Chapter 26
Two days passed with no further contact from Alexander Cranton, and Jason was having no luck finding him. He was at Sonny's reporting his lack of progress.
"He hasn't shown up at any of the racetracks we've been covering and he hasn't been back to the hotel." Frustrated, Jason paced the living room. "I know he's planning something. I can feel it."
Sonny sighed heavily. "All we can do is wait, Jason, and be as prepared as possible. By the way, Michelle has been spending a lot of time with St. Amant away from the building. I'm not sure how careful he is." He felt badly adding one more concern to Jason's already overloaded plate.
"I'll check it out," he replied.
When the phone rang, Sonny answered, "Corinthos." He pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out an exasperated breath. "Yeah, I understand. Someone will be right there." He hung up and explained, "There's been an explosion at the warehouse, Jason. I don't know how bad it is, but they want one of us down there right away."
Swearing, Jason replied, "It must be Cranton. I'll go, Sonny. I'll call when I know more." He left quickly, feeling overwhelmed by his anger towards this man who had them jumping through hoops. Ten minutes. That's all he wanted. Ten minutes alone with Alexander Cranton and their current problems would be solved.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As Carly descended the stairs, she studied her husband carefully. She could see how the strain of the last week was affecting him. She could sense his feelings of helplessness and frustration, even though he tried to hide them from her. She wished she could take some of the burden from him.
Sonny looked up and his expression softened. "Hey," he said softly. "Did you get any rest?" He took her by the hand and led her to sit with him on the sofa. Pulling her close, he ran his fingers through her hair and stroked her neck gently.
"I did rest a little," she replied, snuggling closer to him. "Was that Jason's voice I heard?"
"Yeah, but he had to go handle something at the warehouse. Can I get you some tea or some food?" he asked, hoping to distract her. The last thing he wanted was her worrying about this new development.
Not wanting to push, she responded, "Now that you mention it, I am kind of hungry. I could really go for a turkey on rye."
Sonny kissed her once and said, "Turkey on rye it is." He stood and walked to the kitchen.
Once he had left the room, Carly's expression became more serious. She was getting worried about Sonny's state of mind. He was trying so hard to shield her from worry that he was bottling up emotions he should be venting. This wasn't good for someone with Sonny's personality. Sighing deeply, she hoped that this situation would be over before any real damage was done to their lives.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At the warehouse, Jason looked at the wreckage that had once been their building, and felt his anger increase towards Cranton. He hoped that no one had been inside at the time of the explosion.
Coming up beside him, Lieutenant Taggert said, "Well, well, well. Another Corinthos/Morgan warehouse up in smoke. Maybe you guys should take it as a sign and not bother rebuilding this time."
Jason clenched his hands and tried not to let Taggert get to him.
"Nothing to say, Morgan?" the cop continued. "So who is after your territory this week? It's not Sorel. He's in prison. Any ideas?"
"No," Jason answered shortly. The last thing he was going to do was share information with Taggert. They'd never find Cranton if the PCPD got involved.
The lieutenant shook his head. "Talkative as ever. Tell your boss that cooperating with the police would get things resolved a lot faster. Do you think you can remember all that, Morgan? Or should I write it out for you?" He laughed as he walked away.
Jason blew out a loud breath, forcing himself to calm down. As he stood there, he began to feel a tingling down his spine, like something was wrong. He tried to shake the feeling, but it persisted and grew stronger. Feeling slightly foolish, he dialled Elizabeth's cell phone number and waited. When no one answered and it went to voice mail, he started to get worried. He tried again with the same results. Jason ran to his bike, hopped on, and headed for the penthouse.
When he stopped at a light, he quickly dialled Chloe's office and asked to speak to Elizabeth. Chloe came on the phone and said, "Jason, Elizabeth didn't show up for work this morning. I tried calling her but couldn't reach her. I hope everything is OK."
"Thanks, Chloe. I'll get back to you." Jason felt like his heart was in his throat. He knew something was really wrong.
Pulling up to the building, Jason parked his bike and ran to the entrance. He waited impatiently for the elevator and exited running when it reached his floor. Fumbling with his key, he hastily opened the door and called, "Elizabeth!" He ran upstairs and searched each room but she was gone.
Running into the hallway, he practically yelled, "Johnny. When was the last time you saw Elizabeth?"
"At about 8 this morning, when she left for work with Sam," he answered, concerned by the wild look in Jason's eyes. "What's wrong, Jason?"
"She didn't make it to work and she didn't call in," he explained. "Call the driver who was supposed to take her to work. I'm going back downstairs to see if I can find anything."
Exiting the building once again, Jason surveyed the area. He walked down the street slowly, observing everything. A broken bush about 10 blocks from the building caught his eye. Going to investigate, he pushed aside the branches, and crouched down. There was a body hidden amongst the greenery. Turning it over, Jason found himself looking at Sam, Elizabeth's guard. He was dead - two shots to the back of the head. And Elizabeth was missing.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Two days passed with no further contact from Alexander Cranton, and Jason was having no luck finding him. He was at Sonny's reporting his lack of progress.
