Chapter Eight

They lay in each other's arms, Liz's head rested on his chest while she tenderly ran her fingers up and down his muscled abdomen. This was the first time, well since the last time she had been in his arms that she truly felt at peace. Which was rather odd, considering their current circumstances, but for the first time in a long while, she truly believed things were going to be okay.

She could not understand how she had always pushed him away, life was a risk and while Jason's line of work was markedly more dangerous than some, her current husband's line of work was no less dangerous.

It was how you dealt with those dangers that truly mattered. Jason would lay his life on the line to protect his family; he would do everything in his power to protect her and the children.

The content smile that graced his face while he slept was something that touched her heart more than she could really say, it was a look that one rarely seen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So what do you think they are doing in there Ric?" Lorenzo asked, still smirking.

"How the hell should I know, but it seems rather obvious." Ric said noticeably livid.

"I don't think I have ever heard a woman moan like that before, she really is a spitfire. Were you out of your mind when you let her get away? I have never met another person who could shape this business to fit them, she may not have a say in what goes on, but she, unlike Carly, knows the value of silence, even more so than Skye. She is definitely a prize." Lorenzo said with a smile.

"Oh, do shut up Lorenzo, you prattle on and I am already sick of your voice. Besides, I think it is time for us to move this plan to the next level. And while we cannot see anything in the room at this moment, all has been quiet for some time now; perhaps it is safe to say they are asleep. And while I don't care to go on a guess, there really isn't anything more to do." Ric said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jason came slowly awake, the weight of someone watching him, bringing him fully from sleep. He had not even thought sleep was attainable, especially all that had happened in the past couple of days, it was her, she calmed his inner rage and turmoil, just being around her, lightened his mind. Noticing who it was, he returned the smile that he had bestowed upon Liz while sleeping.

Liz was about to greet him when he placed a finger to her lips. His mind already moving quickly, he understood what was sure to happen sooner or later, and if they could gain the upper hand, then so be it.

He placed his lips to the shell of her ear and whispered. "Don't say anything, we have been quiet for quite awhile now, either he will believe we are asleep or he will think we are laying in wait for him. And while I do not know if anyone else is involved in this, we cannot be sure. We really need to find some way out of this, so if the opportunity arises, we need to take it."

Understanding what he was saying, Liz just nodded her head in agreement. But even with the warning, she could not help but place a small kiss to his delectable lips. Jason's hand gently and loving played over her belly, enjoying the movement of his child and awed by it. Even at this moment, when stress was without a doubt one of the larger emotions they were feeling, the simple serenity that he could find by fingering Liz's stomach, awed him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ric and Lorenzo both stood with their weapons at the ready, hoping to be prepared for anything and everything that might transpire within the next few moments. Understanding that surprise would not really be on their side, the doors mechanisms were loud enough to awaken or alert anyone.

"Remember, go in fast and low, don't waste time with trying to take a shot, we need these two for a little longer, so they must not die, unless there is no other choice. We need Jason for a little longer, if for no other reason than placating Sonny and we need Liz to do the same for Jason." Ric said, taking charge.

Little did he know that Lorenzo had other plans, but he would let Ric believe he was the alpha dog, for now? "I got you, I understand what you mean, but you made a fatal mistake not securing either of them to the wall, with Carly, you had been smart, she couldn't have escaped or fought back, at least not well. But this time, it is another story."

"Yes, yes, yes…" Ric said vehemently. "Let's just get this over and done with!"

Ric pulled the keychain from his pocket; attached to the keys was a remote device, not unlike the ones you used to arm your car alarm and pointed it at the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jason heard the faint stirring of something mechanical and realized that the door was opening, for some odd reason, the door opened slower than it closed, but for whatever reason, it had been enough to alert him to it.

Gesturing with his hand, he quickly bent down and whispered something in Liz's ear. "Don't panic, the door is opening, there is not going to be another chance like this one, so if at all possible, you run when you can and run as fast and as far as you can, find Sonny, if I am still stuck here, then he will come looking for me. Don't think, you need to do what is best for you and the baby and Cameron, so don't argue, just do as I ask, please"

He was clearly worried, knowing he had so much to lose, while finally, things were aligning in his favor or so it seemed, for him to be a father, Ric was now prepared to take that all away. But the desire to have his family was much stronger than even Liz knew, so he was going to fight for it, even with his last breath, if it should come to that.

