Carly hesitated with her hand on the phone. It was easy, no problem. Carly shook her head and took her hand off the phone and tried to get back to work. Carly kicked herself subconsciously. She could stare down gunmen but she couldn't even pick up the phone to call Sonny. Her nerves were on overdrive just trying to keep up with her own lies.
Now was when she would find out if her lies were worth it. She had to convince her number one critic, the one, well really two people she had never been able to lie to. They, better than anyone could see right through her. "OK Carly. You can do this. Just pick up the phone and call him." Carly picked up the phone and dialed quickly before she could change her mind. It rang twice before Sonny picked up,
"Corinthos." Sonny answered shortly
"Hi, Sonny? It's Carly." She said quickly before she could change her mind
"Carly? Where are you calling from? I don't recognize the number." He questioned
"I'm at a friends office." Carly lied
"What friend?" Sonny asked, quickly getting angry
"Sonny, we aren't getting into this right now." Carly said trying to divert her own anger. "I called to ask you a favor."
Sonny smiled knowingly, "Sure, what is it."
"Can Michael stay with you for a few days? I have to go out of town on business." Carly smirked as she imagined the grin Sonny was wearing slid off his face.
Sonny frowned, that wasn't the favor he had been expecting her to ask. "Of course! I'd love to have Michael for a few days. Where are you going?"
"Just a quick trip to Milan. I need some pieces that I want to inspect personally." Carly explained
"Pieces for what?" Sonny asked
"My friend's opening a boutique and she needs my help." Carly picked through her brain for a lie
"No offense Carly but what friend?" Sonny asked laughing
"Oh, who's a funny guy now?" Carly laughed, only slightly annoyed. "But I guess I did walk into that."
"I'm sorry. I couldn't resist." Sonny teased
"Was that an apology I heard out of Sonny Corinthos?" Carly asked shocked
"Frame it. It doesn't happen often."
"Don't I know it." Carly sighed, "As much as I've loved this little chat of ours, I need to get back to work. I'll bring Michael by tomorrow after school. Bye Sonny."
Carly sighed and hung up the phone. She ran a hand over her face and logged off her computer and gathered her things. She had a lot of packing to do.
1 Week Later"Are you sure she didn't go to Milan?" Sonny asked Jason angrily
"Yeah, I guess she ended up in Puerto Rico but we lost her once she got to the hotel. According to the Hotel staff and all our men she never left the room except to go shopping one day and to the casino another. She ordered room service and sat on the balcony or in her room with the blinds shut."
"This is unacceptable. I want to know what is going on with my wife." Sonny slammed his glass on the table
"I know. We'll figure it out." Jason said reassuringly
Carly sat on the plane twisting her hands in her lap. Her trip hadn't been a total waste but it certainly hadn't been worth the entire 7 days. The sources had been stubborn. It had taken a full 2 days to get them to let her in the house. Then another 2 to get them to talk. By the time they started saying anything useful it was already almost time to leave.
Carly was grateful when the plane landed. She loved vacations but this trip had been anything but relaxing. Carly exited the plane quickly. She sighed angrily when she saw Bill waiting for her in baggage claim. She calmly stood next to Bill and smiled a polite strangers smile at him. "They always take forever to bring out the bags don't they?"
"I never could quite figure out what took so long." Bill answered with an absent smile
With a slight frown, Carly leaned forward on the pretense of checking a luggage tag. "What the hell are you doing here?" Carly whispered fiercely, "Are you trying to get me in trouble?"
"There have been some odd coincidences around the office lately. Phones being tapped, paperwork going missing, I just wanted to warn you to watch your back." Bill whispered back while looking around noncommittally.
"Thank you but next time use the phone." Carly whispered, she smiled and said loudly, "Finally, here's my bag. It was nice chatting with you." She picked up her bag and walked out of the airport and hailed a taxi.
Cortland Street"Can you tell me why she isn't dead yet? Christmas Eve is the day after tomorrow." The woman shouted
"She was gone. What do you want me to do?" he asked
"Kill her now!" The woman continued to scream until the man ran out of the building.
Harborview Towers"Hey Johnny. Is Sonny in?" Carly asked when she stepped off the elevator
"Sorry Mrs. Corinthos. He, Michael and Jason are at the movies. Mr. Corinthos said to ask you to come back for a family dinner if you didn't have other plans." Johnny said with a wink
"Tell him I will be here at 6 sharp!" Carly smiled and walked back into the elevator.
Elm Street PierAfter leaving the Penthouse Carly decided to walk to the pier to clear her head. She walked slowly through the town taking in the sights. Carly loved Christmas. Lights and decorations everywhere, just the spirit of it all. It reminded her of happier times. Times that weren't complicated by reality. She took a deep breath and filled her lungs with cold air. She let it out slowly and looked out over the pier. Carly had been in many jams in her life but her current predicament was the worse to date. No matter what she did somebody would get hurt.
If she told Sonny and Jason the truth that would mean admitting that she had been lying to them since they met. She could not tell them. But then she was just denying the inevitable. Sooner or later someone would spill the beans. Then not only did she lie but she didn't tell the truth when she had the chance. Either way she's in way over her head.
The man stood quietly behind the bench watching Carly. He pulled out his gun and took aim. "Say goodnight Mrs. Corinthos." He whispered and moved forward slightly to get a better shot.
Carly's cell phone rang and she answered it grudgingly, "Hello?"
"Carly, its Jason." Jason's voice could be hear through the phone
"Hey, is the movie over?" Carly asked
"Almost. I'm outside, we need to talk." He said
Carly's stomach clenched, "Now? I'm kind of busy."
"Something is going on with you and I want to know what it is." Jason argued
"Its nothing!" At Jason's silence Carly rushed to explain, "Its not something I can explain right now." In that statement Carly made her decision. She couldn't tell them now, if ever.
"Carly, I can help you." Jason pleaded with her
"I'm sorry Jase. No one can help me." Carly said sadly.
"What are you talking about?" Jason asked worriedly
"Its just that-… Ugh" Carly's eyes widened at the pain in her stomach. Her cell phone clattered to the ground and Jason's voice could be heard shouting through the phone.
"Carly!" Jason shouted "Carly! What happened? Are you all right?"
Carly clutched her stomach as blood rapidly soaked her shirt and hands. She fell to the ground as she struggled to remain conscious. As her eyelids fluttered closed the man leered over her with an evil smile on his face. He bent slowly and picked up the phone and brought it to his ear. Jason's voice could still be heard shouting for Carly.
"Mrs. Corinthos is unavailable right now." He said
'What did you do to her." Jason said in a voice of deadly calm
"Why don't you ask her?" He said evilly, "Oh wait, you can't. She's lying here with her blood surrounding her. She doesn't have much time. She's on death's doorstep."
The dial tone sounded in the man's ear. He knelt down next to Carly and brushed a hand over her face. "Don't worry darling. Death will be here soon."