It was something out of an action movie. The kind that Elizabeth had always detested. Mostly because the audience could see what was about to happen long before the idiots on the screen did. Predictable. Redundant. Had she been sitting watching her life she would've yelled out not to be a ninny. Not taking a bodyguard up to the fourteenth floor for the wedding rehearsal was just plain stupidity.
It had taken under five seconds from the moment they left the Corinthos's penthouse, heading for the elevator for Elizabeth to get nabbed. Waiting for Emily and Brenda to go ahead of her, Elizabeth watched in shock as the bellboy, who'd been innocently leaning up against the back wall, burst into action. Just as Emily cleared the threshold, he pushed the 'close' button. Shutting the doors in Elizabeth's face. The smirk on his face had barely registered when something slammed into the back of her head, at the base of her skull.
It was a simple plan to execute. Wait until the three females were stupid enough to leave the presence of anyone who could help them. Even a drooling idiot with an IQ of ten could have pulled it off. If she wasn't tied up, a gag in her mouth and a splitting headache caused by the gash in the back of her head she might have laughed at it's simplicity.
It was discouraging how she'd turned out to be the stupid blonde cheerleader who was always the first to be off'd.
Surrounded by sequence and feathers, Elizabeth could only gather she was in some storage area that housed the past costumes of some low cost, extremely flashy a Los Vegas show. Beside the two angry voices coming from somewhere behind her, the only other sound was the loud hum of some mechanical thingy. At first the whirling, cranking sounds drowned out most of what was being said. But soon their voices warred with one another, trying to out yell the other.
Funny. Here she was. Tied to a chair. Her hands numb. Heading pounding. And they were angry?
A woman sounded extremely pissed off. The male sounded defiant, almost condescending. Taunting the female, telling her he was the one with upper hand. Back and forth it went, almost like a ping-pong match, making Elizabeth's head fuzzy and her stomach roll.
"Listen here, you little piece of nothing." The woman barked. "You are expendable. All I have to do is run to Jason, a few tears in my eyes and tell him how you kidnapped me. Thinking I was his new little wife. It wasn't until you found your error that you went after little Miss Muffin face over there." Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath. She'd heard that nickname before. But where?
"Interesting theory princess. But here's how it's really gonna work. If you go run off with your little tale. I'll be forced to supply some actual proof, that you're nothing but a little, lying, fraud." The man paused and if possible the tension in the room seemed to mount. "I have three days worth of video tape I'm sure your hero Jason would just love to see. A little of this, mostly a lot of that. You sneaking around. You tying up the new Mrs. Webber. You and me in some really interesting positions. Which are my personal favorites."
"You sick bastard."
"I'm sick? Listen sweetheart, I'm not the twisted freak here. Allow me the pleasure to explain a few things to you. This Morgan guy, he doesn't want you. Maybe he found you amusing between the sheets. But you're washed out honey. Used up. Trash. The guy found a girl he can take home to Mom. I mean look at her. She's pretty and young. Innocence just oozes from her. But the best part, she makes your man burn. Something I have a feeling you haven't done in quiet awhile. Or at least not from what I've experienced."
Elizabeth listened, her cheeks burned as it dawned on her as to who the shrew was. Carly. Jason's mentally unfit ex. It was disgusting to think of her as a mother to some cute little toddler. "So listen to me sweetheart. The plan has changed. No longer is this about you getting back at Morgan for dumping you. I don't care who he's married to. What matters to me is the large amount of green at the end of the rainbow. After that I'm out of here." Footsteps could be heard and Elizabeth shut her eyes. Not ready yet to confront whatever hell she'd stumbled into.
"Wakie. Wakie sunshine." Knuckles tapped ruthlessly on the top of her head, making the pain shoot all the way to the back of her skull. But no matter how badly she wanted to cry out, something deep inside told her to play possum.
"You didn't need to hit her so damn hard." Carly snapped.
