Daydreams

Living in Chaos

"How's Lulu doing?" Carly passed the special soap used to keep any sort of microbial threat to Sam out of her room as they scrubbed up in the hallway, readying to visit their friend.

"I think she'll be a little better once we have Sam to fuss over at the apartment." Maxie sighed. Sam was moving back in with her old roommates in a few days if all went well. Before all this had happened she'd been living above Daydreams Travel Agency in Jenny's old place...the apartment came with the business.

She and Lulu had missed her and she was as happy as Lulu was that she would soon be moving back in . They knew it was temporary as Jason had proposed but then again, it's not like he and Sam had set a date. Sam could have gone home, but she was weak and needed help and wasn't able to do much at all for another few months. Jason had asked her to move in with him but she declined. She said they were still trying to open to each other and even though they pledged a commitment she wanted to take the time before they settled in together.

"Good, they can help each other." Carly smiled softly. She knew it was hard but they all needed each other right now.

Carly and Maxie made their way past the body guards stationed at Sam's door and both smiled excitedly to see Sam sitting in the lounger instead of laying in bed. It was a move that showed she was getting her strength back, little by little.

"Hey guys?" Sam was obviously glad to have visitors. She'd been going crazy wanting out of here. Nearly eight weeks post transplant and she had scarcely seen a view that didn't encompass either the skyline out her window or the isolated hallway outside her door. "Tell me you have my walking papers."

"I heard maybe Friday." Carly didn't want to dampen her mood further but they all knew the score. Sam had to be well enough to weather the risks that the world outside held for her, the simple everyday ones. Jason was working on the not so typical risks, more accurately threats.

Sam groaned with a half throw of her hands, a weak gesture, but pointed nonetheless. "Okay – then give me any other news you've got. How's Daydreams?" Carly had made it a point to keep the agency afloat for Sam with Kristina's help.

"It's fairing well. It would be much better with you at the helm, but we're holding it together." Carly put her mind at ease as she sank into the other lounger, leaving Maxie to sink onto the bed.

"And Lulu's fine too, six months checkup went by with flying colors. Baby Spencer is looking beautiful." Maxie flashed another smile as she rolled onto her stomach and held out the sonogram copy she had for Sam to see it.

"Oh wow. I can actually tell what's what this time." Sam cooed over the picture excitedly.

"Has Jason called?" Carly licked at her lips nervously, interrupting only once the excitement over the sonogram picture had dwindled.

"This morning, but I wish he was here." Sam sighed disheartened. Jason had been out of town for the last few days working with both Sonny's firm and Spinelli to track the bad guys down so that they could end this constant lock down Sonny's guys had them all under.

"I think it's safe to say we all wish that and that this was all over." Maxie pulled herself up to a sit, crossing her legs on the bed at an angle. "I mean would these guys really come after a handful of people they barely saw for a half a second in Peru? Sure they wanted Jason and Johnny...and they got Johnny." Maxie let the moment of sadness pass between them before she went on. "Jason's the only one left and with all the other hit men to go after surely they'll just give up and go after them..."

Carly and Sam looked back at her like she'd lost her mind and Maxie sighed heavily, dropping her shoulders in defeat. "Yeah I know, but it was worth a shot. I can hope, right?"

"They're going after the best in the field." Sam shifted under the blanket rapped around her small frame. "They need their influence I'm sure to encourage or discourage the others that they want to recruit or whatever. Jason, doesn't really talk about it much, but it doesn't take much to put it together, knowing what we do." Sam knew the conversation was over and she was sort of glad as soon as Lulu walked through the door.

"Hey stranger." Sam smiled brightly as Maxie shifted on the bed to give her a place to sit.

"Hey, sorry I know it's been a while. But you're room's all ready at the apartment." Lulu smirked obviously proud of her endeavor.

"You didn't have to go to any trouble." Sam shook her head in dismay but Lulu was shirking it off with ease.

"It wasn't trouble, Sam." Lulu unwrapped her scarf and narrowed her eyes at the worsening storm beyond the window. It had been snowing for the better part of the last two days and it was getting pretty bad out there. No one wanted to worry Sam with it though and they knew she wasn't prone to checking the weather.

Hopefully the roads would all be clear when she was released. "So what are we all talking about?" Lulu settled – getting comfy for some girl talk, glad that they could all share some time with Sam.

ZZZZZZZZZZ

"Are you kidding me?" Jason screamed into the mic that was patched from his headset on the chopper to Spinelli.

"I can't get a line out, not a land line, not a cell line. I don't have internet!" Spinelli replied in horror.

