Author's Note:
Just wanted to say thank you again for all of the comments. Much appreciated. Things are about to take a bit of a dark turn but just bear with me. I promise I will have the next chapter up soon.
Chapter 12
Dante was searching everywhere for Lulu, calling out her name just hoping she would answer or pop out of somewhere saying it was all a joke. He had called the staff to come and help him look. He had the worst feeling about all of this. Lulu wouldn't just disappear without telling him.
Lulu was shocked to see Scott Baldwin's sneering face staring back at her. She then noticed the gun in his hand. He leered at her dressed only in a sheet and then he tossed her some clothes to put on. She quickly dressed under the sheet while he watched. Once she was dressed she found her voice "What do you want? Why am I here?"
"You are here Leslie Lu, because you killed my son and that had the nerve to skip along and have yourself a happy life. My son didn't get that chance at a happy life thanks to you."
"You know that it was an accident. He was coming after me and I was just trying to protect myself! Where is Dante? So help me god if you did anything to him" Lulu threatened.
"Not that you are in any position to be threatening people but your husband is just fine. I'm sure he is waking up right now alone and wondering where you are. Maybe even starting to panic." Scott sneered.
"What is the purpose of all of this? Are you going to kill me as revenge for your son?" Lulu demanded.
"Maybe I will and maybe I won't. That depends."
"Depends on what?" Lulu asked.
"Depends on if your father cares enough about you to come after you. I'm going to kill a Spencer. It will either be you or Luke since you both had a hand in destroying my life. I'll give him a chance to exchange his life for yours and if he doesn't come, I'll kill you." Scott explained.
Lulu knew immediately that she was doomed. Her father didn't care enough about her to even attend her wedding. He surely wouldn't exchange his life for hers, not that she would want him to anyway. "How long do I have?"
"You already sound defeated. No faith in dear old daddy?" Scott taunted. "You have until February 14th. Valentine's Day. Your brand new husband was stupid enough to marry you. Now he will always be able to remember the anniversary of your death. He should be receiving my instructions right about now."
Dante had spent hours frantically searching for Lulu when the butler came up to him with an envelope. "This just arrived for you sir."
Dante tore it open and a note and a bunch of pictures fell out. He picked up the photos one by one. They were of him and Lulu, asleep in bed together last night. The note read:
Hello Detective,
You don't know me but your wife sure does. She killed my son and got away with it, until now. You have until February 14th to save her life. Produce Luke Spencer and get him to agree to exchange his life for hers. A Spencer will die on February 14th. It is in your hands which one it is. Don't bother searching for us because by the time you have received this letter, Lulu and I will be on a plane to parts unknown. Our location will not be revealed until you have Luke Spencer and are ready to make the exchange. Your time would be best spent looking for him. He doesn't make himself easy to find.
Regards,
Logan's Father, Scott Baldwin
Dante was speechless. His wife had been taken right out of their bed. Right out from under his nose. He turned to the butler "Who delivered this?" he demanded to know.
"I don't know sir, it was just sitting on the front porch. I didn't see anyone around."
Dante knew whoever had delivered it wouldn't be able to provide any clues. If Scott Baldwin was able to get Lulu out of their bed without Dante even waking up, he would have had this letter delivered without a trace. He couldn't believe this was happening. His wife was gone and he had to get her back. There was no other alternative.
"Get Sonny's plane ready right now. I have to go back to Port Charles."
He had to find Luke Spencer and get him to agree to Scott's terms. He knew Lulu wouldn't want Luke to sacrifice himself for her but he didn't care. It was about time Luke Spencer put his daughter before himself. On the way to the airport, he left frantic messages for Lucky and Nik that Lulu had been taken and he needed to find Luke in order to get her back. The flight home was torture. All he could think about was Lulu and what Scott might be doing to her.
Scott had one of his men restrain Lulu to a plane seat with rope and handcuffs. He wasn't taking any chances that she would just cooperate and behave. She was a Spencer after all.
"How did you get to me?" Lulu asked. "Dante is not a sound sleeper. He wouldn't have just slept through you kidnapping me out of our bed."
"I injected you both with a drug to keep you in a deep, almost coma like sleep. I was able to take you right from his arms and he didn't even stir."
Lulu knew this was going to haunt Dante. That Scott was able to take her right from his arms and he didn't wake up. She already missed him terribly and the thought of never seeing him again was unbearable. She wanted to cry but knew she couldn't show weakness in front of her captor. She had to stay strong and try to figure out a way of this. She knew her Dad was a lost cause, if Dante would even be able to find him. She would never want him to exchange his life for hers anyway. She couldn't live with that. She wondered where Scott was taking her. All of the shades on the windows of the plane were down. She had no idea how long she was out so she couldn't even gage how long the flight was. She saw Scott reach into a bag and pull out a needle and started to panic. "No, please, what are you doing?"
"I'm making sure you have no way of figuring out where we land." Scott said as he injected Lulu while she struggled against her restraints. The drug took only seconds to work and she passed out.
Dante raced over to Sonny's place as soon as he landed in Port Charles. He had to start somewhere on his search to find Luke and Sonny had been friends with Luke for a long time. He was able to help Dante find Lulu at the Bordello over the summer, maybe he could help track down Luke.
Sonny was in his living room sitting at the desk when Dante barged in. "Dante you are back! How was the trip?" Immediately he could tell something was very wrong. "What happened?"
"Scott Baldwin took Lulu. I have to track down Luke and get him to agree to exchange his life for hers. I need you to help me find him." Dante explained.
"Scott Baldwin? How the hell did Scott Baldwin get Lulu?"
"Sonny he took her right out of bed. We enjoyed our last night on the island, went to sleep, I woke up and she was gone. I got a note and pictures this morning. I have to find Luke. Do you have any ideas on where he might be?"
"Dante, I'm sorry, I don't. I tried to find him before the wedding but had no luck. When Luke Spencer doesn't want to be found, he won't be found."
"I don't care what Luke wants." Dante yelled. "I'm going to find him and I'm going to save my wife! Now are you going to help me or not?"
"Dante, I'll do anything I can. I will get all of my people on it." Sonny promised. He couldn't believe this had happened. Dante looked like he was about to lose it completely and Sonny didn't blame him.
"I'm going to talk to Tracy and see if she knows anything. You call me if your people find anything." Dante said as he stormed out.
Lulu woke up in a cold, damp cell in what appeared to be an old dungeon. Her leg was shackled so she couldn't go very far from the wall. There was a bed and nothing else in the cell with her. She needed to figure out how to get out of this. She knew Dante wasn't going to be able to find Luke and she didn't want him risking his own life to save hers. Dante. She knew he must be frantic to find her and worried sick.
"Your husband is already back in Port Charles." Scott's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "He is storming around town looking for leads on Luke. What do you think the odds are that he is successful?
Lulu stayed silent. She knew the chances of Dante finding Luke were slim to none. She didn't doubt that her husband would go to the ends of the earth to save her. These circumstances were just impossible and she prayed that he didn't get hurt in the process.
Dante had gone to see Tracy with no luck. Tracy had no information on Luke and was furious with Dante for not protecting Lulu. He decided to return to the loft to regroup and think about his next move. He opened the door and entered their apartment for the first time in almost a month. He thought he would be returning home with his new wife after their blissful honeymoon. He never thought he would be returning without her. There were reminders of Lulu everywhere. The wedding gifts were stacked up on and around the dining room table. Lulu's purses were all hanging by the door. Her stilettos were sitting by the couch where she had last kicked them off. Dante knew he couldn't shut down. He had to keep moving and come up with a plan. He racked his brain trying to figure out who might be able to help him find Luke. He knew Laura had not had any contact with him since they discussed it while they were in Paris. He also knew neither of her sons had checked in recently either. He decided to go see Ethan next. He had to tell him about Lulu and he might have some clues about where Luke could have gone. He showered and put on fresh clothes, took one last glance at Lulu's shoes sitting by the couch and left for the Haunted Star.
Ethan was behind the bar pouring himself a drink when Dante arrived. "Hey! It is my new brother-in-law!" Ethan greeted Dante. He immediately noticed the look on Dante's face and realized something was very wrong. "What is it? What happened? Where is Lulu?"
"Lulu has been taken. Scott Baldwin kidnapped her from Sonny's island and I have to produce Luke in order to get her back. I need you to help me find him. Where could he be?" Dante demanded.
"Lulu has been kidnapped? Why would he do that?" Ethan asked frantically.
"He wants revenge because of Logan. Tell me have you had ANY contact with Luke? Your sister's life is at stake here man. I have to get my wife back."
"I'm sorry mate. I haven't heard from Luke since he left town after Lulu told him about the engagement. Last I heard he was running some jewel con with Helena. Have you called Nik or Lucky?"
"I called them both and got no response. I was in Greece with Lulu this summer on Helena's island. Do you think Luke might have gone back there?"
"He may have but I have no way of knowing for sure." Ethan responded.
"It is all I have at this point. I'm going to Greece to look for him. I need you to keep calling Lucky and if there is anything else you can think of call me immediately." Dante ran out of the Haunted Star to go get back on Sonny's plane.
A week later Dante was back in Port Charles and no closer to finding Luke. He had made it into Helena's compound but there was no sign of Luke or any other Cassadines. He searched the whole island and came up with nothing. He had no idea what to do next or where to look. He was feeling hopeless and things only got worse when another letter from Scott came, this time via email and with a video clip attached. The email read:
Dear Detective,
Looks like you aren't having any luck tracking down Luke Spencer. I thought you were a better detective than that. Time is running out and a Spencer is going to die.
Regards,
Scott Baldwin, Logan's Father
The video clip attached was of Lulu. His Lulu. Trapped in some kind of cell in what looked like a dirty, dark, damp dungeon. Her leg was shackled to a wall and she was sleeping in a small, uncomfortable looking bed. Her face looked gaunt and there were dark circles under her eyes. She looked nothing like the vibrant, healthy woman he last saw on his honeymoon. How could this have happened to her in a week? What was Scott doing to her?
He forwarded the email and clip to Spinelli in hopes that he might be able to trace the origins. He knew he had to get some sleep because he was no use to Lulu without a sharp mind. He hadn't slept in days except for napping on various planes. He went to lay down on the bed. Their bed. He could still smell her shampoo on her pillow. He fell into a fitful, exhausted sleep and hoped that when he woke up, this would all turn out to be a bad dream.
The next morning, Dante woke up and turned to Lulu's side of the bed to pull her close. As soon as he felt the cold sheets there, he remembered that she was gone. Taken from him while he slept in their honeymoon bed. His phone rang. "Falconari" he gruffly answered.
"Dante it is Lucky."
"Lucky? Where the hell have you been? Have you seen your father? " Dante demanded.
"I'm in Ireland. I have been in the countryside for the last few weeks and my phone didn't work. I haven't seen or heard from my father. Why does Scott Baldwin have Lulu? Do you have any leads on where they might have gone?"
"I have nothing. He won't even give me a clue on where they are in the world until I can produce Luke. I need you to help me find him Lucky. I have to get Lulu back."
"I'm coming to Port Charles. I will be there later tonight. Meet me at the Haunted Star at 7."
Dante hung up the phone and had a tiny bit of hope. Lucky would know better than anyone where Luke might go.
Lulu woke up and turned over to snuggle into Dante. She then remembered she was in the dungeon prison cell and Dante wasn't there. Her leg was sore from where the shackle rubbed her skin raw. She was listless, hopeless and tired. She couldn't eat. The only time she was allowed out of her cell was to use the facilities and shower. Scott stayed in the room with her while she did both, not taking any chances that she might escape. She felt disgusting that this man watched her in what should be private moments. It just added to the despair of her situation. She almost wished he would just kill her and get it over with since she knew Luke was not going to turn up. She missed Dante terribly. She would give anything to hear his voice again and to feel his arms wrapped around her. The thought that she would never get to see him again was just too much. She spent most of her time in her cell sleeping in hopes that she would dream about him.
Dante was waiting at the Haunted Star for Lucky at 7pm sharp. Ethan was already there. Lucky arrived right on time and wanted to get right to work "Tell me everything that happened from the wedding on."
"Lulu was sad that most of her family wasn't able to attend the wedding." Dante started and looked at Lucky pointedly. "So I surprised her with a trip to Paris to visit Laura. We spent three days with Laura seeing the sights and then we flew to Sonny's island to spend three weeks. The last morning, I woke up and she was gone. I got pictures and a letter from Scott telling me he took her and that I had to produce Luke and exchange his life for hers."
"Scott must have seen you in Paris. He keeps tabs on my mother." Lucky surmised.
"I felt like we were being watched in Paris. I thought I was just being paranoid and Lulu told me to take my detective hat off." Dante knew he should have gone with his instincts that something wasn't right. Now Lulu might pay the price.
"We have to go Paris and see if we can find any leads. Have you told my mother what happened?" Lucky asked.
"I didn't want to upset her."
"She is going to be more upset if we don't tell her. Will Sonny let us use his plane?"
"Yes, he gave me the plane until Lulu is home safe."
"Ethan, you need to keep trying to find Dad. Follow up on anything you can think of." Lucky ordered.
Lucky and Dante arrived in Paris the next day and went straight to see Laura. She was happy to see Lucky at first until she saw Dante and no Lulu.
"What has happened? Where is my little girl?" Laura demanded.
"Mom, I need you to remain calm. Lulu has been kidnapped by Scott Baldwin. He wants revenge for what happened to Logan. He will only let her go if we find Dad and exchange him for her." Lucky explained carefully.
Laura collapsed on the couch in tears. "Not my baby. We have to get her back!"
"We need your help to find her or find Luke so we can at least get Scott to tell us where they are." Dante sat next to Laura on the couch. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect her. I will do anything to get her back."
Laura grabbed Dante's hand. "I know honey. I could see how much you love her when you came to visit. She told me how you saved her a number of times already. I know you would give your life for her if you had to."
Later that night, Dante was tossing and turning in a Paris hotel room. They had brainstormed with Laura all day and came up with nothing. He didn't want to waste time sleeping but Lucky insisted that they rest so they could be fresh to start again tomorrow. All he could think about were the images of Lulu in that cell. She looked so frail. His heart ached thinking about what might be happening to her.
Days later, they still didn't have any leads on Luke or Scott Baldwin. The February 14th deadline was tomorrow and they had nothing to go on. They had tried all of the suggested places that Laura thought Luke might go and turned up nothing. Wherever he had gone, he didn't want to be found this time. Dante was feeling hopeless and the latest video clip from Scott didn't help. Lulu was awake in this one but she was just sitting there, staring at the wall. She looked despondent and defeated. She knew she was going to die and that nobody was coming to save her.
