Author's Note: Hey guys here's the latest chapter of SR I hope you enjoy it. Also, I have Chapter Nine already completed and waiting to be edited. I would like get it out to you on Wednesday but, I am going out of town on Wednesday afternoon so I don't know if I'll be able to get it up by then. If not, I will just post it when I return on Sunday. Fear not the next chapter will be either a week from today or Wednesday.
Chapter Eight
Mimi sat in the back seat of the black town car watching the landscape of the Florida sky as she was driven by it. She was on her way to see Brady and inform him that their son had been taken. The decision to tell him face to face had been made right after she revealed Alex's true paternity to Philip …
"I don't care what you say Philip, I know Brady did not do this and I know it better than anyone." Mimi declared shrugging off Rex's calming touch to turn away from him.
"How, Mimi? Give me one solid good reason to how you know Brady wouldn't take Nicky? One, good reason." Philip demanded on him.
Seconds went by before Mimi turned back to face Philip her green eyes brimming with defiance. "Brady would never take a child because he already has a son."
"What?" Philip said straightening into his tall form, eyes wide with his brows arched questioningly.
Mimi held her head up high. "Brady and I have a son, Alex is our son. If Brady ever wanted to see Alex all he'd have to do is ask and he knows that. He wouldn't bother going through the trouble of trying to kidnap your son because he already has one. And he would damn well know the difference between your son and his."
Philip was shocked to say the least, of all the things Mimi could tell him, Alex being Brady's son was something he'd never suspected. It simply couldn't be true. "What-what did you say?"
Rex moved swiftly to stand behind his wife in an offer of support, even if it seemed she didn't really need it at all. "Alex isn't my biological son. He's Brady's child."
"I heard that I just can't believe it, that Brady could be his father. Why, why didn't you tell me?" Philip asked his head reeling that his oldest friend and godmother to both of his children could keep this secret.
"Because frankly it wasn't any of your business, Philip. That's why I never told you. What happened between Brady and I had nothing to do with you. Just as my decision to continue my relationship with Brady after he left wasn't your business. I admit that maybe our relationship wasn't supposed to last as long, but it did and we-I have Alex because of it."
Philip shoved his hand through his hair in frustration. "I can't believe I never realized how much he resembled John. I always knew he reminded me of someone I just couldn't put my finger on it. He has your eyes but his facial features, his hair … they are all Black traits." Glancing up at Mimi and Rex, he tilted his head to the side questioningly. "You're sure Brady wouldn't do this?"
"I'm absolutely positive besides that he wouldn't he's never shown any interest in doing so before. And even if he did he would never take Alex without seeing me first." Rex soothingly rubbed his wife's arms. "Philip, you and I both know that Brady can do some pretty despicable things but I'd imagine that a kidnapping attempt on your son is nowhere on his agenda. Every since he left Salem he's shown no interest in anything having to do with you.
Philip sighed. "Then, this leaves us exactly where were before without any idea of who is took him and why."
Patrick observed the on-going conversation between his father-in-law and Mimi with a valiant interest. He glanced down at his wife to see her cross her arms as she stared at her father pensively. He figured she was trying to get an idea of how to get them back to thinking of who was responsible for the kidnappings so they could then figure out why their daughter was taken.
"Okay so what are you going to do now that you've out ruled your nephew?"
"We're going to continue running through checks on all of our, rather my known enemies and cross reference that list with people who worked at Titan. Hopefully, Lucas and Shawn will be able to give us a name so we know who originally stole the files and what was in them. But, until then I suggest we move our headquarters to a safer location since the mansion has been compromised. So Exiel?" He asked to Rex who nodded in response.
"What's Exiel?" Patrick questioned.
"Exiel is Chloe and my grandfather's home/island. It's completely secure and only reachable by boat or helicopter. No one will be able to breach the security system."
"Okay so while guys there Patrick and I will stay here."
"No, I want you guys with me." Philip said clearly not giving his daughter a chance to say no. "Everyone will be safer on the island for the time being."
"But, what about waiting for the kidnapper to call? You don't want to miss that; it could be the key to finding Alex."
"I'll have all the calls rerouted to the island; the kidnapper won't know the difference. So you'll come?" Philip asked of his daughter not at all understanding why she seemed to be hesitate about staying on Exiel.
"Yes, of course we'll come. But, Patrick and I need to go to our apartment to … pack a bag." Angel answered. "How soon are you planning on leaving?"
