Authors Note: Okay, I am gonna just throw it out there, kinda nervous about this chapter. I hope you all buckle up cuz from here on out it's gonna get a little crazy. This is a little shorter than the other chapters . . . but again I hope you like!

Chapter Ten

The scar on his chest still itched. Just like the persistent itch in the back of his skull if he stayed in one place for too long. For days he felt as though his skin had become two sizes too small, making every nerve in his body taunt, and his temper flare. Knowing until he got to the bottom of the betrayal, and right the wrong done to him and his family, he would gladly suffer through it.

The asshole who had been the ringleader was already bound and gagged in some remote cabin no one would ever find. His instructions had been very specific. As soon as the douche healed, and still refused to talk, they were to make him bleed, make him hurt, do anything their little hearts desired as long as they didn't kill the bastard. Not yet. Because when this was over he was going to do the deed himself with a song in his heart and a smile on his face.

Scaling the fence with ease, he couldn't help but smirk at people's stupidity. There must be a couple hundred thousands of dollars' worth of construction equipment just sitting around the lot waiting to be taken. Not to mention the cargo tucked neatly inside the warehouse to his right, which could be acquired with only a set of junior lock picks and five minutes of his time. But he wasn't there to take anything; he was only using their lack of security to serve his own purpose.

Sticking close to the shadows, pulling the hood of his black sweatshirt securely over his head, he kept his ears open for anything out of the ordinary. Just as he thought, the only sound being swallowed by the crisp night air came from his own size eleven boots as they crunched over random piles of gravel while he headed to his destination.

Reaching another fence, just as flimsy as the first, he made quick work of getting to the other side. His eyes scanning the area to make sure he was alone, before heading to the meet up point. From his vantage point he could keep his eye on the top of the alley, as well as the main dock that led down to the Haunted Star.

Not having to wait long he heard the telltale shuffle of tennis shoes headed in his direction. It'd been months, but there was no way to miss the owner to the awkward gait. When the younger man came into sight, he waited to make sure he wasn't followed.

"Stone Cold?" With a whisper that could wake the dead, Jason rolled his eyes, knowing if waited another moment longer Spinelli would pull attention to them.

"Here." Stepping away from the wall and out of the shadows, Jason pushed back his hood.

Spinelli's features went from shock to amazement to unrestrained glee, he braced himself as his friend threw himself at him and wrapped his arms around his midsection. "When I got your Batcode I dared not believe my eyes. I told myself someone was being nefarious and trying to pull me into their web of deceit. But here you are! You're back my Protector of the Night. The people of Port Charles will rejoice."

"Spinelli." Trying to detangle himself, Jason took a step back regretting his sharp tone. "I need you to listen to me. No one can know I'm alive. I mean no one."

"B-But." Stepping away, his eyes widening as large as saucers, Spinelli gapped at him. "You can't mean that. What about your Fair Samantha? So much as transgressed since we last parted ways. Don't you in the very least want to see your son?"

"Of course I do." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jason tried to push away the ache inside him. "But until I take care of this it's important no one knows I'm back."

"So you are in need of my skills?" Spinelli's tone sounded hallow, but his upturned eyes expressed his loyalty.

Pulling a folded piece of paper from his back pocket Jason held it out of Spinelli's reach. "I need you to find as much information about the people on this list."

"Can I inquire as to the reason?" Seeing the stone wall go up, he quickly added. "It may assist me in uncovering the knowledge which you seek."

Knowing he was asking a lot, Jason shifted his thoughts around. He hadn't wanted to pull the younger man into the mess any deeper than he already was. There were others with computer skills he could have hired. Hell he could've thrown a fifty and a six pack of Red Bull at any High School student with a laptop to do a few simple searches. It was what he needed done after that required someone he could trust. Right now, Damian Spinelli was the only person inside the town lines he trusted.

Coming to a decision, Jason knew Spinelli deserved the truth. "Jake's alive."

"Holly crap." Spinelli's words sounded like a hand grenade detonating in the silence of the night, prompting Jason to slap a hand over the younger man's mouth.

The two stared at one another, Spinelli's eyes huge in shock, Jason's cold and steady. When some of the tension eased from the smaller man's frame, Jason felt he was safe from any further outbreaks. "I'm going to remove my hand."

"My deepest apologies." Spinelli wheezed, his hand to his chest as he tried to suck in air to his lungs. "How?"

"I don't know." Rubbing the back of his neck, Jason gritted his teeth. "What I do know, Jerry Jacks is behind it."

"He's alive too?" Spinelli muttered. "Does anyone in this town ever really die?"

"He's alive, for now." His tone low and menacing, it promised the man wouldn't be alive for long. "I remember getting shot, after that not much until I woke up in some cabin. I could hear people moving around and talking. I waited until it got dark out to try and escape." It'd been too easy, finding his door unlocked and no guard posted. Almost as though he'd been expected to wake up and try to make a break for it. He remembered moving slowly down the hall, his muscles weak from lack of use, and that little matter of a bullet made his chest feel as though it were on fire.

He'd been rounding the corner, when a small boy with his eyes his mother's lips crept out of the shadows. At first he'd wondered if he was hallucinating. Not knowing how long they'd stood there, staring at one another, until the child spoke.

"I remember you." The child's voice was small, confused and haunted. It made his blood freeze as all the pieces snapped into place.

Jake was standing five feet in front of him. His son was alive.

He clearly remembered taking a step forward. Four feet, dear God he'd only been four freaking feet away, so close he could see a dusting of freckles on the bridge of Jake's nose. About to close the gap, fully intending to gather Jake in his arms and make a run for it, he was stopped two feet from his destination by a bone crunching blow to the back of his head. If he hadn't been whacked with what he assumed was a tree, he would've killed Jerry Jacks with his bare hands when his arrogant, rat like face swam into his view.

