Chapter 14

Alexis stood at the door of Dara's office and took a deep breath then released it slowly. It was all she could think to do now to calm her nerves. Once she walked through the door, there was no turning back. She unconsciously rolled her head from side to side to relieve the tension in her neck then lifting her hand knocked twice. Only moments passed before the door opened and she stood face to face with Dara Jensen.

"Good morning, Dara."

"Alexis."

Stepping into the room Alexis felt the weight of what she was about to do fall on her shoulders and with great determination she lifted her chin and forced her shoulders back in order to bear the burden. It was impossible for her to foretell the emotional outcome of the day's activity. But she knew without question that lives would be changed... in most cases she hoped for the better. All save one; the only one in all of her years in Port Charles who was somehow able to reach into the deepest part of her and accept her strengths and weaknesses... her joys and sorrows. He stood by her through the good and the bad, the hard days and the easy; the one she had promised to remain friends with... to the end... Now the end was upon them and he would know it by the close of day. Sonny's life of privilege and ease was over. She took a ragged breath and apprehensively took a seat in front of Dara's desk. Today would cost her... in sadness, regret, and in the knowledge of what could have been. Before facing the moment of applying the final stabbing wound to a heart she once held very close to her own, Alexis began to prepare herself to accept the responsibility for virtually taking a man's life from him. It was going to be an impossibly difficult day.

As Dara sat down behind her desk, Alexis couldn't ignore the look of mistrust and dislike in Dara's eyes. She didn't really blame her. They found themselves on opposing sides of the courtroom quite often. And, more often than not, Alexis was the one to walk away successful.

Dara sat back and leveled a curious intense gaze at her adversary. The memory of their first court appearance as opposing counsel wasn't one she enjoyed remembering, but it always reminded her of the type of attorney she was up against when the two of them found themselves in court together. It was for that reason alone that Dara accepted Alexis as a client when faced with her own legal problems. Dara fully believed that you should always hold your enemies close. Especially when those enemies held information that could destroy not only your career but your life as well. To find herself now seated across her desk from this woman whose eyes held the same reluctance they had eight years earlier, Dara knew her life was once again about to be put on trial.

"What can I do for you, Alexis?"

Taking another deep breath, Alexis began the task of tearing down the walls of protection that Dara had carefully and meticulously constructed around herself to hide her other life.

"Dara, I have been forced into a position that leaves me no other recourse but to do what needs to be done in order to protect everything that I hold close. You know that I will do anything within my power to protect my family. So I will tell you up front that before this day is over, one of your clients will know that his days of freedom are numbered."

She watched Dara stand abruptly and walk to the water cooler in her office. She drew a cup of water then returned to her chair.

Draining the cup, Dara decided to play along for as long as possible to get as much information as possible. She finally responded caustically. "So you've come here to threaten one of my clients? You've drawn your little line in the sand... and you appear to have the confidence of a woman who knows she's already won the war without firing the first shot. So I'll ask again, what is it you want from me?"

Feeling the restrained ire of a woman on the edge, Alexis calmly continued trying to remain as unthreatening in appearance as possible. The ultimatum she was about to deliver would be threatening enough without adding unnecessary emotion to the situation.

"Well, you're right about one thing, Dara. I have already won the war on this one... the only question remaining to be answered is whose side will you choose to align yourself with? The one where you get to walk away unscathed or the one where you join your client in prison?"

Trying desperately to hide her unease, Dara forced herself to take on a look of exasperation and anger.

"Alexis, I don't know what you're talking about and before you waste anymore of my time... I have other appointments today."

"I'm sure you do, Dara. But none are more important than this one. Because your life depends on the outcome of this meeting."

"You know I don't respond well to threats, Alexis. So why don't you just say what you've come to say and then get out of my office!" Dara was beginning to lose patience and it was evident in the tone of her voice. She could hold her own while defending a client, but to find herself having to defend her own actions; she never handled it well.

Reaching down beside her chair, Alexis picked up her briefcase and placing it in her lap leveled one last look at Dara.

"As much as you dislike me Dara, you need to know that I have never done anything to deliberately harm or discredit you in any way. I actually happen to think that you are a very good attorney... you just chose to use your skills in a less than admirable way... as I once did." With that Alexis pulled the file from her briefcase and placed it gingerly on the desk within Dara's reach.

Afraid to reach for the file, Dara's eyes met Alexis'.

"The last time you handed me a file to read with a warning attached, you blackmailed me into dropping a case. Are you blackmailing me again, Alexis? Because if you are, you need to know up front that I am sick and tired of people manipulating me and the law I serve to get whatever it is they want."

Alexis smiled sadly. "Dara I certainly do hope that is true. If fact I'm counting on it."

"What do you mean... counting on it?"

"Just look at the file, Dara."

Picking up the file, Dara opened it slowly and began to peruse page after page until she reached the last. Then closing it, she reached for her phone, dialing curtly.

