Chapter 53- The Great Escape

After Rae left with Erica, she didn't return that night. She did ask Erica to call Myrtle at least and let her know they'd be staying at a hotel while they searched for their daughters. Rae didn't want to hurt Myrtle, but she was angry and couldn't bring herself to speak to her mother or John right now. It did hurt Myrtle though, and it was the first time in a while that she had to spend the night alone with both her daughter and granddaughter's bedrooms empty.

Myrtle waited by the phone the next morning, hoping Rae would at least call or even better come home. She held the recently framed photo she took of Rae and Skye together, not wanting to put it down. Instead of Rae though, John showed up on the doorstep, so Myrtle let him in.

"May I please see Rae?" John asked.

Myrtle frowned. "She didn't come home last night. She and Erica are staying at a hotel while they search for the girls."

"Rae and Erica are starting their own search?"

"Yep." Myrtle nodded. "Rae refuses to believe that Skye is dead."

"That's why I'm here," John said. "I sat up all night and realized that what I said to her yesterday was wrong. She's in shock and she's in pain. But all of the evidence is circumstantial. Forensics still has to look at the bodies. I want her to know that I'm going to do everything I can to find the truth. She can stay angry with me but I'm going to do this for her. I have never seen her in as much pain as I saw her yesterday, so I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

Myrtle looked up at him. "So, you're saying you think Skye is alive?"

"I honestly don't know. But I should've been more delicate with my words yesterday. I should've told Rae that Skye might have been in that car and a lot of evidence is pointing to it, but I will find out for sure. I was in shock myself yesterday. But now Rae thinks everyone is against her and Skye."

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Monica was released from the hospital but was told to rest for a few days before going back to work. Alan still wasn't sure whether or not to believe that Skye was dead. He took some time off work though, both to take care of Monica and to sort out his thoughts and feelings about Skye.

AJ, however, wasn't taking it very well and started drinking again. "First, they take Grandmother, then poison Mom, and now Skye is dead?"

"AJ, put the drink down," Alan said.

"Come on, let me take you to an AA meeting," Emily offered.

He chugged down some vodka. "What's the point?"

"Uh, for your son," Emily said. "Do you really want him to walk in here and see you like this? And you can bet that if Sonny finds out, he's going to use this against you."

"Emily is right," Alan said. "Do you really think your grandmother, mother, or Skye want you to drink like this? Skye also struggled with alcoholism and fought hard to quit."

Big Alice walked into the living room with Jason at her side. "Mr. Quartermaine, Jason is here to see you and Monica."

Alan rose from where he was sitting. "Jason…"

Jason locked eyes with Alan "I heard about Monica and Skye. How is Monica?"

"She's home now and much better," Alan said. "Just on bed rest. Thank you for checking in."

"I'd like to see her, but I was hoping to talk to AJ first." He looked over at AJ, chugging down more booze. "Maybe I'll just go see Monica."

Alan groaned and yanked the bottle away from AJ.

"What d'you want?" AJ asked. "You going to steal Michael away from me again?"

"AJ…" Alan sighed. "Jason, please don't hold this against your brother. He's just upset about your grandmother, mother, and sister. He's obviously not taking it very well."

"I wanted to investigate further into the poisoning and car bombing," Jason. "I was going to ask if AJ wanted to help since he's invested as much as I am. But not if he's been drinking."

"He'll sober up," Alan said. "And if you're going to investigate, then I want to join you. I need to know what really happened to my daughter."

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Adam Chandler sat behind his desk and poured whisky into his glass. He leaned back in his chair and chugged back the glass, then poured some more.

"Mr. Chandler, Stuart and Hayley are here to see you," Winifred said from the doorway.

"I said I didn't want any visitors!" Adam grumbled and gulped back the rest of his drink. "What I do want is some more whisky!"

"But that's already your second bottle this morning, sir."

"Your job is to obey my orders, not question them!"

Winifred walked away and Stuart and Hayley stepped into his office.

"Stuart, Hayley… this is not the time! Now, get out of my office before I call security!"

"Adam, please don't do that…" Stuart said sadly. "We're all so very upset about Skye and JR."

"That's why you're here, aren't you?" Adam huffed. "To tell me what a selfish bas tard I am? How I deserve to have my baby missing, one daughter lose her voice, and my other two children dead? What do the hippies call it, Karma? I got what I deserve."

"No, Adam… don't say that."

"That's what Skye always used to tell me. That I don't know how to love. Well, she was right! And I crushed her soul. The car bomb didn't kill her, I did. I killed her long before that."

"D-Dad…" Hayley's voice was raspy, and she walked over to him and hugged him from behind.

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Lucky Spencer escorted Rae and Erica to the jail cells at the PCPD. Rae hadn't been in a jail, other than the lobby areas and John's office, since Skye was accused of shooting Max. It was a creepy feeling and always sent shivers up her spine.