"A couple of hours at the most, we've got to get a few things in order first so you have time to go to your apartment."
Angel nodded. "We'll be ready then."
"Good, I need to make some arrangements and inform Chloe that what we're doing so you guys can come with me. Rex call—,"
"I got it Philip you go ahead and take care of your family." Rex said nodding to Philip as the blonde man left the room with his daughter and son-in-law at his heels. He turned to the desk to pick up the phone but Mimi stopped him, grabbing his wrist.
"Rex, I need you to go to Eixel without me, I have somewhere I need to go first."
"You're going to see Brady aren't you?"
"Yes, I have to. Alex is his son too," she paused. "I know that Alex is your son in every way there is, he loves you so much but at the same time Brady is his biological father and he deserves to know what happened. Not only that, I think he might be able to help us find Alex and I can't ignore that."
Dropping the phone back on the hook, Rex took Mimi in his arms. "You don't have to explain anything to me. I know why you're doing this. So you go ahead and see Brady. I'll be waiting for you on the island." He pressed a kiss to her lips as Mimi raised her arms to circle his waist, hugging him tightly.
Sighing, she pulled back to stared intently into his warm brown eyes. "I love you Rex and thank you for trusting me."
"You don't have to. You better go pack a bag if you want to see Brady."
"I know." Mimi dropped her arms from around his waist as she backed away from him to leave the room.
"Ms. Lockhart, we've arrived." The driver of the Lincoln Town Car said pulling Mimi away from her private thoughts back to the present.
"Thank you Jonathan." The driver had got out of the car and went to pull open her door. "I don't know how long I'll be so I'll just call you when I'm ready to go."
"Yes, ma'am, I'll just be in the area waiting for your call." The young man said as he got back into the car and pulled off.
Mimi waited until the car completely left the driveway before she slipped on her sunglasses and walked around the one story beachfront property in the back of the house. Brady wasn't in, that she knew because she'd called earlier and got his machine. However, having stayed with Brady before she knew his morning routine like the back of her hand and she very much doubted that it had changed much, most likely he was out for his morning jog on the beach. Passing by the gate of the sandy backyard she slipped off her heeled sandals carrying them by the thin straps as she began her trek on the beach.
She had only been walking for less than ten minutes when she saw him running down the beach. He still looked the same from the last time she'd seen him nearly four years ago. The only difference was his once shorten business style crew cut was now fairly long as it ruffled in the wind as he ran. He wore a pair of black jogging shorts riding low on his hips, with a white sleeveless t-shirt drenched with sweat from his jog, His long legs ate up the distance between them in no time as Brady finally saw her, his jog slowed down to a walk as he stopped before her in wonderment.
"Mimi, what are you doing here?" He asked foregoing all niceties to get right to the point.
"Brady, can we talk somewhere?" She pulled off her sunglass. "It's important."
"Well since you came all this way to see me I assumed as much. We can talk back at the house." He nodded to the direction of his property.
He'd lead the way back to the house in silence; not really having anything to say as he pondered what could possibly be the reason for this visit to his humble domain by his ex. He hadn't seen her since the day she came to tell him she was pregnant with his child and in love with another man. Since that day four years ago, he hadn't laid eyes on her at all. Instead, they'd kept in touch through a series of phone calls, emails and letters. And every now and then he'd get the occasional picture of his son in mail. But, other than the fact that another man was raising his son, he'd believed they'd ended their relationship rather amicably.
Opening the gate to his yard he held it open for Mimi as she slipped through and was assailed by the scent of her perfume that took him back. Shaking his head he followed her through the gate and walked over to his patio table where he'd left a small towel. He picked it up and wiped the sweat from his brow before going to open the sliding door that lead to his kitchen. Draping the towel over his shoulder he headed to the refrigerator where he took out a bottle of water. He opened the bottle and downed three-fourths of it in a matter of seconds. "So you wanted to talk," he started.
"Yes, did you by any chance get my messages?"
"The ones you left a couple days ago?" She nodded. "I got them."
"But, you weren't going to call me back, right?"
"Look, Meems if you're here because I didn't return a few messages, I was planning on getting back to you. I just didn't see the urgency in the matter since I don't have anything to do with Titan or Phoenix Enterprises. Or don't you remember that." He placed the now empty bottle on the counter.