"Maggie, hold all my calls and cancel my next two appointments. I do not wish to be disturbed at all."

Replacing the receiver, Dara stared at the file in front of her.

"What do you want, Alexis?"

"Your help."

Dara was flabbergasted. "Help? You walk in here with a file that could put me in prison and you want my help! Lady, you have lost your mind... again?"

Ignoring Dara's derisive remark regarding her recent deceptive foray into the land of insanity, Alexis stood and walked to the water cooler this time drawing two cups of water. Returning to her seat, she placed one in front of Dara.

"It's not you I'm after, Dara. Although I would like to know how it came about that you found yourself working for Sonny these past ten years; an association that I'm almost certain you are not a party of because you want to be. And I draw that conclusion from the lack personal interest within that file you're holding. There are a lot of contractual drafts in that file. Drafts that passed between you and Sonny on more than one occasion when you needed to add addendums or changes of any kind. I guarantee you if I were to look at any of your other files, there would be notations in the margins... details written in that popped into your mind at inopportune moments, details that you needed to remember. Items noted that you wanted to make sure you imparted to your client. There are very few personal notes on any of those files in your hand, Dara. If my suspicions are correct, you are not employed of your own free will. What does he have on you, Dara?"

Picking up the cup of water in front of her, Dara studied Alexis a moment trying to figure out what her objective could be. She certainly didn't seem angry or ready to debate her association with Sonny. She sipped some of the water to wet her dry throat before answering.

"Sounds like you're willing to listen rather than judge my actions, Alexis. That would be a first for you and I. So tell me why you're not handcuffing me right now. As the new ADA, you certainly do have the right."

Alexis smiled sadly. The two of them could have been friends once, before they were both compromised by the pull of outside forces; she with her brother and Helena; Dara somehow through Sonny.

"You're right, Dara. I do possess the ability to arrest you and send you away for a long time, but that's not what I want, especially if my suspicions regarding your association with Sonny are true. So, I'm leaving how we handle this up to you for the moment with an offer of possibly trading a little information later to seal a rather unorthodox alliance if I'm satisfied with your explanation."

Dara stood and walked toward the window in her office keeping her back to Alexis. She didn't care to have Alexis see how much her alternate life still tore at her making every day an effort to just get through without losing her sanity. Sonny Corinthos and his demands on her had in some ways destroyed her career, her love for the law and the passion she enjoyed during her first years of practice. That which she loved so much was now tainted. She began very quietly telling the story as if she were a spectator sitting in the dark recesses of a movie theatre.

"I have two brothers. I'm sorry... wrong choice of words... I had two brothers. One of them is now dead and buried in a hole somewhere in the coffee bean fields of Puerto Rico. He worked for Sonny Corinthos. I didn't know he worked for Sonny; in fact I lost touch with him when I entered law school. The last time I saw him was the night the three of us celebrated my passing the bar. I knew something was wrong with him. Jared, my younger brother, and I could see there was something seriously bothering Ty. He was nervous and he kept looking over his shoulder every few minutes or so. He was only with us for about an hour before he left. I saw him look around at one point and his face paled, he stood, said he'd see us later and practically ran from the room."

Remembering the last time she saw her brother, Dara fell silent. Alexis softly coaxed her to continue. "Who did he see, Dara? Who scared him?" She watched helplessly as Dara's head fell forward and Alexis could see her desperately trying to keep her emotions under control in order to finish the story. Her heart aching for the woman, she offered what little help she could.

"It was Sonny, wasn't it Dara?"

"Yes." Dara replied with a choked restrained voice.

"Did you know who Sonny was at the time?"

"Yes. And by his reaction to seeing Sonny I knew that Ty was in too deep for me to be able to help him. I glanced at Sonny after Ty left the table and he was staring at me like I was his number one enemy or something. I was worried about Ty... I couldn't just sit there and wait for my worst fears to be realized. So I sent Jared home and made my way over to Sonny's table. His eyes were so cold and heartless. I could feel chills running all over me standing in front of him."

Dara stopped again reliving the moment so Alexis again gently pressed to continue.

"What did you say to him, Dara?

"I asked him what his business was with my brother. He smiled that cold dead smile of his and said, 'So Ty is your brother. Tell me Miss Jensen. Do you have any idea what your brother has been up to lately?' And knowing Ty, I knew he was probably working some get-rich-quick scam or something. He was never satisfied with enough... he was always looking at what others had and measuring himself against them. He was smart and handsome and faced with a future that could have taken him anywhere he wanted to go, but he threw it all away just because everything he ever wanted wasn't given to him on a nice silver platter."

Her voice choked and Alexis stood and approached Dara quietly. She placed a comforting hand on Dara's shoulder and mentally winced when Dara looked up at her. In that moment, Dara reminded her of herself and the effort it took to get through a day shouldering the weight of a past that could at any moment drop and crush you beneath its magnitude.

"Come on, Dara. Let's sit down. You need to take a break."