Carly Corinthos was sitting on the bed but rose when they walked in. "When you said I had visitors, I was expecting Mama again."

Lucky walked away and left them to talk.

Carly raised an eyebrow as Rae and Erica gave her death glares. "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Skye's mother and I want answers," Rae said. "Why did you lock my daughter in the boathouse?"

"Because she deserved it," Carly said.

Rae was about to punch her, but Erica held her back.

Erica cleared her throat. "And why did you think Skye deserved that?"

"Because she was trying to steal my new man!"

"And who is your new man?" Erica asked.

Carly crossed her arms. "Why should I tell you?"

Erica gritted her teeth. "Because if you don't, then you're going to wish you could be protected behind those bars for the rest of your sorry life."

Carly rolled her eyes. "It's Lorenzo Alcazar. And if Skye makes a move on him again, she'll live to regret it."

Rae turned to Erica. "Skye did go on a couple dates with him, and he was the first person accused of locking her in the boathouse."

"Then let's go find him!" Erica took Rae's arm.

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"Colby. Stop climbing on Grandmother's wheelchair!" Skye shouted and rubbed her temples.

"Colby's wheel!" Colby said as she balanced herself on the wheel.

"You're going to break it!"

"I want chocolate!" Colby said.

Skye scoffed. "Even if we did have access to chocolate, you wouldn't be getting anywhere near it!"

JR and Jamie were sitting on the bed playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, and Thumb Wars to help pass the time.

"Catch, Guy!" Colby jumped off the wheel and Skye caught her.

"Ugh… is this my life now?" Skye groaned. "24-hour babysitter?"

"Again!" Colby said.

"Nuh uh…" Skye said, then started swinging her around to distract her.

Colby giggled and kicked her legs in excitement. "More. More. More!"

"Oh, Axel…" Kendall held onto the bars and batted her eyelashes.

Axel walked over to the cell. "What?"

"You know… I just can't stop thinking about those muscular biceps of yours…" She reached out and squeezed his bicep, that was as skinny as a stick. "Ooh, you're so strong."

Skye looked over at them, then at the pipes on the ceiling, but swung Colby around again.

Axel smirked. "Must be from carrying all those boxes for the boss.

"I wish I could see you carry those boxes." Kendall's eyebrows bounced up and down. "How about letting us out so we can really watch you work?"

Axel pulled his arm away. "Nice try."

Kendall feigned being hurt. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You're not escaping that easily. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need another smoke."

Kendall groaned as he stepped outside. "I should've known it wouldn't be that easy."

Skye set Colby down, but when she started running around ululating like a Native, she scooped her up again. "Shush!" She turned back to Skye. "You gave me an idea. We can't just wait around to be rescued. We have to escape on our own."

"How?" Kendall asked.

Skye looked up to the ceiling. "Through the pipes."

Kendall laughed. "There's no way you or I or that wheelchair will fit in there."

"No… but maybe the kids can. Axel usually takes about 20 minutes on his smoke breaks, so we have to be quick."

Kendall raised an eyebrow. "You don't think they'll get caught?"

"I don't know." She turned to the boys.

"One, two, three, four… I declare a thumb war!" JR declared and he trapped Jamie's thumb within seconds.

"Junior," Skye said and knelt next to them, keeping Colby on her knee. "You have to listen to me very carefully. We're going to try to help you, Jamie, and Colby escape."

JR looked into her eyes. "What about you?"

"The plan if for you to escape through the pipes. The rest of us won't fit. That means you'll be the oldest and you'll have to protect Jamie and Colby. Make sure you look around carefully before coming out of the pipe… I have no idea where it even goes and it'll be dark, but what other choice do we have?"

"I don't want to leave without you," JR said.

Skye sighed. "Once you find help you can tell them where we are. This is our only chance. But don't worry about me… you know I'm not really your sister anyway."

"Yes, you are," JR said. "I was kind of sad to find that out, I had no idea. I love Hayley, but I feel like you and I are a lot more alike and thought Colby would be more like Hayley when she gets older. Hayley is awesome and all, but you and I are more like Dad and I thought we connected recently. I don't want that to change. I love you."

Skye felt her eyes tear up as JR hugged her and Colby. "Well… stay safe."

"All right, we better hurry if we want this to work," Kendall said. "JR should go up first so he can lead them."

Kendall and Skye climbed onto the bed and hoisted JR up first, then they passed Colby to JR, and finally lifted Jamie up.

They heard Colby's echoed cries and JR trying to tell her to be quiet, but they soon diminished.

Skye wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she could've escaped with her brother and sister.

"Axel will be back soon," Kendall said. "How are we going to deal with him?"

"We need to delay him," Skye said. And started rolling up the blankets to try and make it look like three small bodies on the bed. "Flirt with him more when he gets back. Give them time to get away."