Mimi sighed, "Of course I remember that it's just that if you had answered my calls I wouldn't have to explain so much what's going to be difficult for me to tell you anyway."
"Tell me what?" He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the counter.
Nervously, Mimi plucked a strand of hair out of her face before answering him. "About a week ago Philip was called down to Titan by Lucas because there was a breach in the database and the archives at the mausoleum."
"How did the person get into the database, I thought there were security walls to protect a hacker from doing that?"
"There are but the person had a code to get into it, your old codes to be specific."
"My codes?"
"Yes, your codes and they hacked into the security system as well to breach the archives. When Philip finally got to the archives to see what was missing he found surveillance photos of everyone in the family plastered all over the walls. And close-ups of Chloe, their children, Alex, and I with a message that implied something was going to happen to us."
"What does any of this have to do with me? Don't take this the wrong way but it sounds to me like Uncle Phil needs to get a better a security system and at the least hire some bodyguards, other that it has nothing to do with me."
"Don't you even care about your son, Brady?" She paused to reign in her temper before moving on. "Look Brady, you act like an uncaring shit all you want but remember that I know you better than anyone. I know how hurt you were when Chloe decided to cut you out of her life completely. The point is that the photos are just the tip of the iceberg buddy. It's what happened afterward when Philip and Rex returned to New York that's the problem."
"So what happened?"
"When they got back they naturally told Chloe and I what had happened."
"Naturally," he replied sarcastically.
Snorting indignantly, she continued on as if he had said nothing. "We had security booted up. We didn't think to tell Lily or the boys because we didn't want to worry them unnecessarily. The next day we were sorting through a list of viable suspects through the employee databases at Titan and Phoenix Enterprises when Lissette took the boys for their playgroup. Chloe and I didn't know that earlier that day the playgroup had been cancelled because a couple of the children had got the chicken pox. So she took the boys and left the mansion with our permission."
"At the risk of repeating myself again, so what."
"So when Chloe I and finally got back with Philip and Rex they told us that the playgroup had been cancelled and Lissette knew it. She wasn't supposed to be taking the boys out of the house but she did. She'd already been gone at least an hour by the time we pieced together that she had taken them when a phone call came in telling us that they had kidnapped Nicky and not to contact the police or FBI or else they would kill him."
Brady perked up at this information uneasily as a sneaking feeling creep up his neck. "What about Alex?"
"About twenty or so minutes after the call Philip's daughter and her husband arrived at the house with Nicky and Lissette in tote. Whoever, the kidnapper was they made a mistake and took the wrong child. They apparently hadn't counted on Lissette bring two little boys instead of one."
"What are you saying Mimi?"
"Alex was taken; they took our son, Brady."
He froze, sucking in a breath in shock. His son had been taken … no kidnapped all in a plot to get back at Philip. It wasn't fair there was no justice in the world. It wasn't fair that the woman who once claimed to love him seven years ago had left him for his uncle. It wasn't fair that the second child he had with Mimi was taken from him once again all because of Philip. Looking back at Mimi he saw that her eyes were filled with tears, as she awaited his response to her news. Saying nothing he reached out with his hand and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly against his chest.
Mimi finally allowed her emotions to control as she sobbed heartwrenchingly for her missing son. From the very moment she'd heard that someone had taken him she had wanted to do nothing more than cry until he was back in her arms. But, she'd known that in order to find her son she needed to be in complete control of her emotions not letting anything deter her from finding Alex.
As she sobbed Brady lifted her into his arms and carried her over to his couch in the living room where he sat her down by him her head still buried in his chest. He rubbed her back soothingly as her sobs were quieting; he pulled her away from his embrace slightly so he could cup her face. "Mimi, we will find our son and get him back. I promise you I won't let anything happen to him." Caressing her cheek softly he pushed back her hair so that it was out of her face. Peering into her moist but drying green eyes, he sucked a breath as he couldn't help himself; he leaned down pressing his lips against hers in a comforting kiss. He tasted the salt of her tears as he licked another tear drop that slid down her cheek to her upper lip. Her mouth opened under his like a moth to a flame and within mere seconds that soft comforting kiss had become passionate as Mimi slid her hands up around Brady's neck to his face as she slid her tongue pass his lips.
