Show: General Hospital
Title: Las Vidas de los Corinthos' II: Chapter 33
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: Thanks for last chapter's comments. Like I said, the story is winding down, I don't know exactly how long it will take to finish, but I should be finished by the end of the year. Are Sexis fans hoping that both Sonny and Alexis will stop being such idiots and at least become friends again? I know I am. And are Liason fans hoping that Jason snaps out of it and returns to Liz? It's a no-brainer, right? Read and enjoy!
X-X-X-X-X
"Delano."
Delano frowned as the voice registered in his brain. "What is it, Lyle?" His voice was frustrated and annoyed, his fury at being unable to get Elizabeth to leave Harborview, less than latent. He sat in a cab, ironically, driving back to 'Daniel Toreno's' room in the Port Charles Hotel, where he'd sit and stew a little longer before heading back to the warehouse and checking up on Destang's handwork.
Lyle's eyes widened as he struggled to come up with a lie that would not make Delano suspicious. "I'm callin' to see if you saw the papers," he floundered.
Lyle's statement brought a ghost of a smile to Delano's face. "Oh yes, I did," he replied with a grin. "In fact, I'm gonna have it framed, and double the big fat donation I'd promised to give," he joked, without a semblance of guilt.
"Ha, ha," Lyle's laugh was uneasy. "Did you show Yates?"
His only reply was a harsh crack of a laugh. "Check the afternoon edition of the news, Lyle. I didn't pay him to fuck up… not when I'm so close to getting Corinthos," he hissed in cryptic explanation, the last part so quietly that the cabdriver could not hear him.
"Did you off him?" Lyle asked in mock surprise.
"What do you think, Lyle? I course I did, and I'll do it to anyone else who fucks with my plans," was Delano's frosty reply.
Lyle gulped as he listened to Daniel's admission.
"Is that all, Lyle? I've got more important things to do."
"No…" Lyle floundered again, as Garcia urged him to keep talking. Taggert was speaking in hushed tones with a tech-head back at PCPD headquarters, who was currently trying to triangulate Toreno's phone signal. "I've seen Corinthos' people crawlin' all over the docks," he continued in a rush. "They had Yates's picture and they were flashing it all over the place." He decided to take creative license. "Everyone's starting to talk; the PCPD were like ants in Jake's, questioning everybody. I overheard one of the cops… he said they think Morgan's missing…." He trailed off, hoping Delano would drop a crumb, as Mac nodded in encouragement.
"Anyone talk to you?" he asked instead.
"No," Lyle lied. "I hightailed it outta there as soon as I could."
"Then good. I'll call you when I have something for you."
Before Lyle could say another word to stop him, Delano snapped his phone closed.
As his cab headed further back downtown, Delano sat back and let this latest piece of news wash over him. So, the PCPD knew Morgan was missing, or at least thought he was. This would work in his favour. He knew the Corinthos camp would be crippled, not only with the loss of Courtney, but because their number one Enforcer was nowhere to be found. He wanted this to be over as soon as possible. He would call Corinthos that very night.
Back in the room at the hotel, Taggert cursed as Lyle shut Mac's cellphone.
"Did you get anything?" Garcia asked.
"Marsha's tracking his signal right now. She was also recording their conversation; I was hoping he'd admit outright he had Jason."
"At least we got his confession that he had Edward Yates murdered. That's murder-one," Garcia pointed out.
"For now, even if we don't have him on the record for killing the rest of those men and Courtney, that'll have to be enough," Mac said. "Was she able to track him?"
Taggert relayed the question. "Yeah, the GPS on his cellphone has him heading this way."
Lyle gulped as he belatedly realized that Delano had a room in the hotel.
"Relax," Garcia ordered with a roll of his eyes. "He's not gonna know you're here."
"Listen," Mac said, slipping on his suit jacket, "I'm gonna go find Dara. Get someone up here to watch him," he instructed, pointing at Lyle. "Stake out Taggliatti. The second he leaves this building again, follow him. My gut tells me he'll lead us right to Morgan."
