Chapter 24
Carly smiled as she watched Michael play in the sand at the park. He was digging with a shovel and using it to load his dump truck with dirt. Dropping them, he raced to the slide and climbed the ladder. He stopped at the top, turned and yelled, "Hey, Mama. Watch me slide down!"
She replied, "I'm watching Michael."
As he was about to sit down, a shot rang out, and he fell from the top of the slide. Carly screamed and ran to him. Turning him over, she saw the blood pouring from his chest, and she wailed, "Nooooo!" This couldn't be happening. She shook him slightly and said, "Michael. Talk to mommy, please!"
"Carly!" She heard Sonny calling her name from a distance. "Wake up, Carly," he said as he shook her gently.
Pulling herself from the abyss, Carly threw herself into her husband's arms and cried. "I was dreaming that someone shot Michael while he was playing at the park. He fell from the top of the slide and when I turned him over..."
"Shhhh," Sonny said softly. "It was just a dream. Michael is fine and he is going to stay that way." He held her tighter and stroked her hair. He felt guilty that she was going through this and powerless to prevent the worry she was feeling. "I think we all need to stay home and have a family day today."
Carly snuggled closer to him and answered, "I'd like that. I know we're going to be fine, Sonny. It's just... there was something about that guy's voice when he called me." She shivered. "It was just so cold and well, 'evil' is the only word I can think of to describe it."
Sonny's jaw clenched in anger, but he kept his reply gentle. "I won't snow you, Carly. He is a thoroughly ruthless person, but Jason and I are going to make sure that he can't hurt you or Michael."
When the phone began ringing, she pulled away and said, "You should get that. I'm going to go look in on Michael. I know he's probably still sleeping, but it will make me feel better just to see him." She smiled tremulously. She could see how concerned Sonny was. "I'll be OK."
Sonny kissed her quickly and reached for the phone, watching his wife as she left the room. "Corinthos," he replied. "Yeah, I understand. I'll call Jason and get him to meet you." He hung up the phone and sat thinking. He picked it up again and dialled.
The phone's insistent ringing roused Jason from sleep. He eased himself away from Elizabeth, who was curled up beside him, and reached for the phone. "Morgan," he answered quietly.
"Sorry it's so early, Jason," Sonny said. "But Danny just called and he has a lead on Cranton. Do you think you could go meet him?"
Jason could hear the tension in his friend's voice. "Sure. I can meet him. What's wrong, Sonny?"
Sonny sighed heavily. "Carly is having nightmares about Michael being shot and I just feel so damned useless. I'm keeping them home today."
"Sounds like a good idea," Jason said. He understood Sonny's frustration. He felt the same way. "I'll take care of whatever Danny has uncovered. You concentrate on Carly and Michael."
"Thanks, Jason. Let me know what you find out."
Jason placed the phone in its base and turned to find Elizabeth watching him.
"Is everything OK?" she asked.
"That was Sonny. We may have a lead on Cranton and he wants me to check it out." He reached out and pulled her up against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. "He's worried. Carly is having nightmares about Michael being hurt."
Elizabeth tightened her arms around him. "That's awful! Poor Carly. This can't be good for her - being pregnant and all. Is there anything I can do?"
Jason ran his fingers through her hair and answered, "No. Not right now. Sonny is going to stay home with both Carly and Michael today. I wish I could stay with you but I need to arrange a meeting with the guy who found the lead on Cranton."
She raised her head and smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine, Jason. Chloe and I have a busy day ahead of us, anyway. You go take care of this problem, and then we'll all sleep better."
He leaned in and kissed her gently. "I love you. Be careful today, OK?"
"I will and that goes for you, too. Please be careful, Jason. I couldn't take it if anything happened to you." Her brow furrowed in worry.
He reached out and smoothed the lines of worry with his fingertips. "I will be. I have more to live for than I've ever had before. Nothing is going to rob us of this chance we have together."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jason pulled his bike up outside the diner where he had arranged to meet Danny. It was on the outskirts of town, close to the place where Cranton's credit card had been used. He entered the diner and looked around for his contact. When he spotted him at a back corner table, he joined him there.
