Chapter 27
After finding Sam's body, Jason looked a little farther down the street and found the car that was supposed to take Elizabeth to work. In it, he found the driver, who had received the same treatment as Sam - two bullets to the back of the head. Cranton meant business.
The thought of his Elizabeth in the hands of that psychopath, made Jason's blood run cold. He felt the darkness of despair overwhelm him. This was his fault. If she weren't involved with him, Elizabeth would not have been a target.
Shaking off his paralysing fear for her, Jason knew he had to think clearly if he wanted to be of any use to Elizabeth. He returned to his building and stopped outside Sonny's door to speak with Johnny.
"Don't bother trying to contact Elizabeth's driver," he said. "I found him and Sam about 10 blocks from here. They're both dead. You'd better get a clean-up crew to take care of them."
Johnny could sense the rigid control Jason was exercising over his emotions. "Was there any sign of Elizabeth?" he asked, already sure he knew the answer.
"No." Jason's response was brief, stark.
"Geez, I'm sorry, Jason. We'll find her," Johnny tried to reassure him.
Jason just nodded and entered Sonny's apartment. Sonny took one look at his friend and knew something had occurred. "What is it, Jason?" he asked urgently.
"Elizabeth didn't show up for work this morning and she didn't call. I found her driver and Sam not far from here. They're both dead - shot twice in the back of the head." The bleak tone of his voice and the raw fear in his eyes, struck Sonny hard. "He has Elizabeth, Sonny."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth fought her way through the drug-induced fog clouding her mind. Opening her eyes slowly, she tried to remember where she was and what had happened. When she tried to sit up, she winced as the throbbing pain behind her eyes increased.
The room was small, dark, and almost empty. She had been lying on a folding cot that wobbled as she sat up fully. When the pounding in her head subsided slightly, Elizabeth forced herself to remember what had happened. She had been about to get into the car that was supposed to take her to work, when she had heard a noise behind her. Knowing that Sam was following her, she had turned to see what had caused the noise. Before she could get a good look, a hand holding a cloth had covered her nose and mouth. Within moments everything had turned black. That was all she could remember before waking here.
"Now what, Elizabeth?" she thought to herself. She knew that it was only a matter of time until Jason discovered she was missing and came looking for her. As her head cleared even more, she realized that this must have something to do with Alexander Cranton. She hoped that he wasn't using her to set a trap for Jason.
The door opened and her captor stepped in. "So you're finally awake. I hope you're finding your new accommodations to your liking, Elizabeth." Cranton's smile reminded her of the cobras she had seen on nature shows.
Putting up her chin, she asked defiantly, "What do you want with me?" She was proud of herself for keeping her fear out of her voice.
He laughed. "All in good time, my dear. Just make yourself comfortable." His hand on the doorknob, he paused and added, "And you won't be lonely for long. You'll soon have someone to keep you company." He closed and locked the door behind him.
Elizabeth expelled the breath she had been holding and considered his words. Who else did he plan on bringing here? She was afraid she was going to find out very shortly. "Please be careful, Jason," she said softly to herself. She never doubted that he would come for her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The atmosphere in Sonny's penthouse was fraught with tension. Carly could see and feel it emanating from both Sonny and Jason. They had been calling contacts and sending their men out to search for hours. So far, no trace of Elizabeth had been found. Carly could tell that Jason was close to the breaking point and she couldn't blame him.
Sonny came over and joined her on the sofa. "Are you OK?" he asked quietly.
"I think I should be asking you and Jason that question," she replied. "He's barely holding it together, isn't he?" She looked at her old friend with sympathy.
"He's stretched pretty tight," Sonny agreed. He sighed loudly. "I feel so guilty, Carly."
Glancing at him quickly, she asked, "Why would you feel guilty? What's happened to Elizabeth is horrible, but it's not your fault."
"I know. I'm really worried about her, but the thing I feel guilty for is that I can't help being a little relieved that it's not you." Sonny's eyes shone with tears. "I know this is killing Jason, and yet, great friend that I am, I'm glad this monster doesn't have you." His voice cracked with the weight of his guilt.
Carly's heart ached for him. She reached out and gently caressed his cheek. "That doesn't make you a bad person, Sonny. It makes you human. You don't think I'd feel the same way if he were to take Jason instead of you? Believe me, I would."
When the tears slid down Sonny's cheeks, Carly took him in her arms and held him. She was relieved that he was finally letting out some of the emotions he had been bottling up for days. She knew he needed to express them or they would eat him alive.
Burying his face in her hair, he whispered, "I can't live without you, Carly. Never leave me." He clutched her tightly to him.
Her own tears starting, she answered, "I'm not going anywhere, baby. You're stuck with me for life."