X-X-X-X-X
Hour ten.
Time was a factor, and Jason knew he didn't have a lot of it.
Destang had just left him alone again, after inflicting a few more wounds on his person. One of the knives had found its way home into his other shoulder, renewing the pain he'd felt before his entire arm had gone numb. The darkness was disconcerting but he knew what his first wound looked like. In the feeble overhead light when Destang was with him, he'd caught sight of it. His arm was red with the blood that dripped from his wound. The blood had long since dried, but the wound had puckered and he imagined, if he could, it would smell of more than just dried blood.
The motor functions in that arm were next to nothing. He knew if he didn't get to an operating room soon - he didn't know how much time he had left - his arm would be useless.
To make matters worst, Destang had done the same to his other arm. There was a tingling that was gradually fading. He had punctuated the wound by punches that had slammed into his chest like jackhammers. It hurt to breathe, each breath wheezed like a winter wind and he imagined his chest was bruised.
The clock had started.
Tick. Tock.
Time was running out….
X-X-X-X-X
"That sonofabitch!" Sonny cursed, pacing the length of his office like a caged animal.
Johnny and Francis exchanged dubious looks. Their boss had gotten off the phone with Signore Delfino a mere five minutes ago and had told the two guards what he'd revealed. Francis, especially, knew he was angry and couldn't help feeling a little guilty. After all, he'd been Elizabeth's guard, and when she'd started seeing more of 'Toreno', it had been his job to check up on him. Apparently, he hadn't done a good enough job.
Sonny was beside himself. He'd looked Daniel Toreno in the eyes, had shaken his hand, had thanked him for giving his daughter the break that she so richly deserved, he'd thanked his lucky stars when Francis had revealed that he and Elizabeth were more than just business acquaintances, had smiled with him, laughed with him, talked politics with him. He'd trusted his first-born, his family with that man, never even suspecting the threat that he was.
He turned to his guards, pinning them with his eyes. "Where is he?"
Francis spoke. "He met with Elizabeth at the Port Charles Grille yesterday. She said he was staying overnight in Port Charles. I assume he spent the night at the Hotel."
Sonny grit his teeth and turned to Johnny. "Any more news on Edward Yates?"
"Gino just got back from Jake's. She told him that Taggert and Garcia picked up some lowlife who was a friend of Yates's."
"Get any names?"
"No, but it looks like he knew something. They took him in."
"He's at PCPD now?"
"Nah, Gino followed up. He said Mac and Dara Jensen hightailed it out of Headquarters."
"Do you know where they were going?"
"Yes. Port Charles Hotel."
Sonny nodded and grit his jaw. "Good. Francis, I want you and Adam to head over there and see what's up."
"Adam's still staking out the docks," Francis pointed out, referring to the other guard's waiting to catch up with Zico's kidnappers.
"Get him off! That can wait!" Sonny growled.
"Sure," Francis nodded and left the room, fishing out his cellphone on the way.
"Get my brother on the phone," he instructed Benny, who'd been lurking in the corner. "Tell him to start preparing a defense. When I find Taggliatti, I'm gonna fuckin' kill him!"
X-X-X-X-X
"Yes, Eldon," Alexis said with a tired sigh, "the wedding plans will definitely have to be postponed." She paused as Laura Spencer's former right-hand man and current wedding coordinator said something else. "Thank you for your concern and for calling. Goodbye." She set the phone on the hook and turned around.
"Has it been like that all morning?" Ric asked the question from his vantage point near the balcony.
"Yes, since I turned the ringer back on." She crossed to the couch and sat down. "Mike called from the plane. He said he should be here in about another four hours."
"How's he holding up?" he asked, thinking of the man who had lost so much already and now had lost the daughter he'd only found a few short years ago.
