Chapter 14

Sonny's Penthouse

"They... they never made it?" AJ asked.  "Does that mean that something happened to them?"

"It could.  There may have been a problem with the boat.  I'm going to try Jason's cell phone," Sonny said.

He dialed Jason's number.  Jason's cell phone lay abandoned on the deck of the houseboat which was quickly disappearing under the water.  The cell phone was ringing.  The water covered the phone just as the voice mail picked up.  The phone went dead right in the middle of the message.

"I don't like this," Sonny said.  "The voice mail message just stopped."

AJ looked frightened.  For the first time he could remember, tears started down his face.  "It's all my fault.  Why did I hire that guy.  It's not worth my brother dying for.  I... I never wanted him dead."

Sonny wanted to yell at him, to tear him apart for what was happening, but he seemed to be so genuinely concerned for Jason he couldn't.  "Yes, this is all your fault.  You may have cost your brother and Gia their lives.  If you're as sorry as you say you are, you'll help me find them."

"Anything.  I never thought I'd be working with you, but this is too big for me to handle on my own."

"OK, tell me who is this man who is after them?"

"I... I don't know," AJ said.  He saw the look of disbelief on Sonny's face.  "I telling you the truth.  The guy never told me his name."

"How did you meet him?" Sonny asked.

"I... I was drinking again.  It was just after my family cut me and Courtney off.  I went to a bar, and got drunk.  I started talking to the man sitting next to me at the bar.  I complained about Jason to him.  He said he could help me.  He said he could set it up that Jason would go to prison.  That appealed to me a lot, at that time."

"What about later?"

"When I sobered up, I tried to back out of it.  This guy wouldn't let me.  He threatened to hurt Courtney if I tried to get out of the deal.  So I went along with it.  But when I found out today that he planned to kill Jason and Gia, I had to do something.  That's why I came here."

"Ok," Sonny said.  "The first thing we have to do is find out where Jason and Gia are."

Meanwhile in a wooded area south of Port Charles, Jason and Gia made their way through the brush.

"Where are we going?" Gia asked.

"We have to find a phone.  I need to call Sonny and have him send another car for us.  I have no idea where this place is that he wants us to stay."

Gia nodded and took his hand as they kept walking.

About fifteen minutes later, they came to the edge of a small town.  They walked into town and quickly found a payphone.  Jason quickly dialed Sonny's number.  Sonny answered.

"Sonny, it's Jason."

"Jason!  Where are you?"

"I'm not sure, some town.  Look the guy you sent to take us to meet your car was knocked out and tied up.  The guy that met us tried to kill us, but your man managed to save us.  He and your man both fell overboard, they never came up."

Sonny sighed.  "Jack's dead?"

"Jack?   Was that his name?  I'm sure he is, neither man came up."

"Stay where you are we'll find you."

"We?"

"AJ is here.  Look it's a long story.  I'll tell you about it when I see you."

While Jason was talking on the phone, a black car sped down the road and stopped right in front of them.  Three men jumped out.  Two of them headed for Jason and began fighting with him.  The third grabbed Gia and began to pull her towards the car.

"Jason!" she yelled.

Jason looked up at the sound of her voice.  The distraction was all the men needed to knock him out.  They pushed Gia into the car and sped off leaving Jason unconscious on the ground.