"You're telling me all communication is offline in Port Charles?" Jason felt fear surging in like a blinding high wave crashing against the adrenaline high already coursing through his veins from learning that Proto and his IRA contacts made landfall in New York City four hours ago. He'd been tracking them through his own contacts but they had been covering their tracks insanely well.

Spinelli had some new guy on a killing spree in South America – moving in their direction with a band of notable opposed hit men under his wing and no contact with anyone now.

"There has to be..." Jason started as the pieces started to fall together in a horrid picture of what could be just as Spinelli cut him off.

"Wait, wait..." Spinelli spun looking to the police scanner in horror then swallowed tightly before he placed his headset back on. "Police frequencies are working...there are multiple cell towers down and something glitchy with the central phone stations computer systems, they had a four station crash that knocked all the switchboards out of whack. Somethings jamming the wireless..."

"Proto landed four hours ago and Port Charles is essentially cut off? That is not a coincidence. He's coming after me and the others. Spinelli you have to get mobile, get to Sonny and let him know what's coming. Find a radio frequency he can employ that Proto can't snoop on." Jason felt like he was ready to scream.

Spinelli was already on his feet trying to pack his laptop up as fast as he could. "I'm on it, What's your ETA to the helipad?"

"Half an hour." Jason called back. He looked out the window worriedly as Bagger Barns turned "Heart of Glass" down in an effort to concentrate as he peered through the night and through the snow. Jason covered the mic. "You said you could fly in this...can you land?"

"Piece of cake, brother." Bagger chuckled though there was a look that crossed his face that Jason hadn't seen before, something that for once cut his confidence in the insane pilot, what he saw was fear...

"You know they just grounded air traffic, right?" Spinelli asked as he headed out the door at a jog, guards moving with him. "Get the car, we have to get to Sonny." Spinelli explained to them as he waited to hear from Jason.

"Yeah, trust me, I know." Jason replied as the chopper dipped again and he had to grab a hold of the frame to steady himself. "Don't worry about me. We're landing soon, just get to Sonny and make sure the girls are alright."

ZZZZZZZZZZ

"The enemy has landed." he moved through the ambulance bay of General Hospital just as the power went down and the generators kicked in just to kicked it a second later when a shock wave radiated from the basement from a controlled detonation. "How's the other target?"

"Walking out on the balcony as we speak." He heard through his satellite phone in reply. "Whose with him?"

"Unknown female, please advise."

"Wait until the target is alone and take him out." He replied evenly, keeping his voice low as he moved through the crowd of bustling technicians, nurses, orderlies, and doctors all rushing to stabilize the patients effected by the lack of power.

"Roger that," the line went silent as he pulled open the door to the stairwell and armed himself, ready to fight to get to his goal.

One way or another this was ending tonight.

He'd fought too hard over the last two months to rid the world of this ridiculous feud between the IRA and those that opposed them or wouldn't be strong armed into supporting them, by taking down the biggest players still trying to force others to their side. Now supported by others that felt the same way, Johnny Zacchara, was going to fight his way back to Lulu and their unborn baby...

ZZZZZZZZZZ

"He's not coming back out, you should have taken the shot when you had it." Josie got out in disgust as she grabbed her bag from the backseat and slung it over her shoulder looking sideways at Sasha who was sliding extra clips into his vest.

"I don't want to take out civilians." Sasha replied without missing a beat. "Anthony is one thing, but I like to keep the body count low." He spoke with a heavy Russian accent and cut a look at Josie knowing that the body count wasn't near as much of a concern to her.

If he had his way this would be a solo job, but Johnny thought it better to team up considering how deadly his father could be. "Trust me, who ever's in the house, is not a civilian." Josie shot back.

"Jose, the old man is it." He warned her.

She met his eyes through the white haze drizzle between them and frowned with a sigh. "Whatever, Sash..." She rolled her eyes as they both blended into the night melding into the shadows to gain access to Anthony Zacchara's lush accommodations in Port Charles.

ZZZZZZZZZZ

Sam jumped as a pop signified the night reclaiming the hospital in one fell swoop, the lights and electronics dying all around them with no reprise. Her eyes turned to the window, eyes adjusting to the snow in the moonlight. "The backup generators should kick..." Maxie started but fell silent as a sudden shudder ran through the whole of the building, sending tremors of fear up everyone's spines in tandem.

Carly was on her feet in a heart beat. "What was that?" Maxie and Lulu were getting to their feet as well, everyone looking around as if some sign of what was going on would soon show itself.

"Is everyone alright?" No one got a word in before Max opened the door and the beam of a flashlight shown in, cascading light over the women.

"Max, what was that? Why aren't the backup generators coming on?" Maxie rambled out immediately, everyone looking for answers.

