Chapter 4

Natalie pulled her car to a stop in front of her cottage. "I really can't tell you how much I appreciate you getting me over to see Jessie," Asa commented. "Although, I can't say much about the hour."

"I already told you, Grandpa, it was the only way I could think of to pull it off. Nightshift doesn't know that you technically aren't supposed to be there. Both Paige and Michael where off for once. I was able to get Roxy over to the house to distract Nigel. Also, if Jessica saids anything to anyone about you visiting they'll think that she was just dreaming."

"I don't see why everyone thinks that I can't handle seeing my own granddaughter," he groused.

"They're just worried about you both," Natalie sighed as she reached into the backseat for her purse, tired of rehashing the same argument, and then turned to open her car door. "Come on, I have one more surprise for you."

"You think my poor old heart can take it?" Asa asked sarcastically as he undid his seatbelt.

Leaning back into the car Natalie smirked at him: "as someone recently reminded me, you'll probably outlive us all. Now come on. If I don't get you back soon, you're gonna get us caught and a BE tutoring session is not going to be reason enough to get you a pass."

Shaking his head at her Asa opened the passenger door and leveled himself out of the car. "You sure think of everything, don't you girl?"

"Too bad not everyone does," she muttered as she dug through her purse for her keys as they walked up the path and let them into the cottage. Flicking on the lights, she led Asa into the living room and pulled the sheet off a recliner. "Have a seat," she ordered indicating the cleared chair.

"What are you up to?" Asa asked as he sat down and watched as Natalie walked quickly around the room, looking for something or someone before pulling out her cell phone and hitting a button. Arching an eyebrow he watched as she put it to her ear: "Are you here?" she asked in near panic.

"Turn around," a familiar male voice said from the room's doorway.

Shifting in his seat, Asa smiled broadly at his grandson as Natalie turned and closed her cell phone. "Where'd you park?" she asked nervously.

"Your garage," Kevin answered as he put his own cell phone in his pocket. "You really should find a better hiding place for your spare key," he added as he walked over and gave his younger sister a hug. "You holding up ok?" he asked softly.

Nodding, she pulled back and put a piece of hair behind her ear. "We probably don't have a lot of time. Roxy hasn't called yet. . . but. . ."

"You've been gone a while," Kevin surmised.

"Alright, what's going on?" Asa questioned, growing concern over the Natalie's growing nervousness.

"What? I'm not allowed to visit my sister and Grandfather?" Kevin asked as he watched Natalie cross the room and pull a sheet off of the couch.

"If this visit was taking place at the house I might buy it. I should've known you were up to something with that surprise visit to Jessie. What deal did you two screw up?" Asa demanded.

"More like what deal are we cleaning up that you screwed up," Kevin corrected annoyed.

"I haven't. . ." Asa started to sputter.

"Actually, you have," Natalie cut in as she sat down on the couch. "And Kevin and I are out five million dollars each covering you're a$$."

"The figure alone should ring a bell," Kevin continued, surprised at how well his sister had jumped in to keep him from losing it.

Leaning back in the chair Asa shook his head: "Dagnamit. Vickers. How the hell did you two find out?"

"I walked in on him trying to blackmail Dad for the money," Natalie answered evenly.

"I'll. . ."

"Do nothing," Kevin interrupted. "The leverage he had was enough to make sure he got the money."

"Your father shouldn't have gotten involved," Asa groused.

"Do you see Dad here?" Natalie asked. "Dad didn't get involved. I made sure of that. I got him out of there before David could make him an accessory after the fact. I wrote him a check for five million. Kevin's covering the second payment."

"Why two payments? What could he possibly . . ." Asa started, then at Natalie's averted look and Kevin's pained one stopped. "Oh hell, no. I'm going to. . ." he yelled starting to push to his feet.

"Sit down and calm down before you give yourself a heart attack or stroke," Natalie ordered.

"Not that either wouldn't make things a whole lot easier for us," Kevin said caustically.

"Kevin!" Natalie chided as Asa only laughed. "So you're here to what? Fix it?" he asked his grandson.

"Pretty much," Kevin answered. "Thing is, Natalie became an accessory the moment she signed that check. I did when she told me and I gave her the money to cover the second payment, both of which you're paying us back for."

