Chapter 8 - Twisted Games
Author's Note: I apologize for last chapter's lack of delineation – I had it in the original word document but it did not transfer over. I have since fixed it. Also – I am a Liason fan too!! So take that as you will…. ;)
And please remember – this is a DARK fic – so if you are squeamish – don't read it – you have been warned several times and there is no need to let us know it is "too dark" – we KNOW it is!! LOL
Some people are concerned that it is moving too slowly – we apologize too for that but we have written this in a careful manner and each portion has a reason. The pace isn't going to change because it's all a part of a larger plan and one thing cannot be added or taken away.
Rosie and SEEKER
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Spinelli looked at the barrel of the gun, shocked. He had expected a white light; golden gates; St. Peter. Something. Instead, he heard a hollow clunk and Anthony laughing. Spinelli dropped the pistol and braced his hands on the floor.
"You bastards. Why don't you just do it? Kill me. Do it. Get it over with." He said in a dead voice.
Liz was shocked silent. Frank pulled her up off the floor and headed towards the door with her.
"No. NO!" He realized what they intended on doing. "Don't kill her, please, God, I'm sorry!"
Elizabeth had begun crying. She couldn't believe Spinelli had been willing to take his own life to save hers. "Spin, shhh, it's okay." She tried to calm him down. "It's going to be all right."
But Spinelli knew it wouldn't be all right. He knew the evil they were capable of. "No! Please don't take her! Kill me! Kill me instead!" He tried to pull Elizabeth from Frank's grip but he was not strong enough. Frank pushed him roughly away and he fell to the ground.
He crawled toward Anthony, cradling his now aggravated wrist, and begged his captor to leave Elizabeth alone. "Let her go – please. Mr. Zacchara. She has kids. I have nothing." Spinelli swatted his own chest roughly. "Kill me instead! Please Mr. Zacchara!"
Anthony paused and made a strange face. For a moment, Spinelli believed his begging might have worked. However, Anthony ignored his protests and wheeled himself out the door, following Frank and Elizabeth. As the door closed, Spinelli fell against it, frantic. He tried to peer through the cracks around the doors but could not see anything. "Please. Please." He clawed at the door trying to get it open - to beg one more time for mercy. He could do nothing for her but he could hear everything.
"We blindfolded you because...well...the place is a wreck, I didn't want you to see how bad our housekeeping is." Anthony purred in mock graciousness. Spinelli pounded his fist against the door and cried out again, as if this time his declaratio n would matter.
"Jason is going to find out and you are going to be dead." Elizabeth tried to appeal to their sense of self-preservation
"Frank...she's annoying me."
There wasn't even much of a pause between this statement before Spinelli heard a thunderous crack. There was silence, and his blood chilled. It took him a moment to react to what had happened.
"NO!" He snarled.
"ELIZABETH! I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do this to you...SHE HAD KIDS! SHE HAD TWO LITTLE BOYS! You bastards! You killed her! I killed her, oh GOD she's DEAD!" He collapsed on the floor again.
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Matt glanced down at his watch and wished his shift was over. It was becoming increasingly difficult to focus on his work whilst sitting back and not contributing to the search to find his little brother. Matt couldn't decide if coming forward about their familial connection would help or hinder anything. A part of him knew he was only being selfish in wishing their blood bond had some significance. In reality, it did n't matter at all.
He clicked his pen absentmindedly as he looked over a chart. The ding of the nearby elevator grabbed his attention as it had been a rather quiet day all around. One of those Zacchara fellows stepped forward and headed towards the station with a blonde Matt had seen around the hospital on occasion.
"Excuse me, doctor?" The dark haired Zacchara approached him. Matt sighed.
"Yes?"
"I have a question concerning some medication…"
"I don't do hallway consultations," Matt quipped, closing his folder with a snap. If this guy figured he could talk a doctor into scoring him some pills just because he was in with some mob family he had another thing coming.
"Hey, I just want to ask you a simple question," he retorted.
"Johnny, let's just find Patrick…" the blonde interrupted.
"What is the issue?" Matt sighed again, realizing it would be easier just to get these two out of the hospital as quick as he could.
"Morphine, oxycoton, and vicodin." The Zacchara stated blunt ly.
"Pain meds. What about them?"
"Would someone typically take all three of them at the same time?"
Matt was finally intrigued. "There is no typical patient…but…it's unlikely. You'd run the risk of overdose…"
Johnny nodded his head. "Okay. So…hypothetically speaking…if you overheard someone discussing all three of those medications in regards to one person…One would assume it's not an average, everyday case?"
