This chapter isn't as light as the last one, but I needed it to set up the next chapter. Ethan's not in this chapter, but his and Kristina's story is really focused on in the next. Also, thank you to everyone who reads and comments. It really means a lot. ~ Ashley
Sam sat in her car, hands on the wheel, face forward.
She was crying. She didn't remember why. She didn't remember leaving the MetroCourt. She didn't remember getting in the car.
She jumped when someone knocked on her window. She looked to see Carly, concern on her face. Sam quickly wiped her face and let her window down. "Yeah?"
"'Yeah'?" that's all you have to say?"
"What?"
"You just stormed out of the MetroCourt in tears. What's wrong? Is it Jason?"
Sam stared at the woman. What was she talking about?
"Sam? Who was on the phone? What happened?"
Sam looked over to the passenger seat and grabbed her phone. She checked her call history, surprised to see the last caller. Mac?
Carly was still waiting rather impatiently.
"Just...give me a minute," Sam said, redialing the police commissioner.
She didn't even have a chance to speak before Mac started to talk.
"Are you on your way to the hospital?"
Did we have a conversation that I missed? She decided to play along though.
"Yeah, I'm on my way now. How's...?" She was hoping Mac would quickly fill in the blank without catching on. Luckily he did.
"Your mom's going to be fine." Panic began to rise in her chest, even though he just said that Alexis was fine. "That's all they would tell me but the doctors won't let me see her. Th—wait, here's Robin. I'm gonna see if she can tell me anything. Just hurry."
Sam tossed her phone aside and turned the key already in the ignition.
"Sam!"
"Jason's fine."
She didn't hear Carly if she said anything else. She nearly hit her with the car, but luckily she jumped out of the way quickly enough.
Kristina sat in the car, hands gripping the steering wheel, her head tilted back in an attempt to hold back the tears.
She didn't want to cry in front of Molly, who would be outside soon.
Six days ago, their mother told them that her lung cancer had returned. Just a week ago, everything was normal, even though that normal was pretty miserable. A week ago, Alexis wasn't possibly dying. Well, she was, but in this case, ignorance was bliss. Now all Kristina could do was worry. She worried about her mom mostly. She worried about Molly and Sam. She worried about herself. What was she going to do if she lost her mother?
She needed to talk to someone right now. She had skipped her last therapy session and her sisters didn't need to hear her whining. There was only one person she wanted to talk to, but he wasn't going to let that happen.
Molly tapped on the window of the passenger seat and smiled.
Usually her sister's sunny disposition annoyed her or made her jealous, but now she was grateful for it. She was thankful that Molly was able to smile right now. And it was definitely contagious.
Kristina smiled back at her sister and unlocked the door. Molly got in the car and surprised Kristina with a hug.
"What are you doing here?" she asked excitedly. "Viola usually picks me up."
"I know, but I asked mom if I could do it today."
"Why?" Molly asked as she put on her seatbelt.
Kristina began to drive away from the school.
"Maybe I just wanted to spend some time with my baby sister." She expected Molly to retort that she wasn't a baby, but she remained silent. Kristina glanced at her and saw her staring out the window.
"What's wrong?"
"Mm, nothing. Just thinking."
"About what?"
Molly turned to Kristina, ready to tell her, when Kristina's phone began to ring from her bag at Molly's feet.
"Can you get that for me?"
"You're not supposed to talk on the phone while driving, Krissy."
"I know, just tell me who it is."
Molly read the caller ID and answered the phone with a smile on her face.
"Hey!" Kristina reprimanded.
"It's Sam," Molly mouthed.
Kristina rolled her eyes and focused back on the road while Molly talked to Sam.
"Okay, I'll tell her right now!"
Kristina peeked at Molly, who had an alarmed look on her face.
"What?" she asked, brows furrowing.
Molly put the phone down and took a deep breath.
"What?" Kristina asked, more agitated.
"First of all, Sam said don't freak out and drive carefully."
"Freak out about what?" Kristina said through gritted teeth, already beginning to tense up.
"Mom's okay."
"Molly, what the hell happened?"
"Kristina, you're freaking out!"