"No. I need to finish this. I've never told anyone the story before... not even Jared. Just let me get through it."

"Alright. But at least sit down so the weight is easier to bear."

Dara gazed up at Alexis surprised and studied her a moment. "You actually get it, don't you?"

Alexis smiled and led Dara to sit down on the couch that lined one wall. "Yes, Dara. I get it. How could I not? You know my family and what they are capable of. And I suspect you also know that, like you, I will do and have done whatever was asked of me to protect them."

"I never thought of it in those terms before. Every time we faced each other in court, my only thought was to win in the most honorable and ethical way I could. Somehow, I thought it might make up for the other part of my life. But, you kept winning and using whatever means possible to do so. I hated you for taking from me the only way I knew of to balance the scales of my life."

"I'm sorry, Dara. I wish I had known what you were up against."

Dara laughed cynically. "Don't apologize for being more inventive than I, Alexis. Maybe I should start taking a few lessons from you instead of resenting you for being more creative."

The story wasn't finished, and Alexis felt adequate time was given to allow Dara to compose herself enough to continue so she reached over and lay her hand on Dara's arm. "Why don't you go ahead and finish, Dara. Let's get this over with so we can focus on other matters."

Seeing the concern and willingness to help her get through the rest of the story Dara smiled at Alexis genuinely for the first time and sat back to try her best to relate the remaining events as best she could with as little emotion as possible. It wouldn't be easy, but the comfort of Alexis' hand on her arm helped. She didn't feel quite so alone anymore in the daily war she faced just to be able to live with herself.

"Sonny asked me to join him and I did because I wanted to know what the association was between my brother and a mobster. He asked me if I knew that he was a coffee importer and I told him I was not familiar with any of his business activities and didn't care to be. He smiled again and picked up his wineglass and twirled it a few times before looking at me again. I was getting scared. He was playing cat and mouse and I knew that I was the mouse in his peculiar game, but I wasn't left with any other choice. He finally asked me if I was aware that my brother worked for him loading and unloading cargo. I told him no I didn't know that Ty worked for him. He laughed that cruel evil laugh of his and very calmly tore my life apart with his next question. He asked me if was also not aware that Ty was hi-jacking those same ships in his spare time."

Dara reached toward Alexis and caught her hand with a frantic pleading look in her eyes. "I didn't know, Alexis. I swear to you I didn't know what Ty was doing."

"I believe you, Dara. I believe you didn't know." Alexis reassured her softly and gently kept her on track by leading her to what she deduced had happened. "Ty was hi-jacking Sonny's ships..."

"Yes. And it wasn't just once or twice. I found out that over a span of 3 years, Ty had hi-jacked and sold the load of 6 barges to a renegade faction in the heart of Bolivia who in turn re-sold it for a substantial profit. The total sum of those barges was in excess of 10 million. And Sonny finally had enough proof of who was behind the operation to shut it down and the reason he was at the restaurant that night was to let my brother know that he wouldn't see the sun rise again. And he didn't. Ty was found in the water off the docks the next morning with a bullet hole in his head and no evidence anywhere that could point to Sonny as the murderer."

Dara faltered slightly but pulled herself together quickly. She was ready for confession time to be over.

"Sonny came to see me the next morning and explained that the judge overseeing the case was closing and labeling it as a successful suicide attempt. And that's where I come in. He sat there just as arrogantly as you please and told me that from then on I would be his attorney in all questionable matters and I would do it happily without recompense."

"But, how Dara? How could he force you to work for him?" Alexis asked suddenly afraid of the answer she suspected was coming.

"The next thing I know Jared is being dragged into my office. He was so scared. You could see it in his eyes, but he wanted to be brave for me. I tried to put myself between him and Sonny... but Jared wouldn't have it. He was always trying to protect me in some way or another. He was my little brother, but he always treated me as though he were the older one and it was his responsibility to take care of me." As Dara continued tears began to fall down her face. Alexis felt every one as though they were her own. She thought of Stephan and Nicholas. She thought of her own little girl. And she thought of Ric. What wouldn't she do for those she loved?

"What did Sonny want with Jared, Dara?"

"He told me that Jared now belonged to him for the remainder of his life in payment for all the money lost because of Ty."

"You mean to tell me that Sonny Corinthos still has your brother?" Alexis asked incredulously.

"Yes. And if I play nice he'll make sure Jared stays alive."

Alexis was livid. 'How dare he?' She was so angry she couldn't sit still. She stood abruptly and started pacing. Her anger so colossal she couldn't form words around it. 'All that time I spent with him, thinking there was so much potential. Feeling a bond of sorts with a man I never really knew at all.' She caught Dara's expression of fear in her peripheral vision and stopped to face her. She couldn't let her anger overwhelm her now. There was still much to do. She'd deal with Sonny later. Turning to Dara, she smiled grimly.

"Dara, how would you like to help me send Sonny to prison and free your brother at the same time?"