Danny was a nondescript sort of man. He was of medium height and build, with light brown hair and no distinguishing physical traits. This made him perfect for his line of work. He could effectively blend into his environment and track people without arousing suspicion. His light brown eyes, as unassuming as the rest of him, glowed with intelligence when he related his information.
"I finally got to talk to the clerk at the store who processed Cranton's credit card purchase. She identified him from the picture Sonny gave me. He bought an expensive camera and some film. He told her he was a tourist and that he wanted to take pictures to show his family at home." He paused when Jason snorted, and then continued. "I canvassed the surrounding area and found a hotel clerk who rented him a room the same day he dropped out of sight."
"Have you checked it out?" Jason asked.
"No. I've been watching the hotel and there's been no sign of him. I thought you might want to check the room out yourself."
"Let's go." Jason knew that it was too soon to hope that this would lead to Cranton's whereabouts. He seemed too smart to leave such an obvious trail.
The hotel wasn't far and they reached it in less than ten minutes. As they approached the room assigned to their prey, Jason withdrew his gun and Danny followed suit. Using the key he had bribed the desk clerk to give him, Jason opened the door and entered quietly. He checked out the main room and then the bathroom, but it was empty. There were signs that someone had been there recently, but the drawers and closet were bare.
Swearing, Jason put away his weapon and took out his cell phone. "Sonny, it's Jason. It looks like he was here, but we missed him."
Sonny sighed wearily. "OK. Go over the place with a fine-toothed comb. If there's anything there, I want you to find it. Then, I need you to come back here, Jason. Something arrived that you really need to see."
The bleakness in Sonny's tone alarmed Jason. "I'll be there as soon as we're done here. What do you want Danny to do?"
"For now, have him watch the hotel. It's a long shot, but maybe Cranton will go back. I'll see you when you get here."
Jason disconnected and took out some rubber gloves. He tossed a pair to Danny and said grimly, "We're going over every inch of this place. If he left any clues behind, we're going to find them."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Carly smiled as she watched Michael play in the sand at the park. He was digging with a shovel and using it to load his dump truck with dirt. Dropping them, he raced to the slide and climbed the ladder. He stopped at the top, turned and yelled, "Hey, Mama. Watch me slide down!"
She replied, "I'm watching Michael."
As he was about to sit down, a shot rang out, and he fell from the top of the slide. Carly screamed and ran to him. Turning him over, she saw the blood pouring from his chest, and she wailed, "Nooooo!" This couldn't be happening. She shook him slightly and said, "Michael. Talk to mommy, please!"
"Carly!" She heard Sonny calling her name from a distance. "Wake up, Carly," he said as he shook her gently.
Pulling herself from the abyss, Carly threw herself into her husband's arms and cried. "I was dreaming that someone shot Michael while he was playing at the park. He fell from the top of the slide and when I turned him over..."
"Shhhh," Sonny said softly. "It was just a dream. Michael is fine and he is going to stay that way." He held her tighter and stroked her hair. He felt guilty that she was going through this and powerless to prevent the worry she was feeling. "I think we all need to stay home and have a family day today."
Carly snuggled closer to him and answered, "I'd like that. I know we're going to be fine, Sonny. It's just... there was something about that guy's voice when he called me." She shivered. "It was just so cold and well, 'evil' is the only word I can think of to describe it."
Sonny's jaw clenched in anger, but he kept his reply gentle. "I won't snow you, Carly. He is a thoroughly ruthless person, but Jason and I are going to make sure that he can't hurt you or Michael."
When the phone began ringing, she pulled away and said, "You should get that. I'm going to go look in on Michael. I know he's probably still sleeping, but it will make me feel better just to see him." She smiled tremulously. She could see how concerned Sonny was. "I'll be OK."
Sonny kissed her quickly and reached for the phone, watching his wife as she left the room. "Corinthos," he replied. "Yeah, I understand. I'll call Jason and get him to meet you." He hung up the phone and sat thinking. He picked it up again and dialled.
