Chapter Twenty

/

Helena laughed. "You cannot possibly believe that you can waltz into Russia and simply take over. There are laws. Medvedev and Putin won't allow…"

Demetrios glanced at his sister-in-law. "Why not, dear Helena? The Russian government, by their own admission, states the law was never rewritten. All I need is an heir to the throne; one I can prove exists through DNA. As it happens, I have two standing right here."

Robert took a moment to glance at his eldest son as he moved closer to Demetrios; pulling Anna along with him.

Demetrios smiled at his nephew. "Isn't that right, Alexios?"

RJ and Robin watched as their father's blue eyes glossed over at the sound of his birth name. It was as if a switch had been flipped.

"Of course, Uncle Demetrios," he answered in a monotone voice. "Anna and I will be leaving for Moscow tonight. The men we have in place inside the Kremlin will begin execution of the plan in exactly three hours."

"What the hell have you done to them, Cassadine!?" RJ yelled.

Demetrios just laughed. "You will be traveling with me, young Scorpio."

"Like hell I'm going anywhere with you!" RJ spat. "Dad, why…"

"It's who we are," Robert said. "It's our birthright."

"Demetrios, you cannot do this," Helena said as she stepped up beside him. "You will destabilize the entire Cassadine…"

He faced her. "I will not destabilize anything, Helena. I will be taking back what you stole from the Cassadine's; what the Bolshevik's and Lenin and Sverdlov stole from the Romanov's. We will rise again. We will rule Russia again. Like a phoenix from the ashes, we will rise."

"You're a real psycho, man," Patrick snapped.

Demetrios reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a small pistol. He pointed it at Patrick and pulled the trigger.

Robin screamed as she saw Patrick fall.

Luke and Aidan lunged for Demetrios at the same time but were intercepted by Robert. Luke swung with his left, but Robert ducked under it and came up in time to deliver a swift kick to Aidan's mid-section.

The ex-British special forces officer went down. Frisco came up behind Luke as he again went for Robert.

RJ snapped out of his shock at seeing his father fight and was about to move when he was grabbed from behind. He whirled around and barely missed punching his brothers.

"You two be careful," he ordered. "I'm going…"

RJ froze when he saw Demetrios pull the pin on the grenade.

/

Maracaibo, Venezuela

WSB Medical Facility

Same Time

/

"It's empty, Shane, there's no one left here," Steve "Patch" Johnson told his friend and brother-in-law.

Shane Donovan, ISA director ran a hand through his hair. "Damn it! He was here, Patch, I know he was."

"Who is this guy to you?" Patch finally asked. "I mean, man, you're losing it over this. He must be…"

"He saved my life!" Shane snapped. "A long…a long time ago. We crossed paths on a mission. He's a…he was a WSB agent; a damn good one, the best even."

Patch spread his arms wide. "So where is he now? What do you mean was?"

Shane sighed deeply. "About…seventeen years ago, he was reported dead. Him and his wife, both black boxed by the WSB. Someone else got to them first; a man named Cesar Faison. He has a few connections to one Stefano DiMera."

Patch frowned. "If this guy is dead, why're we here looking for him?"

Shane sat down in front of one of the remaining computers and turned it on. "I don't believe he's dead, Patch. I never have. Robert was too smart to let the WSB, or Cesar Faison get him, and he would have done anything, anything for his wife, Anna. They survived. I know they did. I just have to find them."

/

Everything moved in slow motion then. RJ lunged for the grenade. Luke managed to land a punch on Robert. Frisco grabbed Anna. Aidan hoisted Patrick onto his back.

"Run!" Sean and Jamie shouted in tandem.

The blast was heard miles away. Dark black smoke permeated the air as the cabin burned white hot.