"I don't know, our radio working but the phones are down. We can't get any outside information." Max explained worriedly. "Listen, everyone just get comfortable here. You're safe. We're going to make sure of it." He promised them. "I'll keep you in the loop."

Max quickly exited the room without leaving anyone else room to jump in with more questions as he turned to the two guards there and frowned, not liking this a bit. Something was wrong, very wrong. "Milo, Dane, you two stay put...I'll be right back..." Max made a bee line for the stair well and was almost there when he heard gun fire erupt several floors down from the vicinity he was headed in.

He drew ad aimed at the door just as Justin and Daniel burst through the stairwell door, out of breath from an all out run. "Proto and his men are on a rampage, storming the hospital. I think they're on their way up here." Justin rushed out in explanation...

"How many?" Max rushed out.

"At least 15 in the East stairwell...Max – he's got an army coming up here..."

ZZZZZZZZZZ

"We're having trouble on the roads..." Spinelli looked out the back windshield before he looked back to his computer scanning for any usable wireless. "This storm has taken one hell of a turn."

"Yeah well we're still ten minutes from the Hospital." Jason replied as Spinelli had called him back on the sat phone worried because he hadn't been able to get a hold of Sonny yet. "Look if you haven't talked to him by the time I get there. I'll deal with it." Jason promised him.

"Alright." Spinelli sighed worriedly, closing his eyes a moment. He was scared to death for the girls, this shouldn't be happening. They shouldn't be targets as a means to reel Jason into this game. "Call me when you land..."

"Will do..." Jason ended the conversation missing Spinelli's cry as he looked up from the phone only to realize that the Nolten had lost control of the car, skidding on the ice and they were headed right into a guardrail on the winding road leading to Sonny's...

"Living in Chaos" by The Offspring

"Got a song song, man it goes like this..."

Proto rose from his seat in the front lobby as the chaos began...the rumble of the explosion that took out the generator...the sound of the gun fire from the east stairwell. He smiled to himself as he headed in that direction, waiting for the all clear as he lit his cigar, watching and waiting.

He'd get Morgan's girl, his best friend, whoever else the hell it took to convince the man that it was either his way or death for everything he held dear and everyone he loved...

"East is clear...they sent the Corinthos guys scattering on the third floor where the girl is." Proto looked to his second who held the radio in hand, utilizing one of the only bands not jammed at the moment.

"East it is...hows the west look?" Proto asked quickly.

"Uncompromised. We're holding it as well." Came the reply.

"Let me know if there is a change...lets get these doors locked down...I don't want any more company..." Proto ordered not relishing the idea of the police interfering before he captured his targets.

Proto headed up the East stairwell as the others did as he asked...

"Somewhere the time was right...Could've been gone in ten...This world is hard to fight...hitting you once...hit it again..."

Johnny raced up the west stairwell blending in with the others following Proto, waiting for his moment as he headed toward where he imagined Lulu would be visiting Sam. He took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the pain that rippled through his chest from a wound that hadn't healed quite right.

"To know the way it feels...Everyone gets knocked down...when you get up it's real...taking it back...turn it around..."

Max looked to the stairwell a curse on his lips as he looked behind him to the nurses station. "Justin, go get me six pairs of scrubs, hats, and face masks, gloves the works and hurry the hell up. Milo – Daniel you guys watch the door..." He turned to Sam's room and shoved the door open, gun still in hand.

"Get on it...up on it...get on it...wouldn't want to be you...get on it...up on it...get on it...no one's gonna free you...You know when your keeping it slow...matter where you wanna go...wouldn't want to be you...get on it...up on it...it's on when you're living in chaos..."

Sam had pushed herself to her feet fear dancing through her heart as she heard the muffled gun fire in the distance. This wasn't the storm. When Max burst through the door, gun in hand, it was confirmed. "Change of plans...we're going to get you guys out of here. I need you guys to start stripping down, now...we're going to need to blend in a little better..." He was already pulling his suit jacket off, quickly unbuttoning his shirt.

Sam's eyes widened. Holy shit. This was a little more excitement that she was expecting...

"Somewhere along the lines...things get chipped away...this place keeps going down...get a little worse...everyday..."

They had stripped down to undies by the time Justin rushed in with the scrubs and other accessories. The group rushed to get into the new duds, everyone moving at a mad pace. "Get the clothes in a bag and send them down the laundry chute..." Max motioned to the discarded clothes in the floor. He didn't need the enemy knowing that they had all changed clothes.

Justin hurriedly did so just as Max announced it was time to go and began to usher them out of the room...

Sam would have to risk the exposure.

"I see the hate and greed...swear it's a messed up town...Embrace the pain and see...taking it back...turn it around..."