When he awoke again, the cabin was completely empty. Every room had evidence of life. The kitchen cupboards were packed with food, the bathroom floor was littered with damp towels, and even the bedrooms had items left behind as though whoever been there didn't have enough time to pack everything.

It wasn't until he'd reached the last room, when any doubt of what he'd seen went up like smoke. The smallest room in the back of the house clearly was the domain of a small male child. The floor was littered with matchbox cars, and broken crayons. But it was the bed that drew his attention. Peeking out from underneath the pillow was a round black plastic piece which when pulled out to be inspected was all the proof he'd needed that he hadn't been seeing things. Jake was alive and the bastard who took him was going to pay.

Listening to his hero's story, Spinelli began to pace. His mind reeling until Jason had finished and gone quiet. "What is it that you found that proves beyond a doubt the boy is none other than Little Stone Cold?"

Pulling the object from his jacket Jason held it out. "I gave this to Jake. It went missing after we thought he was dead."

Staring down at the yellow motorcycle in Jason's palm, Spinelli nodded. If that was all his friend needed to prove his son was alive, then it was good enough for him. "So we need to hunt down The Evil-Doer."

"I already have him." A sinister smile spread across Jason's lips. "Let's just say he doesn't think I hit like a girl anymore."

Clearly confused over Jason's choice of words, Spinelli felt a shiver go up his spine and knew better than to ask. "Then I guess the next phase is to get that amoral man to fess up, to reveal the location of your son."

"Switzerland." Jason answered.

Confused again, Spinelli thought for a moment before speaking. "I apologize, clearly I am befuddled as to why you are here instead of retrieving the little lad."

"Because, I know Jerry didn't do this on his own. He had help." Waiving the forgotten piece of paper, Jason went on. "I want to know who. Until we locate every last person who was involved, or who had knowledge of what was done, Jake won't be safe."

About to speak, Spinelli snapped his mouth close when the sounds of laughter drifted from the dock leading up to the Haunted Star. Their heads turned as one, as they scanned the area to locate where the noise was coming from. A couple could be seen, walking slowly up the planks. Almost tiny dots in the distance, their steps slowed until they stopped directly under one of the overhead lamps.

"Elizabeth." Almost a whisper, Jason narrowed his eyes trying to distinguish the man she was talking to. They were too far away, and it was too hard to tell. By the man's height and shape he knew it was Lucky. Thank God for small blessings. "Who's she with?"

"As I was trying to tell you before; much has transgressed since you were here last." Licking nervously at his lips, Spinelli looked over in the direction of Elizabeth. "There is no gentle way to say this, but soon after we thought you had perished your brother AJ came back from the dead."

Jason's head snapped to the right, his eyes flashed in Spinelli's direction. "AJ?"

"Ah, yes." His head nodding like a bobble head, Spinelli took a step back.

Too many emotions flood through him. Anger, relief, guilt, rage, disgust all warred with one another inside his veins. "What's he doing with Elizabeth?"

"From what I have gathered through the hospital grapevine we are witnessing their first date." Spinelli muttered quickly under his breath.

Rubbing at his forehead, his nostrils flaring with each deep breath he took, Jason looked back up and felt his stomach turn to lead. His bastard of a brother was kissing Elizabeth. "How long has this been going on?"

"Well my sweet, sweet Ellie mentioned they were going to dinner, so maybe a few hours . . . but of course you mean how long they've been courting." Spinelli gulped when a pair of ice blue eyes sliced through him. "I honestly don't know I've had my own turmoil's as of late."

His eyes cutting back to where his brother was doing a damn fine job of nearly sucking Elizabeth's face off, Jason was tempted to break up their little impromptu make out session. But no matter how it burned his ass, he couldn't expose himself. Not yet anyways, but when this was over, and Jake was back home safe, AJ would know he crossed a line.

A clearing of a throat pulled him from his dark place as Spinelli tried to gingerly pry the paper from his grasp. "Perhaps we should discuss your list."

Letting him take the paper, Jason kept his eyes on the 'couple', almost waiting for AJ to do something stupid. Taking advantage of his silence, Spinelli nodded through the names on the page until his eyes landed on the last name. "Ah – Um – I think there must be some kind of oversight."

Knowing without a doubt that the other man had reached to the end of the list, Jason heaved out a sigh. "There's no mistake. Everyone on that list is there for a reason. Either they were present the day of the accident, had something to gain, or have done something in the past to prove they aren't worth trusting."

"B-But, I mean no disrespect. You couldn't have meant to . . ."

With a humorless smirk, Jason shook his head. He could still taste the bottom shelf Tequila burning past his lips, to flow over his tongue before burning its way down his throat as he scratched the last name on the list. It'd taken him three weeks to add it to the already too long list of suspects. It nearly killed him, having to face the possibility they could possibly be involved. No matter how he spun it, or tried to make excuses, the facts never seemed to change.

"I meant to." It was all he was going to say on the matter, and his tone told Spinelli not to fight him on it. "We'll meet again next Saturday."

Spinelli stood gloomily looking down at the paper, almost wishing the dreaded thing would disappear. When Jason's words floated around his head for a moment, his automatically nodding head snapped up. "There may be an ittsy-bitsy problem with next Saturday."

"Spinelli this is important."

"Yes, I couldn't agree more." The younger many heartily agreed. "But, you see there's a prior engagement I am required to attend. My absence would be suspect."

"What?"

"It's the matter of your Memorial Service."