Jason, observing them from a distance, felt his chest tighten as he thought to himself, "Where are you, Elizabeth?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After finding Sam's body, Jason looked a little farther down the street and found the car that was supposed to take Elizabeth to work. In it, he found the driver, who had received the same treatment as Sam - two bullets to the back of the head. Cranton meant business.
The thought of his Elizabeth in the hands of that psychopath, made Jason's blood run cold. He felt the darkness of despair overwhelm him. This was his fault. If she weren't involved with him, Elizabeth would not have been a target.
Shaking off his paralysing fear for her, Jason knew he had to think clearly if he wanted to be of any use to Elizabeth. He returned to his building and stopped outside Sonny's door to speak with Johnny.
"Don't bother trying to contact Elizabeth's driver," he said. "I found him and Sam about 10 blocks from here. They're both dead. You'd better get a clean-up crew to take care of them."
Johnny could sense the rigid control Jason was exercising over his emotions. "Was there any sign of Elizabeth?" he asked, already sure he knew the answer.
"No." Jason's response was brief, stark.
"Geez, I'm sorry, Jason. We'll find her," Johnny tried to reassure him.
Jason just nodded and entered Sonny's apartment. Sonny took one look at his friend and knew something had occurred. "What is it, Jason?" he asked urgently.
"Elizabeth didn't show up for work this morning and she didn't call. I found her driver and Sam not far from here. They're both dead - shot twice in the back of the head." The bleak tone of his voice and the raw fear in his eyes, struck Sonny hard. "He has Elizabeth, Sonny."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth fought her way through the drug-induced fog clouding her mind. Opening her eyes slowly, she tried to remember where she was and what had happened. When she tried to sit up, she winced as the throbbing pain behind her eyes increased.
The room was small, dark, and almost empty. She had been lying on a folding cot that wobbled as she sat up fully. When the pounding in her head subsided slightly, Elizabeth forced herself to remember what had happened. She had been about to get into the car that was supposed to take her to work, when she had heard a noise behind her. Knowing that Sam was following her, she had turned to see what had caused the noise. Before she could get a good look, a hand holding a cloth had covered her nose and mouth. Within moments everything had turned black. That was all she could remember before waking here.
"Now what, Elizabeth?" she thought to herself. She knew that it was only a matter of time until Jason discovered she was missing and came looking for her. As her head cleared even more, she realized that this must have something to do with Alexander Cranton. She hoped that he wasn't using her to set a trap for Jason.
The door opened and her captor stepped in. "So you're finally awake. I hope you're finding your new accommodations to your liking, Elizabeth." Cranton's smile reminded her of the cobras she had seen on nature shows.
Putting up her chin, she asked defiantly, "What do you want with me?" She was proud of herself for keeping her fear out of her voice.
He laughed. "All in good time, my dear. Just make yourself comfortable." His hand on the doorknob, he paused and added, "And you won't be lonely for long. You'll soon have someone to keep you company." He closed and locked the door behind him.
Elizabeth expelled the breath she had been holding and considered his words. Who else did he plan on bringing here? She was afraid she was going to find out very shortly. "Please be careful, Jason," she said softly to herself. She never doubted that he would come for her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The atmosphere in Sonny's penthouse was fraught with tension. Carly could see and feel it emanating from both Sonny and Jason. They had been calling contacts and sending their men out to search for hours. So far, no trace of Elizabeth had been found. Carly could tell that Jason was close to the breaking point and she couldn't blame him.
Sonny came over and joined her on the sofa. "Are you OK?" he asked quietly.
"I think I should be asking you and Jason that question," she replied. "He's barely holding it together, isn't he?" She looked at her old friend with sympathy.
"He's stretched pretty tight," Sonny agreed. He sighed loudly. "I feel so guilty, Carly."
Glancing at him quickly, she asked, "Why would you feel guilty? What's happened to Elizabeth is horrible, but it's not your fault."
"I know. I'm really worried about her, but the thing I feel guilty for is that I can't help being a little relieved that it's not you." Sonny's eyes shone with tears. "I know this is killing Jason, and yet, great friend that I am, I'm glad this monster doesn't have you." His voice cracked with the weight of his guilt.
Carly's heart ached for him. She reached out and gently caressed his cheek. "That doesn't make you a bad person, Sonny. It makes you human. You don't think I'd feel the same way if he were to take Jason instead of you? Believe me, I would."
When the tears slid down Sonny's cheeks, Carly took him in her arms and held him. She was relieved that he was finally letting out some of the emotions he had been bottling up for days. She knew he needed to express them or they would eat him alive.
Burying his face in her hair, he whispered, "I can't live without you, Carly. Never leave me." He clutched her tightly to him.
Her own tears starting, she answered, "I'm not going anywhere, baby. You're stuck with me for life."
Jason, observing them from a distance, felt his chest tighten as he thought to himself, "Where are you, Elizabeth?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*