"I thought you said you didn't care what happened to the little lamb." This time Elizabeth nearly screamed when a hand gripped around her loose ponytail and jerked her head back.
"No I said I didn't care what happened once Jason had learned his lesson. I don't see how she can call Jason if she's half-dead." The hand relaxed and let her head drooped back to her chest. "By the way it's still fifty-fifty."
"Seventy-thirty." The man didn't take anytime in answering.
"Fifty-fifty."
"Unless you want to be tied up next to our little guest, I suggest you take what I'm offering. Your mistake was taking me for some brainless idiot. No need to look so shocked. I have to admit my ability to really dumb it up for you even went past my expectations. Honestly, this is my best work ever."
"Wait... You played me? That's impossible -."
"Took you long enough to catch on. Now I can't take credit for all of it. I've been waiting for something huge to cross my path. Just didn't plan on it dropping into my lap. So in a way, I guess I do owe you a big huge thank you."
What came next, Elizabeth only could guess was the sound of the Carly's hand connecting with the man's face. What she didn't expect was for Carly's cry of pain that followed and the sound of a body hitting the floor.
"I never really liked you all that much." The man muttered.
Repeating to herself that she had to remain calm, Jason probably already knew she was missing. Which meant the guards were probably tearing through the hotel like bats out of hell. Thinking of Jason's over powering presence made some of the pain in her body fade away, until she felt everything slip from her one by one. Until it was only her, and the image of Jason in her head.
"Do you mind repeating that?" Jason stood in disbelief, as Johnny stared back at him. The guard's expression near panicked.
"Elizabeth is missing."
Looking over at Sonny in some half hope that this was all some huge joke, Jason felt his stomach drop before his head had a chance to catch up. They'd been waiting for the girls for the rehearsal when Max had called. Without wasting a second, both men had hurried down to the suite.
"I told you that Bellhop closed the door in Elizabeth's face on purpose." Brenda cried out as she put her hands in front of her face.
Emily could only blink. The entire vacation had been one twist after another. But never at any time had she really felt as though any of them had been in danger. In the past she'd seen what it was like for her brother and Sonny when things got 'heated' up in their lives. This. Well, this had been just a step away from real life.
Looking around the room at the worried faces, Jason felt a horrible urge to laugh. Mostly at himself for ever thinking he could keep someone like Elizabeth safe from the darkness in his life. This is what he got for relaxing. For allowing himself for letting his guard down and enjoying himself.
Once he found Elizabeth, he'd have someone's ass for the lack of security. Would tear the man's nuts off who was supposed to be standing at the door but couldn't seem to keep his ass put. Right now though; he needed to let go of some of the anger that pumped like fire through his veins. "Has there been a ransom call yet?"
"Not yet." Handing Jason a small package, Johnny glanced quickly towards Emily's ghost white face. "But this was dropped off as I was coming up."
Tearing the paper away, Jason stared down at videotape. A sick feeling weighed heavily in his stomach. "Is there a VCR -?"
"Max has one coming up now Jason."
A soft sob came from Emily's mouth when her eyes landed on the black case in his hands. "Johnny, can you take Emily back to her room please? Post one of the guys at her door."
"I'm not leaving." Even though her voice was weak, Jason could hear her stubbornness. "Elizabeth's my best friend. I'm not going to be shuffled off somewhere."
"Emily," Pinching his nose in pure frustration, Jason reminded himself that she was his little sister. Not some employee who was bulking at an order. "What ever is on this tape may not be pretty."
"I understand that." Emily's tone became a little stronger. "I'm not leaving." She repeated.
"Fine. But Emily I want you to know that some things may be said here -."
"Remains here." Standing up, her head held high. Emily walked the short distance to her brother and laid a hand over one of his that clutched the tape in a death grip. "I want whoever did this to pay."
Nodding, Jason sucked in a deep breath, his eyes found Sonny's and both men stared at one another in understanding. They would tear this town apart to find the people responsible for this. But they would tear apart the world until they found Elizabeth.