Matt agreed. "Care to elaborate?" This was some sort of mob activity, Matt was sure.
The Zacchara shook his head no and grabbed the blonde's hand, heading back towards the elevator briskly. Matt watched them huddle together as the doors closed. He wondered what that was all about.
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Frank held his hand over Elizabeth's mouth and chuckled. They could hear Spinelli's screams as they dragged her struggling body away.
Elizabeth tried to get her mouth free – to yell something – anything so Spinelli would know she was still alive. Anthony put a finger to his lips and leaned towards her.
"We're trying to drive him coo-coo crazy." He whispered. "Thanks for the help."
Elizabeth's eyes grew wide taking in the insane smile on Anthony's face as she was dragged further away from the room where they held Spinelli and she was blindfolded again.
"You're going to kill me now aren't you?"
Frank gave her an odd look. "Why would we blindfold you if we were going to kill you? That's just silly."
"You - you're letting me go?"
"We're letting you go." Anthony confirmed. "You've been a great help to us."
"And Spinelli?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
"He's not leaving; we're having too much fun."
"I'm going to tell Jason." She said, realizing too late that it probably was a mistake to remind him of that.
Anthony smiled evilly. "I really, really hope you do Ms. Webber. It doesn't matter. By the time he finds his friend...there won't be anything left...Make sure he knows if anything happens to me...If Frank calls me and I don't answer my phone after the second ring - the kid is dead. He's dead anyway – but he'll just speed up the inevitable."
"Why are you doing this?" Elizabeth stared incredulously at the old man, completely confused about his motives or logic.
"Secrets, secrets are so fun…" Anthony chuckled. "They are fun for everyone."
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"Jason!" Elizabeth burst through the door to Jason's office, not bothering to knock, having no time to wait for the answer.
"Elizabeth? What's wrong?" He jumped up from his desk, seeing the look of terror on her face.
Elizabeth fell into Jason's arms and he could feel her shaking uncontrollably. "Anthony Zacchara and his men have Spinelli."
"What?" Jason's brow furrowed and his heart skipped a beat. He hadn't been expecting that. "How do you know that?"
"Jason – they kidnapped me. I was going to pick up the boys at daycare and they grabbed me."
He pushed her away from him to examine her, raking his eyes over her body for signs of injury with a fury. There was smudge of blood on her scrubs.
"Are you OK?"
"Yes. I'm fine now."
"Where is he? Is he - OK?"
"They blindfolded me so I have no idea where they took me. But Spinelli was there and – Jason – he's in terrible shape."
"OK, back up. I want you to tell me everything you can remember – in detail."
Elizabeth recounted her ordeal to Jason, giving him details about the rooms she saw, Spinelli's drifting mind, the physical abuse he had been enduring and the drugs that had obviously been forced on him. She finished with the story of him being forced to hold a gun to his head, convinced that he was killing himself to save her. She also passed on Anthony's warning that if anything happened to him, Spinelli would be dead. This was too much for Jason to take in. His legs, unaccustomed to becoming weak, forced him to sit down.
"I – this is all my fault." Jason swallowed hard and rested his forehead on his balled fists. What was Anthony's game? Why be so blunt and open about the kidnapping after the silence?
"Jason…"
"It is. I should have protected him. He was suicidal and I had no idea. Then men took him from the hospital and are torturing him – because of me. Some friend I turned out to be."
"He loves you." Jason shook his head but Elizabeth continued. "Jason – he does. You're his family."
"He would be better off without me."
"I'm not so sure. I couldn't get a straight story out of him but – it sounds like his childhood was no picnic either. You're all he has."
"He has Maxie too."
"He doesn't think so. He thinks no one will ever love him."
Jason sighed, trying to push away the emotions that got in the way of the mission. He would think about all this later. "We need a medical consult on this." He picked up his phone. After calls to Robin and Patrick were unsuccessful, he made another phone call to Max.
After almost an hour passed with Jason getting every detail he could out of Liz, finally Max opened the door to Jason's office. "Mr. Morgan – Dr. Hunter to see you."
"Show him in."
"Don't act like this is some social call. I get strong armed out of Kelly's as I was trying to get a damned cup of coffee and shoved into a dark SUV – what the hell is going on?"
"Max!" Jason barked.
Max bolted back into the room. "Yes Jason?"