With a groan, Brady pulled away, "Mimi I'm sorry I didn't mean to —,"
She put her hand over his lips, silencing him. "No Brady don't apologize just please don't stop." She pulled him back down to her as she began to trail moist kissed from his mouth down his neck tasting the sweat and the essence of Brady. He gripped her shoulders as if about to push her away again and she stopped. "No, don't push me away … I need to feel something, anything." She begged and began her ministrations again pressing kisses down his neck.
Brady knew it was wrong; he should just stop this and push her away for a multitude of reasons. But, he couldn't stand to see her in pain so he didn't push her away. Groaning he cupped her face between his palms and kissed her passionately. He eased her down on the sofa his hands moving to unbutton her shirt as hers moved to pull his t-shirt over his head …
The bathroom door shut as Brady pulled on a clean t-shirt over his black jeans. Figuring that Mimi would probably want some privacy after she came out the bathroom he headed to the kitchen to get himself something to drink. Thinking back on the past couple of hours he admitted to himself that having sex with Mimi was probably a mistake. But, he'd made a lot of mistakes in his lifetime with Chloe, his grandfather, and even his father's company. The only thing he had ever done right was to give his son a father to be proud of even if that meant he could never have anything to do with his son.
He wondered now, if he'd made the right the decision in allowing Mimi's husband to raise his child. Did he make the right choice four years ago when Mimi had come to tell him that she was pregnant? Should he have let her go and take his son to be raised by another man? And if he'd made a mistake could he fix it now and get a chance to be a father to his son and something more to the child's mother.
"Brady," he turned to see Mimi also fully dressed in the same clothes she'd been in when she arrived. Her purse strap was twisted around her fingers as she stood silently in the doorway around the kitchen. "I — thank you for you know."
"Mimi I'm so-," Brady started out but Mimi shook her head stopping him.
"Don't apologize. I needed to be comforted and you were there for me. Look, I um … I called my car- I'm going to the airport to meet up with Rex and Philip at Eixel. We're going to wait for the call from the kidnapper there and I wanted to know, will you come with me?"
Brady was startled he hadn't expected her to ask him to come with her, even though he had been thinking of going anyway. "Are you sure? Somehow, I doubt Philip will be expecting me."
"Well you know what it doesn't matter what he wants. Our son has been taken and I want you there for me." Mimi answered because for once she was making the decision based upon what was best for her. "Will you please come with me?"
"Yeah just let me get some stuff together and we'll be off."
Mimi nodded relieved that she wasn't going to be alone and that she would have Brady, the father of her child with her. She only hoped this decision to bring him wouldn't come back to haunt her.
Philip walked purposefully into the living room of Stefano Dimera's large expansive home meet to his cousin and grandfather-in-law.
"Mimi called to check in; she and Brady are just now leaving Florida. They should be here in a little bit."
"Brady Black, a Black is on his way here, in my home? I will not have that man in my home."
"Grandfather," Rex started.
"Don't you grandfather me Recando how you let your wife go to that man I'll never know. The Blacks are well-known for stealing other men's women. Just ask Philip." The gruffly accented voiced said from the wizen old man in the motorized wheelchair."
"Stefano you forget that Brady is Alex's father and he's got every right to be involved in finding his child. Even I won't deny him that. You will treat him with the utmost respect as he is a guest in your house."
"I will do no such thing." Stefano drove his wheelchair out of the room without another word.
"Grandfather," Rex called walking out after his grandfather as Chloe entered to living room.
"Don't you think you could have waited a little longer to tell him about Brady?"
"We could have but what difference would it really have made. He was going to find out and have a fit either way when Mimi arrived with Brady. It's better that he knows now." Philip answered his wife who was not at all happy to hear what he had to say. But, honestly she couldn't have expected Stefano to take the news well considering his obvious hatred for any and all things Black. "Where are Angel and Patrick?"
"In bed sleeping I'd imagine. They were jet lagged from the trip and tomorrow is going to be a long day after all. Nicky and Lily are sleep as well. We should probably get some sleep. Are you coming to bed?" Philip nodded as he walked over her placing his hand on her lower back as he guided her out of the room together so they could sleep.
La Plantation de Maison de dragon Dragon House Plantation
New Orleans, Louisiana
8 P. M.
An elegant couple in their mid-forties entered their two story home on the center of the Dragon House Plantation. The man with rich wavy black hair and twinkling chocolate eyes kept his hand on the woman's back as he dropped their bags beside the stairwell.