"Of course," Asa replied leaning back in the chair. "So how do you plan on fixing this?"

"Vickers isn't going to settle for ten million once he realizes the damage he can do with the ammunition he has," Kevin started.

"Not to mention that Dorian knows because she was there when he blackmailed Dad for the money and there's a good chance that John knows about your involvement too," Natalie added.

"So use your feminine wiles one the boy," Asa suggested.

"One you have better be talking about John. And two he's more interested in playing hero to Marty Saybrook right now. Seems that since I can pretty much save myself--- well, with the exception of the current situation--- he doesn't have much use for me anymore," she shot back.

"Of course I was talking about that idiot McBaine," Asa shot back. "There's no well in hell you can get involved with the likes of Vickers for numerous reasons!"

"Wouldn't on a bet anyway," Natalie replied evenly. "Now, the problem is how many people know and how few of them are actually able to keep a secret due to either moral or anger issues."

"And you two have clearly concocted some cockamamie scheme to get me out of hot water or I wouldn't be sitting here right now. So what is it? What's the grand plan?"

"It's actually Kevin's idea," Natalie hedged as she looked towards her older brother, still uncertain.

Kevin meanwhile smiled at his grandfather: "It's actually classic Asa when you come down to it. Quite simple really. You're going to have to die."

"I've going to what?!?!? Now you wait right here!"

Kevin merely rounded the chair his Asa was in and put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back into the seat: "Don't act like you've never faked your death before.

We get you out of town on business .

You die.

We bring back your ashes and have a memorial service. . . "

"Meanwhile, you're in a country without an extradition treaty," Natalie added.

"And you stay put."

"You know what this will do to the family? Renee?" Asa asked angrily.

"You dying in jail would be better?" Natalie asked.

"Not toe mention me in an adjoining cell. Natalie in the women's unit. Uncle Bo's guilt at having put you there. Dad being implicated. Jess's guilt over why the check was written. . ." Kevin started to list.

"Ok, Ok. You have a point," Asa admitted grudgingly. "But I don't want Renee to suffer too long."

"We'll figure something out," Kevin sighed.

"And I'm not giving BE up completely."

"Then you know what you have to do there," Kevin replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, I know. I'll make a call and have the changes made today or tomorrow. Which means you can't enact your little plan too soon," he pointed out.

"Two to three weeks," Kevin thought out loud. "But Vickers hits Natalie up for money, you cover it. You also transfer the funds back to us by close of business today. I can handle being without the money. Natalie can't."

"I'll call the bank and make sure it's taken care. I'll also set up a separate account off shore in case Vickers wants more."

"Just don't do anything else this stupid between now and. . . Natalie, keep a close eye on him. Make it as much about business as you two can so it makes sense when you two meet up with me on a business meeting out of town. We'll also make it a doctor's appointment, A specialist. I just need to figure out how to find an ME to pay off and a doctor who'll do this," Kevin admitted.

"I can cover that," Natalie said without thinking.

"How?"

"A friend who owes me a favor?"

"You sure you can trust them?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah. I'm sure," Natalie replied confidently. "I won't tell him why. Or what for. If I did, he'd go after Vickers himself. Wouldn't be anything left---I'll… I'll just hint that I'm in trouble. He might put the pieces together later, but he'll have my back," she replied.

"You sure? We can't take any chances."

"Yeah, Kevin. I'm sure. If you want, to make sure. . . when this is over. . . I know he needs a backer for a business venture. . . let me make it one of my deals. . .But I'm telling you, he'll be more mad that I'm trying to pay him off for helping me than that I'm making my first major deal with him. He's a decent guy when he wants to be. He has his friends backs. That's more than I can say for a lot of people around here. If I ask for his help he'll help, no questions asked. I'll just owe him a favor down the line.

Now, its getting late and I need to get Grandpa back to the house. A tutoring sessions shouldn't run so long."

"Yeah, I need to get to my meeting. I'll call with more details when I have them. Be careful with Vickers--- both of you," Kevin said before heading towards the back of the house.

"Well, I have to say, I didn't think you had it in you, but I'm glad you do," Asa said getting to his feet.

"Just save it till this is over, Grandpa," Natalie sighed. "We still have to pull it off."