"Get Dr. Hunter a cup of coffee – on the house."
"Sure thing. What can I get you?"
"A – " he looked at Jason, Elizabeth and Max as if they were all crazy. "A triple latte."
Max closed the door. Jason tapped a pen on the desk after staring at Matt for a long moment.
"I need you to keep this quiet."
Matt glowered at Jason. "Or what?"
Jason ignored him. "Do you remember a patient....Spinelli?"
"Damian....Yeah, I remember him." Matt tried not to look as concerned as he was. "He's...missing...he's been kidnapped or something...right?"
"Yes. We might have a lead on where he's been taken...but I need to know some things first."
"What do you mean? Where is he?? Take me to him." For a brief second Matt looked hopeful then looked down at the floor, wondering why he had been called in. Had Damian said something to him about Matt being his brother? Matt was dying for information but wasn't willing to spill secrets to get it. Especially to this mobster that Damian thought of as a brother when he would never get that privilege again.
"No, you don't understand. I just need a medical consultation"
"You want a consultation on what meds to slip in someone's tea?" Jason glared at Matt, wanting to punch him. "Sorry. Bad taste. Look, I don't want to get my hands dirty in your business."
"You won't be."
Max came in with Matt's coffee and as Matt looked at it, he realized he was being a jerk again because he was jealous and pissed. He decided to help if he could. Matt sighed. "What do you want to know? "
"The people who took him kidnapped Liz today too."
Matt's attitude turned instantly to concern. "Are you OK?"
Elizabeth nodded. "I'm fine. It's Spinelli – he needs help."
"Wait...if you are here...wait - what? Did they let him go? He needs to be in a hospital. I can't just speculate about him. Where is he?? If he is in that bad a shape - he needs to get to a hospital right away. What are you doing, wasting time with me?"
"We don't know where he is!" Jason bellowed, wondering why this doctor was acting so worried about a guy he barely knew.
Elizabeth interjected knowing at any moment Jason would explode. "They took me just so I could help Spinelli. I was blindfolded. When I was done, they let me go – but they kept him."
"What could you do, if he was in that bad a shape? You are just a nurse. I mean, why didn't they take a doctor?
Elizabeth ignored his rude remark. "I am sure they took me because they know I'm – friends with Jason." She snuck a look at Jason, knowing the remark would drive home his theories he was too dangerous to be around, but she went on. "I think that I was taken to witness what was being done - to let Jason know what is happening….And to warn him."
"Warn him of what?"
Jason interjected, holding up a hand. "That's not important Dr. Hunter. That's my business. You are here for medical consultation only. Elizabeth – tell him about the shape Spinelli is in."
"It's bad." She shook her head.
Matt took a deep breath. It was time to be a doctor. Bad shape? Okay, how bad? Tell me everything."
"Dr. Hunter, I think Spinelli was drugged with something...I don't know what it would be though, his symptoms were strange...." Elizabeth told her story once again, this time using more medical jargon than she had with Jason.
Jason let her finish and then spoke. "Look, Dr. Hunter, I need to know some things about the state of mind he is in...How much time he has..."
Matt shuffled. "How much time he has? What do you mean? You mean they're going to kill him, don't you?" He pursed his lips and paused, angry his brother was involved with these monsters. "That's what you people do, isn't it? Kill people that get in your way?"
Jason leaned forward in his chair menacingly. "If that's true, then why is you are doing your best to piss me off?" Jason was obviously angry and Matt knew he shouldn't be testing his patience, but it frustrated him that things were as bad as they were.
"Jason." Elizabeth said quietly, calming him down. Jason's eyes became less intense.
"Look, I'm sorry. It's just – he's like a brother to me. I need to do whatever I can to help him. And if that means getting as much information as I can, that is what I will do."
Matt sighed, trying to keep his anger in check. It was a sure sign that he was emotionally involved. It burned that this mobster called Spinelli his brother.
"I have no idea. If they are drugging him like you say they are, they could give him an overdose at any minute. He could have a heart attack, he could lose his mind altogether. He was in the hospital for depression. If they are giving him large doses of antidepressants, it could account for some of what you were saying. Also, they could be giving him hallucinogens, any kind of recreational drugs like ecstasy or heroin. I won't know until I give him a tox screen. You need to find him. Fast."
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"He'll kill you....you m-murdered her. Stone Cold is coming and he'll kill you."
