Chapter 45

Same Day

EJ pulled the family SUV off to the side of the road and put it in park. He'd been driving around for hours and had managed to spot only two vans bearing the name of the local cable company, both which were being used for legitimate company business which he discovered upon investigation. Of course the whole search could very well be pointless to begin with since he had no proof that Nicole was in that van, or that there was any connection at all to the woman's scream and Nicole. It was just a gut feeling, but even now as he began to question his own judgment, it was one that was sticking with him. It was her. Both the timing and location were spot-on.

If he had been able to live like EJ DiMera, he could have had a few dozen men actively searching for her by now. Then again, if he had been able to live like EJ DiMera, this never would have happened in the first place. He would have a security staff at their home at all times, a bodyguard per each of them, and a few dozen more men keeping a very close eye on all of his known enemies at all times. But they couldn't live that way now, he knew that. He had done the right thing, the smart thing. It was safer for them to live a simple, low-profile existence than to rub elbows with the likes of the rich and famous and those that worked for them. If he had done any of this, they would have been found in days, hours even, rather than months. It was little consolation now. Apparently, he hadn't been smart enough.

He wasn't thinking logically now either which could be a very dangerous thing. What did he think was going to happen if he had managed to track them down, that he would be able to waltz right into whatever situation and just whisk Nicole and the children back to safety all by his lonesome while Kristen likely had an army of armed men surrounding them, her, and probably himself? With that last thought crossing his mind, EJ glanced up to check the rearview mirror. Sure enough, parked right behind him about five houses back was a silver car where at least two men sat peering straight ahead in his direction. They undoubtedly worked for Kristen and were just waiting for him to make one, wrong move and that would be the end of him. He was going to need some help and for the first time in his life, he took out his phone and started dialing a number he never imagined he'd call willingly in his life: the ISA.

"This is going to be good," he said aloud to himself, shaking his head in doubt as he imagined how the conversation would go. It was going to take an hour alone before he could manage to convince someone he was indeed EJ DiMera, and by the time he could convince them it was true and advise them of the situation, it would be too late. But he had to do something. The only truly dumb move he could make would be to not do something because it seemed stupid or impossible.

"ISA," the female operator's voice came through the earpiece.

"Yes, I need you to put me in contact with Shane Donovan, immediately!"

"Agent Donovan is on assignment right now-"

"How about Steve Johnson, Bo Brady, John Black...I need to report a crime involving the DiMera family. Please, it is urgent. The lives of innocent children are at stake. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I am EJ DiMera, and my wi-...Nicole Walker and our two children have been kidnapped by Kristen DiMera. She's going-"

"Sir," the woman interrupted loudly, "I'm going to transfer you."

"NO," EJ shouted back in protest, but it was already too late. The phone went silent for a second before beginning to ring whatever department he was being transferred to. The last thing he needed was to have to start all over from the beginning.

While he was waiting for whomever to answer, he received an incoming call coming from what he recognized as an Italian phone number. Kristen. He ended to the call to the ISA and quickly answered.

"Eeeej! Is that you?"

"KRISTEN! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY FAMILY," he screamed into the phone with wild desperation.

"Oh, come on now! We haven't seen each other in almost eight months, and this is the greeting I get?"

"Kristen," he began, speaking more calmly for her liking. "What have you done with Nicole and the children?"

"Why don't you see for yourself. Check your text messages."

His fingers trembled as he sought to retrieve whatever information was there. He found four photographs. In the first one, it showed Nicole, Belle, and Desmond all huddled together looking frightened with Kristin smiling and waving behind them. In the next one, Kristen was holding a sleeping Sawyer in her arms. The third picture showed Belle and Desmond what he hoped was just sleeping peacefully. The last photo however sucked every bit of air from his lungs and caused his heart to come to a screeching halt. It was a full-body shot of Nicole lying on the ground of some undisclosed location, eyes closed, with a pool of blood around her head.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Oh, Eeej don't be so dramatic. She's still alive. Last I checked anyway but you probably want to get there ASAP. That looks like an awful lot of blood."

"WHERE? WHERE IS SHE?"

"Hang on, haaaang on I'm sending you the address now, just in case you get seperated from your escorts. You probably should write this down though. Angelo and David are going to be there in a minute to confiscate your phone and give you something you're going to need, so don't go anywhere yet. As soon as you get it though, come on over! I'll be glad to see you!"

He glanced in the rearview mirror. Sure enough the two goons who'd been sitting in the parked car behind him were now approaching him on foot. The phone went dead. Kristen was gone.

The taller, better built one of the two started to tap on his window. "Hey, you got that address all written down yet, buddy? Let me check it there."

EJ looked at him with disgust and flashed him the address he just jotted down on the back of an envelope he had intended to mail later that day.

"Looks good. Now hand over your phone and get out of the car. Gotta make sure you're not toting around any surprises or uninvited guests in here."

EJ forcefully threw his phone at the curb, causing it to splinter into several pieces of assorted shapesd and sizes, then stepped aside. The last thing he needed was for them to see was that he'd tried to contact the ISA, even if he was unsuccessful. For once his car was free from anything even remotely dangerous. He used it to drive his family around, that was it. Of course he almost always had a gun with him but it was usually somewhere immediately on him where he could protect the children from it. Currently it was tucked inside his pants on his right hip, concealed by his jacket.

"Car looks good. Now it's time for you," The shorter, stocky guy informed him as he began to pat him down. To his amazement, the guy took his gun, did a brief inspection looking for god only knows what, then handed it back to him.

"You'll probably need this," he said with a sly, knowing grin which to EJ was a clear sign he was walking right into some kind of trap.

"You're going to need these too," the taller dude said as he withdrew a small, shiny object from his pocket and threw it at EJ. It was a keyring with two keys attached.

"Welp. Better get a move on. The clock is ticking for poor Nicole."

"What is this for," EJ enquired of the keys he dangled into the air.

"One is for the front door. I'm sure you'll figure out the other when you get there. Oh, and EJ...we'll still be following you, so don't try anything stupid.

"BRAAAAADY! BRADY! BRADY! OH MY GOD"

Brady jumped up off the foot of the bed at the first mention of his name. Kristen had just come flying into their hotel room, and she was completely hysterical. He grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to calm her enough to find out what was going on.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's the matter? Are you alright?" Immediately he was alarmed. Her face was completely scratched and bruised up and there was the large imprintoin her neck of something that had been pressed into it. A few large spots of blood stained the shoulder area of her silky, cream-colored blouse. Someone had undoubtedly attacked her.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about this. It was a small price to pay considering."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I found her, Brady. I found Nicole."

"What," he replied, conjuring up his very best expression of complete shock. It was time to throw in a little dash of disbelief as well, for good measure. "What do you mean you found her?"

"Brady, there's no time to explain. We have to go get her, now! He caught my guys spying on him and completely flipped his lid. He held her at gunpoint and then made my guys back away then they heard Nicole screaming. I told them not to do another thing until we get there, so come on!"

She grabbed him by the arm and started to run with him, making it impossible for him to stop and make the call he promised to Bo. Hopefully the team was in place and would see them fleeing from the hotel and follow suit, but although he had no way of knowing it at the time, there was only one guy staking out the hotel and Kristen as the rest of the team had already been reassigned to report to the address that had just been sent via text message to Ethan James' cell phone just a few minutes before.