PART 10

Ric felt the shudder roll through the car and looked back in the rearview mirror to see the high profile tower of the Metro Court light up like a Christmas tree with blooms of fire and smoke.

He looked over at Elizabeth, her eyes bright with pain. She rolled back and forth on the seat her arm cradling her belly. "Elizabeth? Elizabeth, answer me!"

She stared at him hardly blinking. "Where are... where are we going?"
Reaching back, Ric gave her arm a squeeze. "I'm taking you somewhere you can get help."

Elizabeth turned toward the windows and peered out into the night. "We're heading away from General Hospital." She moaned, clutching at her stomach. "Why?"

"The others," he caught onto a new part of the lie, "there'll be a big rush at GH," he explained, "a pile up on the freeway and for those injured at Metro Court, they're diverting to other facilities."

Elizabeth twisted to look at him. "They wouldn't... they know-"

Her cry of pain ripped through his heart.

"I'm getting you help, Elizabeth... I'm going to save you both."

Her sobs echoed in the confines of the car.

- The Lobby -

The series of explosions sent shock waves through the building, knocking many to the ground. Lulu was sent sprawling, but Nikolas saw his sister's bright blond hair and pulled her after him.

- Max -

Max reached out for help and called to Carly, but she turned her back and into Sonny's arms as they found their way out of the lobby.

- Sam -

Sam felt at least one person stumble over her legs and another tripped over her, delivering a hard blow into her side. The pain... the blow... all served to push more blood from her body. Her hands tried to staunch the flow but it didn't work.

For once, her brassy attitude didn't help her one bit. The explosions ripped a chuck of the ceiling out and as it fell she thought of Jason and Elizabeth... she met her end with her eyes open and her last words in the smoke laden air. "That bitch."

- The Elevator -

Jason sat down on the elevator floor and stared at Lucky. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same question!" Lucky pounded on the elevator door. He'd already tried every single button on the console. "You're always in the way."

There was a distinct silence from Jason's side of the elevator. He had his phone out and was staring at the screen.

"How did you even find out about this?"

"I was walking by." Jason resisted the urge to shake the phone. No reception was no reception. "Saw the painted windows."

"Hmph." Lucky kicked the door and then hissed in pain. "You weren't here stalking Elizabeth?"

That earned him a look and distinct pulse of muscle in Jason's jaw.

- Luke -

Luke struggled with the console that was pinning him to the ground. The whole security desk had collapsed on him when the explosions shook the hotel. He could feel the pain in his right leg and what worried him most was the leg he couldn't feel. He tried to see the monitors but the screens were all blinking in and out and slashes of darkness were the only thing he could see.

He could almost reach the phone, but he knew, even if he got a call out to the Emergency services they probably wouldn't be able to get to him in time. He could only hope that Lucky was down there... with Lulu... and he'd tell the police where to find him.

- The Elevator -

"You can come clean with me, Jason." Lucky paced back and forth in the cramped space. "I know you've always had a thing for Elizabeth."

Jason put his phone back into his jacket. His mind was focused on finding Elizabeth. She was out there, somewhere. She hadn't been in the lobby and without any knowledge of what damage had been done to the hotel there was no way to know how she was or where she was.

"But you're not going to get her away from me."

He would get Spinelli to check the security cameras.

"She's going to marry me again and we're going to be a family. Elizabeth, the baby, and me."

That got Jason's attention. He gave Lucky a look that stopped Lucky in his tracks. "And Cameron." Jason didn't even wait for the words to register. "What about Elizabeth's son, Cameron. Or were you hoping she'd forget about him as easily as you do?"

- General Hospital -

Emily wouldn't allow anyone to look at her injuries until she'd seen her father. Nikolas stayed with Lulu in the Emergency Room at Emily's insistence and she continued on and met Monica in the hallway.

"How is he?"

Monica, her own concern split between husband and child, tried to look at the gash in Emily's arm as she answered her question. "They have him in surgery. It was touch and go in the ambulance, but the EMT said your father kept talking about Jason."

Emily 's expression was full of shock.

"Did you see Jason there, Emily? Was he?"

"Jason?" Emily shook her head, but her motions slowed as her mind travelled over the events of the last few hours she remembered the man on Alan's right as they took him to the door. He was very different in his manner. Less forceful, less rigid. And then there was the moment he turned back to look over his shoulder at them with his blue eyes.

His very blue eyes.

"Oh my... Jason was there!" Her eyes went wild and she struggled against Monica's restraining grasp. "Jason's in the hotel. I have to go back and get them to look for him."

- The Car -

Elizabeth struggled to hear what Ric was saying over the music playing through the car's speakers. Her ear was right next to one of them and she could only hear pieces of his side of the conversation.

She did hear his last words. "You owe me."