Liz understood that Jason's plan or lack thereof could possibly lead to tragedy, but she also knew she could not forsake her children, so she did the only thing she could and nodded her head.

Ric saw the couple, they were once again dressed, but now looked peaceful, like neither of them had a care in the world. What was unexpected but wonderful was the fact that they both appeared to be sleeping. Motioning Lorenzo to join him at the side of the cot, Ric made the fatal mistake of taking his eyes of his prey, for among a million other things that stood these two men apart, was the fact that Jason was agile with cat like reflexes. Without thinking about it, Jason lunged out of bed, crashing head first into both men, anger began to boil his blood, for once again, Lorenzo was trying to assist in his demise and that was something he had not really expected. He had come to believe that this was all Ric's doing, trying to once again take a child that didn't belong to him, just to try and make a happy home with Elizabeth.

Liz felt the weight on the bed shift and knew that this was going to be her chance and perhaps her only one, so she did what she thought she could not and bolted out the door of the lockdown room.

Jason felt pride and awe swell inside his heart at his beautiful Elizabeth running pell-mell for freedom, a slight knotting of his heart quickly tried to bring forth a nasty question, "How could she just up and leave me, do I mean so little that I can be cast aside." Nevertheless, before the thought could no more than flash into his mind, Jason had stomped on this train of thought, she was not deserting him, she was going for help, and he knew she would not stop until she had reached said help. However, just as she reached the front door and started racing down the walkway; she heard the first of many gunshots ring throughout the house. Her heart momentarily stopped, but before it could take a tighter grasp, Liz pushed herself beyond her highest expectations and raced to Sonny's home.

Lorenzo and Ric didn't even have time to question what had just occurred, but he knew almost all his planning had now been wasted and on a man who was most times insufferable and tedious and who had high hopes of grandeur. Jason had managed to take both men down to floor level; it was rather simple really, a simple placement of the body in the right spot, this one being the knees, took both men down like a sack of potatoes. As they were slammed to the ground both men's guns let loose a volley of bullets, they ricocheted around the room, but managed to miss all three men, they were all unscathed, to Jason's dismay.

Both men stole a quick glance at one another, indicting how close they had come to messing the whole thing up. But as he was preparing to get up and run himself, just happy at having missed all the bullets, a fist shot out of the air and cracked him squarely on the temple, sending him straight into a dark abyss of unconsciousness. Lorenzo's quickness preventing anything else from going wrong.

Both men looked flustered, but had use of their wits and now acted on a more primal instinct. Quickness was needed, so without bothering to bicker, they hefted the large man from the ground and quickly placed him in Lorenzo's vehicle.

Lorenzo headed for his own car, planning on finding Mrs. Webber, before anyone else caught wind of their plans. He searched for more than an hour, ever route he took leading him to another fruitless search, he did not understand how a pregnant woman could possibly escape or move so quickly, that he, could not find her. He grabbed his phone and called Ric, "I can't find her, and I have looked everywhere. Where is Jason?"

"Forget her, hurry up and get over to the crypt, the one that we had talked about not using, it is the closest, I am sure no one will look for him there. We need to reevaluate this plan, because nothing is going as it should be." Ric said, clearly winded from having to drag an unconscious Jason into the crypt.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once a fair distance away from Ric's house, Liz began to slow her pace, she knew it had the potential of being overly dangerous, nevertheless, she needed to slow down some, right now, she was safe and so were her children.

Moreover, that was all that truly mattered, along with one other fact, Jason was trapped and now at the mercy of Lorenzo and Ric. Terrified even now of never seeing Jason again was like shards of glass ripping her heart apart, but she squelched down those thoughts and emotions, she needed to get to Sonny so he could take care of this situation.

So increasing her speed from a mediocre walk, she kicked it up another notch or two and was now speed walking. The exertion was not good for the baby, considering that she had been having false labor, but she pushed just a little more, for Jason and his child.