The phone's insistent ringing roused Jason from sleep. He eased himself away from Elizabeth, who was curled up beside him, and reached for the phone. "Morgan," he answered quietly.
"Sorry it's so early, Jason," Sonny said. "But Danny just called and he has a lead on Cranton. Do you think you could go meet him?"
Jason could hear the tension in his friend's voice. "Sure. I can meet him. What's wrong, Sonny?"
Sonny sighed heavily. "Carly is having nightmares about Michael being shot and I just feel so damned useless. I'm keeping them home today."
"Sounds like a good idea," Jason said. He understood Sonny's frustration. He felt the same way. "I'll take care of whatever Danny has uncovered. You concentrate on Carly and Michael."
"Thanks, Jason. Let me know what you find out."
Jason placed the phone in its base and turned to find Elizabeth watching him.
"Is everything OK?" she asked.
"That was Sonny. We may have a lead on Cranton and he wants me to check it out." He reached out and pulled her up against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. "He's worried. Carly is having nightmares about Michael being hurt."
Elizabeth tightened her arms around him. "That's awful! Poor Carly. This can't be good for her - being pregnant and all. Is there anything I can do?"
Jason ran his fingers through her hair and answered, "No. Not right now. Sonny is going to stay home with both Carly and Michael today. I wish I could stay with you but I need to arrange a meeting with the guy who found the lead on Cranton."
She raised her head and smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine, Jason. Chloe and I have a busy day ahead of us, anyway. You go take care of this problem, and then we'll all sleep better."
He leaned in and kissed her gently. "I love you. Be careful today, OK?"
"I will and that goes for you, too. Please be careful, Jason. I couldn't take it if anything happened to you." Her brow furrowed in worry.
He reached out and smoothed the lines of worry with his fingertips. "I will be. I have more to live for than I've ever had before. Nothing is going to rob us of this chance we have together."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jason pulled his bike up outside the diner where he had arranged to meet Danny. It was on the outskirts of town, close to the place where Cranton's credit card had been used. He entered the diner and looked around for his contact. When he spotted him at a back corner table, he joined him there.
Danny was a nondescript sort of man. He was of medium height and build, with light brown hair and no distinguishing physical traits. This made him perfect for his line of work. He could effectively blend into his environment and track people without arousing suspicion. His light brown eyes, as unassuming as the rest of him, glowed with intelligence when he related his information.
"I finally got to talk to the clerk at the store who processed Cranton's credit card purchase. She identified him from the picture Sonny gave me. He bought an expensive camera and some film. He told her he was a tourist and that he wanted to take pictures to show his family at home." He paused when Jason snorted, and then continued. "I canvassed the surrounding area and found a hotel clerk who rented him a room the same day he dropped out of sight."
"Have you checked it out?" Jason asked.
"No. I've been watching the hotel and there's been no sign of him. I thought you might want to check the room out yourself."
"Let's go." Jason knew that it was too soon to hope that this would lead to Cranton's whereabouts. He seemed too smart to leave such an obvious trail.
The hotel wasn't far and they reached it in less than ten minutes. As they approached the room assigned to their prey, Jason withdrew his gun and Danny followed suit. Using the key he had bribed the desk clerk to give him, Jason opened the door and entered quietly. He checked out the main room and then the bathroom, but it was empty. There were signs that someone had been there recently, but the drawers and closet were bare.
Swearing, Jason put away his weapon and took out his cell phone. "Sonny, it's Jason. It looks like he was here, but we missed him."
Sonny sighed wearily. "OK. Go over the place with a fine-toothed comb. If there's anything there, I want you to find it. Then, I need you to come back here, Jason. Something arrived that you really need to see."
The bleakness in Sonny's tone alarmed Jason. "I'll be there as soon as we're done here. What do you want Danny to do?"
"For now, have him watch the hotel. It's a long shot, but maybe Cranton will go back. I'll see you when you get here."
Jason disconnected and took out some rubber gloves. He tossed a pair to Danny and said grimly, "We're going over every inch of this place. If he left any clues behind, we're going to find them."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*