Chapter 21 – "The Last Stand"

(February 28, 2004 – Port Charles, New York)

Helena's yacht blew into Port Charles just after sunset. She dropped some of her more trusted guards by the Spoon Island launch, just in case someone decided to make a surprise, and unfortunate, visit to the Cassadines that evening.

At the very same time, Elizabeth and Emily were crouching behind the bushes on the docks by the launch. They watched Helena's three guards as they lurked near the water's edge, talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Are there more, do you think?" Emily whispered.

"I don't know," Elizabeth answered. "I don't think so. This is pretty much what Lucky told me to expect."

"Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Elizabeth said. "All we have to do is wait for the signal." She glanced through the binoculars again, peering across the water at Wyndemere. She kept her eyes on the window, waiting for Nikolas's signal. A few minutes later, a dim light flickered on in the corner parlor.

"That's it," she said, turning to Emily. "Let's go."

Emily gave her a quick, grim nod and they shuffled slightly forward. Emily pulled the small sidearm from her waist, and though she knew it was only loaded with blanks, her hands shook.

Elizabeth noticed her friend's hesitance and asked. "Are you sure about this?" she asked. "I think I can manage this myself. It's not too late."

Instead of answering, Emily asked, "Did Lucky ever tell you about the time we went to New Mexico? And we camped out, and I got trapped in a cave with a rattlesnake and he got knocked out by the falling rocks?" Elizabeth smiled and nodded, letting her continue. "Well, if he can go through all that for me, not to mention the rest of the laundry list of favors and saves he's perpetrated over the years...well, I think I can do this for him."

"Okay." They both took a deep breath and popped up from their hiding place. Emily aimed her weapon at the guard closest to her and fired.

The noise broke the settling silence of the night and immediately all three guards turned in their direction and pulled out their weapons. Emily and Elizabeth were already on the move and they made chase, leaving the launch wide open.

Shots were fired in their direction and one connected with Elizabeth's shoulder. She stumbled only for a moment but out of sheer determination kept running down the docks, staying in the shadows.

They ran until they reached Sonny's warehouse and sought cover inside behind some crates. Catching their breath, Emily whispered to Elizabeth, "Are you okay?"

She tentatively felt around her shoulder and sighed in relief. "I'm fine," she answered. "It hit the vest." She patted her chest, ultimately grateful for the Kevlar vests that protected both her and Emily.

They continued to circle around the warehouse, moving from the cover of one large crate to another. The guards soon caught up to them and split up to start searching.

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On Spoon Island, Helena stalked into the halls of Wyndemere, not sure that she should be happy that Laura had apparently deserted her son or continuingly frustrated that she had yet to find Lucky. She left two guards by the door and took her most recently obtained side man, Milos, inside with her.

As soon as Mrs. Lansbury, frightened but as always polite, had ushered her out of the main hall, Nikolas appeared, silent and stealthy, armed with a gun he sincerely hoped he wouldn't have to use and a very sturdy wooden beam. He slowly eased up on the two guards whose attention was focused ahead, across the water.

Nikolas caught the first guard unawares with a brief but forceful blow over his head. The second reached for his gun but Nikolas knocked it out of his hand, swinging the beam like a baseball bat. He swung once more and connected to the guard's chest. When both guards were knocked out, he stripped them of their weapons and dragged them inside, chained them to the staircase and then proceeded to join his uncle and Luke in the parlor where his grandmother was beginning to get so anxious she didn't even bother to try and ingratiate herself to him.

"Hello, grandmother," he greeted her, crossing the room to the window where he flicked on the table lamp to signal to Emily and Elizabeth on the docks. "I bet you're wondering why you're here."

Helena raised her eyebrows at her grandson, and answered, "You make it seem as if I was summoned, and dear Nikolas, you must know I never appear anywhere unless there's something beneficial for me." Her grandson's attitude had momentarily shaken her, and she tried to talk her way around it. "I came because I heard of Laura's disappearance. I had assumed she had merely left my useless son for Spencer...again. But, given tonight's notable presence of Mr. Spencer himself, I must have assumed incorrectly. Perhaps the woman has finally wised up and left the both of you."

"She hasn't left me, Mother," Stefan said quickly before Luke could say anything in defense of Laura.

"You certainly don't think I've done anything with her, do you?" Helena asked, in a not-so-innocent voice that sounded as if she truly wished she had thought of doing such a thing.

"No, Mother," Stefan said. "But there is someone else you've stolen away with."

Before Helena could respond, the secret door behind Stefan slid open and Lucky and Laura both appeared from their tunnel hiding place. Milos the bodyguard was quick to act, but not quickly enough. Nikolas had a gun trained at his head before he could do anything.

Helena stared at her former captive, but Lucky spoke first. "Hello, Helena. Surely you can't be surprised to see me. You had to know I didn't just disappear off the face of the planet." He reached out his hand to catch the gun Nikolas lobbed in his direction, one of the two that had been confiscated from Helena's felled guards, the other of which Nikolas proceeded to toss to Luke.

"Of course not, Lucky," she said, regaining her composure. "I only thought you were wiser than this. I'm sorry to find I was wrong."

"I'm sure you are," Luke entered the conversation. "I'm afraid we've reached the end of the road, Madame Cassadine. Other than your latest Boy Friday, there isn't anyone left to help you."