Further away, Jason slowly came to consciousness, only to discover that he had been moved and into what looked like a crypt. A brief image of Liz being trapped inside one just like this brought back a panic that wished to overtake him and wipe out all rational thought. He understood that it could not have been any longer than 20 minutes, but it seemed like days had already passed. Ric and Lorenzo had been quick with his relocation, which did not bode well for him though; he only hoped that Liz was still free and able to get help.

His head throbbed and his back ached, nevertheless he felt hop, because he knew, if Elizabeth was free, she would find Sonny and together they would find him.

This thought was not precognitive but the simple assertion of the great friendship that he and Sonny shared, for even if they did not share the same blood, they were still brothers in every way. As for Liz, he understood she would walk through the very fires of Hell to find him, he knew he could trust her.

Slowly the wave of nausea passed, he understood it was probably a good chance he had a concussion, considering that he was hit so brutally upside the head, but for now, he had no choice but to search his prison and see what he could do to free himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Liz slowed down only once more and that was to loosen, if possible, the stitch that now throbbed in her side. Moving again, she slowly came to a stop, finally running out of steam Liz pushed the doorbell, having finally reached Sonny's home; she waited 15 seconds and then began to bang on his door, while alternating ringing the bell.

Sonny greeted Liz amicably, but his mind could not process what his eyes saw. "Oh good lord, how did you escape, when did you and where is Jason?" Sonny asked, his sentences somewhat merging into nonsensical words. He had been sitting in the den when he had heard her pounding on the door, lost in thought and consumed with worry, so of that worry now fled, but the tears standing in her eyes, spoke volumes.

For the most part however, Liz understood everything he said, his obvious worry, slightly garbling his words. She took a few moments to get her breath back, in which time, Sonny had fetched her a cold bottle of water. She drank down a few more gulps and then replaced the lid and began to tell her tale. Not bothering with the more intimate details, Liz stuck to business, explaining that he needed to find Jason and soon, because both Ric and Lorenzo were gunning for the two of them.

Sonny listened quietly, finally seeing how much the woman before him had grown and into what a strong and independent person. She knew she could rely on others when the time called for it, but she also knew how to deal when life did not play fair.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Liz went to her Grams and picked up Cameron, she had phoned her house and received no answer, so she phoned Audrey's house, and found out that she was indeed looking after Cam. Sonny sent Johnny with her, he was not going to take a chance that she could be grabbed again, so as she sat beside Johnny while he drove the short distance to Audrey's Liz fretted over everything that had happened thus far. Audrey had wanted to know what was going on, she could tell there was something bothering Liz, she could also tell it probably had something to do with Jason or Sonny, seeing as how one of their guards was glued to Liz side.

But the last few days or so had been so full of tension that she needed to rest. so promising she would explain all later, Liz left Audrey's house and headed to Jason's penthouse, Sonny had given her keys to Jason's place with his permission for her to stay there, seeing as how she could not really stay in the house in which she and Lucky had been sharing, that would have been to awkward and dangerous.

So with foreboding she unlocked his door and entered with her son. Johnny explained that he would be standing guard until morning and then Max would be taking over for the day shift. It was one thing for Jason to ask her to stay here, but another all together for Sonny to do so, nevertheless she understood why Sonny had made the offer, she needed to remain safe, they couldn't take a chance that she could be grabbed again. So with her son, she slowly showed him where he could go and what not to touch.

Now that a baby was on the way, Jason would need to take the necessary precautions of baby proofing his home. Exhausted beyond comprehension Liz took Cameron upstairs and wondered where she should sleep while staying there, when the overwhelming need for sleep demanded she lay down now. She went into Jason's bedroom, the room in which he had shared many nights with Sam, and while the thought of sleeping here bothered her, exhaustion took away all further arguments. Her and Cameron shared the large king size bed, not bothering to change either herself of her son, they laid down and within moments she and her son were asleep, the last thought she had was this, before slipping quickly into a deep slumber, "I have finally found home, this is where I was meant to be all along!" Following that thought was this one, "Please be safe Jason, we need you."

Cameron's little hand rested peacefully on her belly, unaware of the gift he was bestowing upon his mother, the mere contact gave her hope that she and Jason would see one another again, for both her children needed a father, and no other man would do, it was Jason or no one at all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX