part 25
- Mile marker 215 -
As Craig skirted around the sedan, he had to give Ewen some credit. It couldn't have been easy to exercise control over an out of control car in full spin... and yet, he maneuvered the car so that the driver's side of the vehicle had taken the brunt of the impact.
When he reached the driver's door, he saw Ewen begin to come around from his shock, his hands grasping for the seat belt release. "Elizabeth?"
Craig bent down a little and saw the young mother out cold.
Reaching out his hand, Craig yanked open the door and pulled Ewen from the car by his shirt.
The psychiatrist was calling out to his passenger. "Elizabeth, wake up... you need to hear what I have to say."
"I think," Craig interjected, "YOU need to hear what I have to say, Ewen."
Weak from the impact, Ewen could only blink at the man who was holding him up on his feet. "She's not a part of this... let her go."
"I don't know," Craig reasoned, "she's pretty to look at... has men falling at her feet enough... I might want to keep her for awhile... have a little fu-"
"She's pregnant!" Ewen's hands grasped Craig's shirt as he spat blood. "Leave her alone."
A soft moan from the car caught their ears. The moan became a sob and then a cry. "Please? Someone..."
Ewen tried to press his luck. "Just call 911 and get her some help... please, I-"
"My baby," they didn't have to see her face to know her tears flowed freely down her cheeks, "my baby."
Craig watched Ewen's expression and couldn't help the chuckle that fell from his own lips. "You're half-way in love with the girl and it's only been days! What is it about Queen Elizabeth, hmm?"
- Corinthos Coffee SUV -
Jason pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose to ease the pain in his head. Even when Spinelli was mumbling something into the phone he couldn't shut out the little voice repeating words in the back of his head.
Cameron Webber, every inch his mother's son, had put such trust in Jason that he felt ultimately humbled by it. Would he do everything in his power to save her, yes? Would he die for her and their child? Yes... but the sound of Cam's voice and the feel of his hand on Jason's skin as he told the mob enforcer, 'You'll bring her back, Jason... I know it,' cut him down to his soul. He would move heaven and earth to get them back.
And then, he decided, then he was going to make sure he never left them alone again. Never.
- Mile marker 215 -
Craig listened to Ewen as the man babbled out his excuses for what he'd done. He told Craig the dirt that Lansing had on him... that he'd killed a man before... killed him for revenge. He told him about what Ric had made him do to Elizabeth... altering her memories... and how she'd fought him, asking for Jason the whole time. And how, as Elizabeth was wedged into the car, half unconscious, she was still asking for Jason more than Ric.
"Well, you want me to have sympathy for you, Ewen? Mercy? And yet you tried to take her memories... her very life from her? Isn't that another form of death?"
A distinct gurgle of sound escaped Ewen's lips and a froth of bloody bubbles filled the back of his mouth. "Please... she needs to hear the words."
"I think this is beyond what 'I'm Sorry' can fix, Ewen."
"No," he gasped, his eyes starting to roll back in his head, "the command to bring her back... it's... it's..." Ewen's face went slack and his body tore itself from Craig's grasp as the dead weight crumpled to the ground at his feet.
"Well," Craig sighed, "that was unfortunate."
- Corinthos Coffee SUV -
Jason squinted into the distance, one of the many closed roadside stores seemed to be a little busy. Smoke, still visible in the night sky, told him there'd been an accident. As he pulled the car to the side of the road he saw Craig, the man from the Metro Court, approaching the passenger side of a sedan.
He didn't have to see the car to know that Elizabeth was in it.
Throwing the car into P Jason leapt out and reached for his gun. "Move away from the car."
- Mile marker 215 -
Craig closed his eyes for a moment, cursing himself for being so distracted. "Jason Morgan, how nice of you to stop by and assist."
"Move away from the car or I'll shoot you where you stand."
"Oh," Craig laughed, "I don't think you will. You see," I'm standing right over Elizabeth Webber and I'd hate to think that she might be in the line of fire."
There was a shift in temperature, Craig was sure of it. The air around him suddenly became very cold.
"I don't miss."
"All right." Craig began to back away from the car. "I can see we're at somewhat of an impasse, but I believe-"
Jason put a bullet through the back of his head. He had no time to waste on the man. He had to get to Elizabeth.
- PCPD Cruiser -
Lucky couldn't believe his luck. On the other side of the highway was Jason Morgan's SUV and the son of a bitch shot a man... right there where he saw it. Swerving his car over the dirt median, Lucky turned on the sirens and lights and fumbled for his gun, a little throw away piece he'd picked up on a dark corner in Port Charles.
- Mile marker 215 -
Jason didn't waste time trying to see what police officer had pulled over he reached down and opened the passenger door. Crouching down beside Elizabeth he searched her body for any injuries. Finding no blood on the surface he touched the side of her face. "Elizabeth... please... open your eyes."
"Jason!" The unmistakable sound of Lucky's Spenser's voice grated on his nerves. "Step away from the car, Jason."
The irony of the moment did nothing to lighten Jason's growing temper. "Lucky, we need to get help for Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth?" The squeak in the boy's tone didn't help matters. "But she's... She's dead!"
"She's been in and accident, Lucky. We need to get her to General Hospital."
"How do I know she's really in there and you're not faking this so that I'll- You've had her hidden all this time? Damn you, Jason... I can't believe you kept her from me! Think of all the pain I went through, I-"
"Lucky!" Jason turned his face toward his shoulder."Shut up and call for help, dammit!"
The noise must have broken through. "Please... I need help."
"Elizabeth?" Jason smiled the slightest bit. "I need you to open your eyes and tell me if you're hurt."
Boots on gravel told Jason that Lucky was moving closer. "She's really in there? Elizabeth?"
Her eyes flickered open for a moment and they fell on Jason's face. "No... no!" She tried to turn, looking at the car. "Where's Ric?"
"Ric?" Lucky's voice crashed against Jason's eardrums. "What the hell has he got to do with this?"
Elizabeth pressed against the seat. "Did you... did you cause the accident?" She couldn't see the plain shock on Jason's face. "Did you hit our car? Ric said Sonny wanted us gone... " She began to gasp over and over again, her body threatening to hyperventilate.
"No," Jason barely found his voice... she wasn't making any sense, "I came for you, Elizabeth."
Her expression was nearly frozen in fear, her hands lifted to ward him off. "Please don't hurt me... I'm pregnant."
"I knew it," Lucky uttered a few choice swear words, "I knew you were behind this, Jason." Lucky pressed the barrel of his pistol against the back of Jason's head. "It's about time I did everyone a favor and got rid of you once and for all."