"...Why would he kill me....she's just another nurse, right? You know - you keep threatening me with Morgan. Stone Cold this and that – Stone Cold will kill me – Stone Cold is coming to get you – Stone Cold will save you. You call him Stone Cold but he can't be all that cold to you or you wouldn't be so fond of him. Morgan cares a lot f or you doesn't he? That's a little strange, don't you think – the closeness - two grown men...."
"It's not like that."
"Oh so it's not like that Sunshine......Well, excuse me. I'm not trying to insinuate anything unseemly of course. I was just voicing the opinion of some of my bodyguards – they can be real gossips – like schoolgirls, really. So, if it's not like that then what is it?"
Spinelli squirmed, feeling awkward at what Anthony was saying. "He's - my friend." Spinelli felt odd saying it.
"Your friend....your special friend? Are you best friends? Or is it like a father figure thing? Do you think of him like a father? Well - that's a little weird too isn't it? Do you love him Mr. Spinelli? Does he tell you everything?"
"No. Yes. NO." Spinelli stumbled over his words confused as to what Anthony was asking him. His head hurt and the drugs were still fogging his brain.
"Oh....so he doesn't - does - doesn't - tell you everything. Interesting........does he tell you how much he cares about you? I bet he really is going crazy trying to find you....it's touching, really – oops – sorry - no pun intended. You know, I think I know why you really relate to him though...you miss your Daddy."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh – I don't? Are you sure? You are an orphan are you not? Raised by your grandmother?"
"How - How did you know that?"
"Do you think that we didn't do research on you, Sunshine? I have spent an enormous amount of time and energy on you, my little pet. Do you think you are the only one who has the ability to look up information? You are not that special you know. I know a lot about you. The files on your computer have been quite an interesting read."
Spinelli's blood chilled. There were things that never were supposed to be known - certainly not by this maniacal devil.
"So – you miss Daddy. You latch onto Morgan. That works I guess...he doesn't have any children, so he adopted you! Morgan doesn't have any children...right, Sunshine? You don't have a little brother out there do you? Not Jacob Martin Spencer? But then you said he wasn't Morgan's kid – right? Right. We've established that already. He is definitely not Morgan's kid. Sure – we'll go with that story. You know, he's a sweet kid...Ms. Webber was going to pick him up from daycare when we nabbed her. Wait - you aren't his daddy are you? I saw how sweet and cozy you and Miss Lizzie looked together. Hmm? No? Oh, right, surely not - you are all in love with Maxie Jones. In any case, he doesn't look much like Looo Loo's cop brother Lucky, does he?"
Spinelli refused to take the bait.
"So - does he tell you about Ms. Webber? If you two are so close, surely he told you about her. So - Jason cares about her - loves her even? How do you feel about that? Does it make you jealous? What if they had gotten married? That would've kind of pushed you out of the picture wouldn't it? Are you glad she's dead?"
"Shut up!"
"You are – aren't you? So you can have your Stone Cold all to yourself? So……if you two are like brothers – what about your real brother? That leaves him out in the cold does it not?
"Where-"
"Where did I find that out? In your files! I told you – we know everything – everything. We read your journals. Poor kid – your brother abandons you when you are only eight and then not only does he show up out of the blue – but he steals your woman out from under you?? Ooops -" Anthony chuckled. "Poor choice of words I guess, eh Sunshine? Wow – now I have heard of cold before – but that is just – wow. You know – we could go pick him up for you – give him a good talking to - if you know what I mean."
"Leave him alone." Spinelli croaked.
"Why? You don't even like him – isn't that right? You know what? I'll even make this easier – we'll pick him up and he can take your place. All you have to do it say the word. Say the word and this will be all over – the brother you hate – the one who left you alone to become a rich doctor – because his mommy hated you – the one who stole your true love - he'll be here enduring all this and you will be free to be with your Maxie with him out of the way. What do you say?"
"No."
"Are you sure? We can – "
"NO!"
"Wow – you are even loyal to the brother you hate – I am impressed."
"Shut up." Spinelli shook his head. He had known cruelty in his life; he just never learned to defend against it. He didn't have the capacity to understand it.
"You have been here for a while now and you still have not learned respect. I have a little project for you Sunshine. You need to realize just how easy it is for us to get to the ones you love. So, you will write an obituary for Maxie Jones. Your lovely Maxie Jones. Imagine her lying dead and cold in a casket. What would you say about her? You will write it - and if you are not careful, it just might need to get published in the paper."
Next Chapter: History repeats......