"Spinelli?" Jason couldn't get an answer and he'd been trying all through the dive towards the hospital rooftop. He looked to Bagger worriedly and shook his head. They'd been picking up a few stray radio communications and it was not good. They were hearing Doctors trying to call in to the EMA and PCPD to let them know that the hospital was under siege.

In fact were it not for a few staff on the roof top with flashlights Bagger never would have been able to find the Hospital to land...

"Get on it...up on it...get on it...wouldn't want to be you...get on it...up on it...get on it...no one's gonna free you...You know when your keeping it slow...matter where you wanna go...wouldn't want to be you...get on it...up on it...it's on..."

Jason cleared the helicopter with a not so clear plan in mind as he quickly questioned the staff on the roof top to find out what they knew about the position of the enemies. Seemed the West stairwell was congested with bad asses.

Jason turned back to the chopper and headed back for a few more supplies, finally ending up decked out with guns and a nice measure of rope coiled over his left shoulder. He started to the stairwell with purpose as he checked the magazine in the automatic in hand. Jason opened up the roof access door with a single shot...quickly shifting his aim to take out the two guards that were rushing in his direction before he stopped just long enough to tie the rope he had off to the top rail before he tossed the rest of the length down the middle of the stairwell.

Jason pulled his gloved tight and took the robe in hand, after looping it around his waist, taking the automatic in his right hand before jumping over the rail into free fall, the rope his guideline.

"Falling...falling...falling...falling..."

Jason opened fire at everyone moving along the stairs as the bad guys had already cleared the hospital personnel off them...He was falling at the perfect spin to catch everyone moving along the stairs, up or down, they had no cover to dive for. Man after man after man...possibly fifteen in all had fallen by the time his feet touched the floor and he quickly looked to head back up to the third floor to find Sam and the others and make sure they were all alright.

"Ya, ya, ya, ya...Ya, ya, ya, ya...Ya, ya, ya, ya...Ya, ya, ya, ya..."

Johnny saw the rope drop and looked up the middle of the stairwell catching a glimpse of Jason before he heard the automatic on full open fire just above him. He had just enough time to dive through the second story floor door and roll behind a metal meal cart to take cover before he heard the others going down in a hail of bullets.

Johnny couldn't hide the growing smile...he wasn't the only one not pulling punches...

"Got a song song, man it goes like this..."

"The west hall is under..." The call couldn't be finished as the man on the radio went down, riddled with bullets from the man in free fall...Proto frowned hearing the message as his second, Juan tried to get the man back on the horn, only to find only silence as greeting...

They shared a concerned glance before they quickened their pace...

"Somewhere the time was right...Could've been gone in ten...This world is hard to fight...hitting you once...hit it again..."

Jason was at an all out run, bounding up the steps when he heard the creak from the right and saw a flash of metal as the door began to open to from the second floor. He barreled into the door slamming it into the man's arm that was trying to come out on him, the force of the impact forcing the gun from his hand as he screamed out.

"Jason!" Jason looked to the window of the door in horror as he recognized the voice of a ghost and he met Johnny's Zacchara's eyes through the glass.

"Holy..." Jason released his hold on the door, letting him go as Johnny doubled over pain coursing through his arm and side. "You alright?" He asked him in wonder, not really having time to find out how this miracle reunion was even possible.

"Peachy...lets kill these fuckers..." Johnny replied grabbing his gun from the floor.

Jason gave a nod with a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips as he gave Johnny a pat on the shoulder. "Nice to have you back..."

"To know the way it feels...Everyone gets knocked down...when you get up it's real..."

Max moved them as fast as he could but he knew he was already pushing Sam as he could hear her labored breathing at his back. Now dressed as Hospital personnel he was hoping that the enemy would drop their guard around them so that he and the others could get the drop on them. It was his best bet to keep the girls safe.

Max turned to look to Milo as his brother as the man also realized just how much help Sam needed. Milo wasn't forceful but he quickly swept Sam into his arms, moving to take a more guarded position in the midst of the group to protect her.

"Falling...falling...falling...falling..."

Josie looked over her shoulder to Sasha's disapproving face as he glared daggers into the back of her head. So she'd taken out a few house hold staff. They knew what the score was. They knew they worked for a dangerous man and that he did horrible things. "Don't look so pissed..."

"This isn't pissed I assure you." Anthony replied from his position on his knees.

"Not you." Josie huffed as she kept her aim at the back of his head. She wasn't one to draw something out. She fired the shot and watched as his body fell before she looked back to Sasha. "Done...help me with the body so we can get out of this blasted cold..."

"Living in chaos..."