"He hasn't shown up at any of the racetracks we've been covering and he hasn't been back to the hotel." Frustrated, Jason paced the living room. "I know he's planning something. I can feel it."
Sonny sighed heavily. "All we can do is wait, Jason, and be as prepared as possible. By the way, Michelle has been spending a lot of time with St. Amant away from the building. I'm not sure how careful he is." He felt badly adding one more concern to Jason's already overloaded plate.
"I'll check it out," he replied.
When the phone rang, Sonny answered, "Corinthos." He pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out an exasperated breath. "Yeah, I understand. Someone will be right there." He hung up and explained, "There's been an explosion at the warehouse, Jason. I don't know how bad it is, but they want one of us down there right away."
Swearing, Jason replied, "It must be Cranton. I'll go, Sonny. I'll call when I know more." He left quickly, feeling overwhelmed by his anger towards this man who had them jumping through hoops. Ten minutes. That's all he wanted. Ten minutes alone with Alexander Cranton and their current problems would be solved.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As Carly descended the stairs, she studied her husband carefully. She could see how the strain of the last week was affecting him. She could sense his feelings of helplessness and frustration, even though he tried to hide them from her. She wished she could take some of the burden from him.
Sonny looked up and his expression softened. "Hey," he said softly. "Did you get any rest?" He took her by the hand and led her to sit with him on the sofa. Pulling her close, he ran his fingers through her hair and stroked her neck gently.
"I did rest a little," she replied, snuggling closer to him. "Was that Jason's voice I heard?"
"Yeah, but he had to go handle something at the warehouse. Can I get you some tea or some food?" he asked, hoping to distract her. The last thing he wanted was her worrying about this new development.
Not wanting to push, she responded, "Now that you mention it, I am kind of hungry. I could really go for a turkey on rye."
Sonny kissed her once and said, "Turkey on rye it is." He stood and walked to the kitchen.
Once he had left the room, Carly's expression became more serious. She was getting worried about Sonny's state of mind. He was trying so hard to shield her from worry that he was bottling up emotions he should be venting. This wasn't good for someone with Sonny's personality. Sighing deeply, she hoped that this situation would be over before any real damage was done to their lives.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At the warehouse, Jason looked at the wreckage that had once been their building, and felt his anger increase towards Cranton. He hoped that no one had been inside at the time of the explosion.
Coming up beside him, Lieutenant Taggert said, "Well, well, well. Another Corinthos/Morgan warehouse up in smoke. Maybe you guys should take it as a sign and not bother rebuilding this time."
Jason clenched his hands and tried not to let Taggert get to him.
"Nothing to say, Morgan?" the cop continued. "So who is after your territory this week? It's not Sorel. He's in prison. Any ideas?"
"No," Jason answered shortly. The last thing he was going to do was share information with Taggert. They'd never find Cranton if the PCPD got involved.
The lieutenant shook his head. "Talkative as ever. Tell your boss that cooperating with the police would get things resolved a lot faster. Do you think you can remember all that, Morgan? Or should I write it out for you?" He laughed as he walked away.
Jason blew out a loud breath, forcing himself to calm down. As he stood there, he began to feel a tingling down his spine, like something was wrong. He tried to shake the feeling, but it persisted and grew stronger. Feeling slightly foolish, he dialled Elizabeth's cell phone number and waited. When no one answered and it went to voice mail, he started to get worried. He tried again with the same results. Jason ran to his bike, hopped on, and headed for the penthouse.
When he stopped at a light, he quickly dialled Chloe's office and asked to speak to Elizabeth. Chloe came on the phone and said, "Jason, Elizabeth didn't show up for work this morning. I tried calling her but couldn't reach her. I hope everything is OK."
"Thanks, Chloe. I'll get back to you." Jason felt like his heart was in his throat. He knew something was really wrong.
Pulling up to the building, Jason parked his bike and ran to the entrance. He waited impatiently for the elevator and exited running when it reached his floor. Fumbling with his key, he hastily opened the door and called, "Elizabeth!" He ran upstairs and searched each room but she was gone.
Running into the hallway, he practically yelled, "Johnny. When was the last time you saw Elizabeth?"
"At about 8 this morning, when she left for work with Sam," he answered, concerned by the wild look in Jason's eyes. "What's wrong, Jason?"
"She didn't make it to work and she didn't call in," he explained. "Call the driver who was supposed to take her to work. I'm going back downstairs to see if I can find anything."
Exiting the building once again, Jason surveyed the area. He walked down the street slowly, observing everything. A broken bush about 10 blocks from the building caught his eye. Going to investigate, he pushed aside the branches, and crouched down. There was a body hidden amongst the greenery. Turning it over, Jason found himself looking at Sam, Elizabeth's guard. He was dead - two shots to the back of the head. And Elizabeth was missing.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*