from him. "Don't act like he is gone yet, Ric. There isn't any proof he even got shot."

Ric gave him a questioning look. "The news reporter on the car radio said preliminary reports indicate Jason was gunned down on the pier and drowned in the lake. They mentioned an eyewitness. Is that what the cops told you?" Ric asked

"Basically. But I don't put my trust in any cop's word."

Max came into the room. "Boss."

"Did you find out something?" Sonny asked "Did someone check out Jason's place? Did you check all the area hospitals?"

"Yes sir. There's no sign of him yet."

Sonny complained, "You are absolutely no help to me, Max."

"I'm sorry sir."

After a moment of strained silence, Ric asked Max "Did you want something else?"

"Yes. I thought you should know that there are news crews outside the gates."

Sonny said, "Screw them. Don't say a word to those vultures."

"What about the kids?" Max asked " When they wake up they might notice them out the window."

"We'll have to keep the TV and radios off." Sonny said " And have Leticia keep the kids occupied because there is no way I can tell them something like this when it might not even be true."

"Very smart of you, Sonny." Ric said "But this is going to have to be faced eventually. If Jason does not turn up soon then we need to accept that the 911 call was legit. Jason always stays in touch with you, right?"

Sonny nodded.

"And if he is no where to be found then he must be..." Ric started

"Don't say it. Not yet." Sonny warned. He picked up his glass and smashed it against the wall.

When he looked back at Ric, Sonny's eyes were crazed with fear and grief. He said, "Damn, how can I tell Carly this?"

Sonny was waiting for Carly when the limo pulled up to her house a few hours later, just as the sun was coming up.

Max hurried her through the crowd of reporters and into the house.

"What is going on, Sonny? You sent Max to drag me out of Jax's hotel suite and I come home to find chaos on my lawn. Those reporters were yelling something about Jason. Is he is jail again? What kind of trumped up charges is Alexis trying to pin on him this week?"

Sonny cleared his throat. "Umm, Max can we have a moment?" Sonny asked

"Sure, Boss. " Max shot Carly a look, filled with equal parts sadness and sympathy and then stepped back onto the porch. He had refused to tell him anything in the car ride over. Carly thought Max had demanded she come home right away because Sonny was just being Sonny- deciding she shouldn't be with Jax and having his body guard ruin their date.

Carly watched Max leave and a feeling of dread filled her entire body. Those reporters said Jason's name, she thought, that means he is either locked up or ... or...no, he can't be...

Carly's mouth went dry. Her heart stilled. Her mind was refusing to work. She couldn't think straight.

"No, Sonny," she said looking in his eyes for confirmation of her worst fear. "No, no, no." Her words were firm and held no room for arguments.

"Jason is just considered missing right now." Sonny said but his voice held no hope.

"He called me at midnight last night. He's fine." Carly said, wanting to say it aloud because that would make it true. She repeated. "He's fine."

"I hope you are right, Carly."

" What would make you think different?"

Sonny explained about the witness who claimed Jason was shot and fell off the dock.

"He's lying. Who ever this witness is he is lying through his teeth." Carly spat out

"Where was Jason when he called you?"

Horror filled Carly's eyes. " The docks."

The color in Sonny's face faded.

"We don't know anything for sure right now." Sonny said

Carly pulled her phone out of her purse. With shaking hands she dialed Jason. "Pick up, pick up, come on, Jason, pick up. " the phone went to voice mail. "Jase..." Carly moaned out his name.

The phone fell to the floor.

Her legs buckled and she was on the ground. Sonny rushed to her side. He put his arms around her.

Carly pushed him off and looking up, her eyes wild with sheer terror, she demanded "Get out of here and don't come back till you've found Jason."

Ric went into the windowless room, activating the alarm system before he moved away from the door.

"This poor sucker won't be making a break for it anytime soon." Dr. David Hayward said "He's strapped down tight and still feeling that drug I gave him last night."

"Wake him up." Ric said

"That is not as easy as putting him out. Can't you just wait for him to come to on his own?"

"I can't be gone for long. And you should be getting back to Pine Valley."

"You need to forget the name of where I am from" David said as he prepared another syringe " In fact forget me all together. I was never here."

"Works for me. Though you are the one who made yourself famous for this kind of thing. How do you think I found you ." Ric smiled "The papers are filled with stories of you making your own medical concoctions and using them on whoever gets in your way."

"As far as everyone at home is concerned I'm a reformed man." David said.

" I doubt they believe that." Ric said "People in small towns never forget."

As David shot the drug into Jason vein he said " Was that this guys crime? He couldn't forgive and forget something you did?"

"Partly." admitted Ric "Mainly he is just self righteous and doesn't know his place. Now he will learn the hard way just who is the better man between us."

Jason's eyes shot open. He spotted Ric and started struggling to get out of the restraints.

" You prick. Let me go. You will pay with you life for this one. I should have killed you when you went after Carly."

"Should of, would of, could of." Ric said " But you didn't. Too bad for you."

Looking at David, Ric said "Get it ready."

" You are taking a risk by shocking his system with so much at one time." David said

"He'll make it." Ric said "And if not , oh well."

Jason spit on him.

Ric gave him a look of pure hate and said, quietly, "That was the last time you get to humiliate me. Hope you enjoyed it." Ric walked into an adjoining bathroom, walked the spit from his face, and came back even angrier at Jason than he was yesterday.

David shot Jason full of another drug.

Jason said "What the hell was that?" and then his whole body stiffened and he couldn't move. He could still hear and see but was paralyzed.

David said " The cabinets are filled with everything you need. And he will require 24 hour nursing care to deal with his hygiene needs."

"Of course. I have that set up already." Ric said

"Then I will take my payment and be on my way." David said

Ric passed him a black gym bag, "Here you are. Now go. Jason and I need to have a little talk."