"As well as can be expected." She looked upstairs, envisioning Elizabeth who was keeping the children entertained in their playroom. A few months ago, she'd nearly lost both her daughters, she couldn't begin to comprehend how Mike was feeling right now. "They haven't been able to find Courtney's mother. Mike said Courtney hadn't heard from her in almost a year."
"Have you heard from Sonny?"
"No," Alexis shook her head. It was after ten and he had left more than five hours ago. He had, she knew, thrown himself whole-heartedly into the search for Jason and into finding out who had done this.
"I'm sure he'll check in soon." No sooner had he said that than his cellphone rang. His forehead wrinkled, he excused himself and answered quickly, "Lansing."
"Ric," it was Benny.
"Yeah."
"Listen, we've got a lead on Taggliatti."
"Really?"
"Yeah, listen," Benny broke in. "Where are you?"
"Harbourview, why?" he asked, glancing back at his partner, who'd settled herself on the couch.
"Head back to the office and start preparing a defense."
"What?" he asked incredulously. "Why?" he turned his back when Alexis looked at him questioningly.
"Delano Taggliatti is none other than Daniel Toreno."
"Say no more." He snapped his phone shut and turned to Alexis. "Listen, I gotta go. I'll see you in a few," he said hurriedly.
"Wait, Ric-"
But he was already gone.
X-X-X-X-X
"Taggliatti has just entered the building," Officer Marsha Delgado whispered into her set as a man matching Toreno's description strolled into the lobby up to the desk and pocketed his cardkey.
It had taken some fancy legalese by Dara to get the warrant and some lightning quick tech skills, but Marsha had installed the bugs in a few choice places in Taggliatti's room. All they had to do was sit back and let him hang himself. But, that was preferably after he told them if he knew where Jason Morgan was.
"Good," Garcia replied, in her ear. "Stay where you are. Let us know which direction he's heading."
"Sure thing," she replied, continuing to 'read' her newspaper.
Upstairs in his room, Delano shrugged off his jacket and smiled as he read the newspaper article again. Life was good. From their vantage point, two doors down, Garcia and Taggert shook their heads as they took in his obvious glee. "That is one cool cat," Garcia said, disbelievingly.
They watched as he fixed a drink and loosened his tie. Plopping onto the couch in his suite, he picked up the telephone. "Destang," he said, when the person on the other end picked up, "how's it going?"
"Fine," was the curt reply.
"He folded yet?" he asked, not really expecting a positive answer.
"No, Morgan's as cold as they come."
"Got him!" was Taggliatti's gleeful shout.
"How much time has he got?"
"Less than ten on the first, under twelve on the other."
"Good. You know what to do. I want him barely coherent by the time I get there."
"When is that?"
Delano checked his watch. "In another couple hours."
"He'll be bleeding out by then."
"Make it last. I'll see you then." He terminated the call and downed the rest of his drink.
"Jesus, what the hell are they doing to Morgan?" was Garcia's tremulous whisper.
Taggert had seen a lot in his career, but he had a feeling that when they finally caught up to Morgan, this would be a trump.
X-X-X-X-X
Hour nine
When next the door slid open and the feeble overhead light snapped on, Jason could barely lift his head. It was Destang as was expected.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Morgan?" dark humour laced his question.
Jason's reply was the same – that steely, disconcerting blue-eyed stare that had not wavered despite his beating.
Destang chuckled. "I've got a present for you." He lifted the knife and held it up to the light, so Jason could see it, then lowered it again to his side.
It was a game they'd been playing for the past few hours. Jason knew what was coming next and braced himself for the pain.
Destang's smile was sinister. The knife swung up in a graceful arc and slammed into his belly. Jason screamed for the first time in years as Destang dragged the knife across, practically gutting him.
"Enjoy."
Jason blacked out.
TBC…
A/N: A little gory at the end, I apologise if it made you queasy. I hope you enjoyed nonetheless, and drop me a line or two or twenty (lol) to let me know what you thought.
Cara