"You know, the house is usually never this silent when we return home." The grey-eyed woman with light brown hair that hung to the middle of her back said as she scanned the room for any sign of a disturbance walking the short distance to the living room.
"You're right; it is quiet, too quiet. Dad, Charlie." The man called out for his father and son but there was no answer. He looked at the woman who nodded as she swiftly moved to a decorative lamp on an entable and tapped the side of it. Out of the lamp came an open flap with a silver 9mm Beretta gun and a clip of bullets. She picked up the gun and put the clip in it with a soft click. She took off the safety while the man had reached down and pulled an identical gun from his ankle holster.
"You take the upstairs, I'll take down here." The woman ordered softly, as she assumed the position holding her gun prompted in front of her, as she slowly searched the downstairs part of the house.
The woman had checked the entire circumference of the down stairs area before finally arriving in the kitchen which would lead to the basement, the last place left to check when she heard a bang coming from the pantry. Turning swiftly she waited quietly to ensure she had heard the sound coming from the pantry for sure. When she heard it again she knew her initial thought had been correct the sound was coming from the pantry. Whoever was in there, she knew they'd be very happy to see her as the pantry had been built as fail safe, it automatically locked once the door closed and could only be opened from the outside. She slipped the gun in back of her pants and proceeded to kick the door with such a force that it slammed open.
The door had split where her foot had made contact and she went in after it her gun raised. But, after seeing who was there she slid it back where it had been. Sitting on a kitchen chair with his arms and legs bound to it and scotch tape over his mouth was her father-in-law Jacob. The sliver haired old man's eyes widen in surprise and relief when he saw that it was his daughter-in-law that had come to his rescue. "Xavier and I go away for a couple days Jacob and you get locked in the pantry. I gotta say it really doesn't say much for your babysitting skills." She pulled off the tape.
"Uhh, Elena you have to,"
"Lena, I couldn't find either Dad or Charlie upstairs but everything looks alright." The man named Xavier paused in doorway of the pantry his brows rose in surprise as he saw his father tied to a chair. "Dad, please tell me you aren't playing sex games with Ms. Shaw again while you're supposed to be watching Charlie.
Elena rose as she cut the last of the ropes off of her father-in-law. "Yes, where is Charlie anyway."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you Elena, Charlie was kidnapped almost three days ago."
"Why didn't you call us?"
"Xavier, son I've been bound to this chair for the last three days. If I could have notified you sooner don't you think I would have."
Elena and Xavier wasted no time in storming out of the pantry without another word to Jacob. Jacob took the time to ease himself out of the chair stretching his tired legs as he went and then after a few moments went in search of his son.
"Xavier, I got it come here." Elena called out by the answering machine as she waited for her husband to arrive with a small computer in hand.
"Tigress, I've got your little cub, Charlie. And if you want him back in one piece I suggest you take heed and stay out of exile or we'll send this sweet little cubby back in pieces. Ta-Ta for now."
"Stay out of exile what does that mean?"
"Exile, exile," Xavier repeated softly to himself as he worked through the message in his head. "I got it." Glancing down he punched a keys on the computer. "There is an island called Eixel that is home to one Stefano Dimera, if you switch the letters around it spells the word exile."
"Well what on earth does Dimera want with us? We've been out of the business for years."
"I don't know but I say we pay him a personal visit and find out what's going on."
"I like the way your mind works X. Shall I pack the usual goodies?"
Xavier nodded. "Of course and I'll chart our flight plan." Elena and Xavier separated again taking off into two separate directions. He sat down on the corner of a desk and was inputting coordinates in the computer when Jacob came forward.
"What are you going to do Xavier?"
"I'm going to get my son back what else. Someone clearly doesn't know who they are messing with if they believed that Lena and I would come into the jungle and start a fire. We don't operate that way and we will make them pay."
"Do you need me to do anything?"
"No just stay here and man the phones if someone calls I want to know all the specifics, especially if the kidnappers try to make contact."
"Of course, but do be careful X and try not to kill anyone."
"I won't be I can't promise you that Lena won't. You know how blood thirsty she can get but I will try to contain my cat."
"Leoné, let's get a move on," a voice called out urgently from elsewhere in the house.
"See, she's already getting cagey." Xavier closed the thin computer and slid it into a black bag on the desk before swiftly leaving the room in hope to not give his wife any reason to take her anger out on him. It was best that she save it for Dimera.
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