Kristina took a deep breath this time. "Sorry," she said, still looking at the road ahead of her. "I didn't mean to yell. Just tell me what happened."
"Mom's been rushed to the emergency room, but Sam said she's alright now. Mac brought her in. Sam wants us to meet her there."
Kristina had stopped breathing and didn't even realize it until her lungs started to burn. She quickly veered left and changed their path to GH.
"Krissy! Sam said to drive carefully!"
Jason took his phone out of his pocket and saw Sam's picture.
The meeting with the Five Families had just wrapped up, but he still had Franco business to deal with. He was in his office now, staring at the phone, debating internally whether or not to answer. A big part of him wanted nothing more than to hear her voice right now. But he knew that he needed to handle this present threat before he could relax. The decision was made when the vibrating stopped. Jason sighed. He would make it up to her soon.
His phone buzzed three times, alerting him that he had a voicemail, most likely from Sam. Before he could listen to it, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
Spinelli entered the office with his laptop in front of him.
"Do you have anything new for me?" Jason could tell from the young man's expression what the answer was.
"The Jackal regrets to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately, try as I may, the Demented One has virtually disappeared from the cyber grid."
"Yeah," Jason mumbled to himself. "Just keep looking. We can't stop until Franco is dead."
Spinelli looked at his mentor, seeing the determination in his eyes. He had seen this look many times, and it always meant that Jason would reach his goal, no matter what.
He took a seat opposite Jason's and immediately began typing away.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, with the exception of the clicking sounds of the keyboard. Jason decided to take out his phone again to return Sam's call while he waited. Then a small ping came from Spinelli's laptop.
Spinelli's face was contorted in concentration, giving Jason a slither of hope.
"What is it?"
"Well, it...appears that...yes, one of my associates may have a credible lead on Franco."
"'Associates'?"
Spinelli looked up from his laptop and grinned shyly. "Yes, well when you enter the world private investigating, you develop...associates."
Jason sighed, deciding to get on to the point before Spinelli gave him the whole story on how he came to have "associates."
"Whatever. Just tell me what the lead is."
"Right." He looked back to his computer screen. "It seems that Delusional Artist has left a calling card, right here in New York."
"His booking number again? Why w—"
"No, no. This time he left us something a tad more difficult to decipher."
Spinelli turned his laptop around so Jason could see the image.
"What am I looking at?"
Spinelli enhanced the picture on the screen.
"I can't be absolutely sure of the meaning or if there is, in fact, a meaning at all. It doesn't resemble the artist's previous work. However, there is no mistaking that this...collage is meant for you."
Jason looked at the screen, brows knitted. Franco was on a new level of dementia. This new project of his only further proved that Franco didn't care who knew about him. He had nothing to lose.
The two men studied Franco's newest message. There was an assortment of pictures and poems and lone words put together. Jason was already frustrated. It was always a bit of a strain to try to think like Franco and figure out his clues.
Among the patchwork of photographs of Franco's victims and strange wording, one picture in particular caught Jason's eye. A petite raven-haired woman placed on her side in a chalk outline, with her hair covering most of her face. Directly to the right of the picture in big, bold white letters on a black background was the word "NEXT."
Jason knew that Franco was just playing mind games with him. He knew that he would find his latest work and that he would look at every bit of it, trying to figure out what it meant. He knew that he would spot the picture of the woman resembling his girlfriend. Franco knew that Jason would be further provoked into coming after him.
"Check every security camera in that area," Jason said with new severity voice, "and don't even think about coming back and telling me that Franco disappeared again!"
Jason grabbed his phone and marched out of the office, calling Sam on his way out. He got into his car four rings later and slammed his phone on the steering wheel. He then remembered the voicemail and listened to it.
Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I'm at the hospital. I'm alright but Alexis...my mom's sick. I know that you probably have a lot of work to take care of, that's probably why you're not answering. Uh, just give me a call when you can. Maybe I'll see you later? I love you.
Jason breathed a sigh of relief. He felt bad that Alexis was sick, but if anything had happened to Sam... Jason started the car and made his way to the hospital.
