Kellie walked into Pozzulo's. Jason and Brick immediately stopped talking.
"What are you going here?" Jason asked.
"I was hoping to talk to you about your meeting with Cyrus," Kellie said, "Not a conversation I could really have at the house with the kids around."
"What do you want to know?" Jason asked.
"The terms of the meeting," Kellie said, "Time, place, are you taking back up or not?"
"Why don't we put that in the category of you don't need to know," Jason replied.
Brick looked at Jason as if to say, "Really?"
"This isn't business as usual, Mob Boy," Kellie said, "I want to know you're going to come home tonight."
"The agreement is no one but Cyrus and I show up at the meeting," Jason said.
"Do you really think Cyrus will honor that?" Kellie asked.
Jason shrugged.
"So," Kellie said, "Are you taking back-up anyway?"
"I offered to go," Brick said.
"It's not necessary," Jason said, "I've got to go."
"Jason," Kellie said.
"It'll be fine," Jason said, "We'll talk when I get home."
He kissed her and left.
Kellie looked at Brick.
"Pier 51," Brick said, "That's where he's headed, but you didn't get that information from me."
"Thanks, Brick," Kellie said.
"I'll feel better if someone's watching his back," Brick said, "You're the only of us that can get away with it."
"I know," Kellie said.
"Are you sure about this?" Brick said, "You fought to stay out of this."
"And sometimes you have to make a stand," Kellie said, "This is one of them. Cyrus is threatening everyone with what he's doing, not just the business. He gets his product going through Port Charles and the surrounding areas, it's not good for the people my foundation helps."
"Okay," Brick said, "You need anything, you let me know."
"For now," Kellie said, "Stall my guard when he comes looking for me."
"Pretty sure Johnny O' Brien is someone to have watching your back in this kind of situation," Brick said.
"Johnny signed up to guard me in general," Kellie said, heading out the back, "Not get back into well this…"
Brick shook his head and mumbled to himself, "I guarantee Johnny will read her the riot act for this one, but what do I know."
Five minutes later Johnny walked in.
"She took off after Jason didn't she," Johnny said.
"Pier 51," Brick said.
Johnny shook his head, "How many times do I have to tell that girl to…"
"She didn't want to drag you back in," Brick said, "Seems to think there's a difference between guarding her as Jason's wife and going after her as Jason's back-up. But that's for you two to sort out."
The Docks
Kellie kept out of sight as Jason listened to Cyrus's proposition.
"What's it going to be Jason?" Cyrus asked.
Kellie didn't hear Jason's response, just scuffling, as she saw Brando make his way towards Jason. She saw Brando pull his gun. Kellie moved forward, pulled her gun, pointing it at Brando. Brando looked back her surprised. Kellie was able to stand out of Cyrus's view.
"Carly," Jason yelled, his gun drawn, "Get out of here."
Kellie's guard, Johnny, whom she'd ditched, came along side her, and pointed his gun at Brando. Johnny gave her a dirty look.
"What are you waiting for, Brando?" Cyrus said.
"Don't even think about it?" Johnny said, muffling his voice. Jason tried not to give away the surprise at seeing Kellie and Johnny there.
"Well that's disappointing," Cyrus said, "You can't even follow instructions, Jason."
Kellie bit her tongue wanting to taunt Cyrus with the irony of his remarks since he obviously hadn't come alone either.
Johnny nodded at Kellie to leave. Kellie refused to leave until everyone else started to do disburse.
Back in the car, Johnny took her to task.
"You want to explain why you inserted yourself in the middle of a mob war," Johnny asked.
"I wasn't going to let Jason go in without back up," Kellie said, "Besides I figured I could provide cover from out of sight."
"Next time, if there is a next time…what am I talking about there probably will be a next time," Johnny said, "Fill me in instead of ditching me. Lord, knows I can't stop you."
"I wasn't going to drag you into this," Kellie said.
"I've been around this business a lot longer than you, kid," Johnny said, "Francis and I both knew what we signed up for when we agreed to guard you and the kids. Even more so when you returned to Port Charles and married Jason. We'd heard the stories about how the two of you had each other backs in some tight spots long before you were ever involved with each other. Seriously, did you really think I wouldn't figure out what you were doing?"
"Well..yeah," Kellie replied.
"I wouldn't be worth what you pay me to guard you if I didn''t," Johnny said, "So where to next?"
"Sonny and Carly's," Kellie said, noting Jason was calling, "Pretty sure that's where Jason will be headed at least once he takes care of things here."
"Are you sure?" Johnny asked, "He's probably not too happy with you or Carly right now."
"I'm pretty sure he'll be more upset with Carly than me," Kellie said.
"Really?" Johnny asked, "You both showed up at something he probably wouldn't want either of you near."
"But I know the business in a way Carly doesn't," Kellie replied, "I'm not the one who walked into the line of fire."
"I can't argue with you there, kid" Johnny said.
Sonny and Carly's House
Kellie walked into the living room just in time to hear Carly tell Jason that Cyrus and Martin were Laura's half brothers and that she'd arranged for their mother to be transferred out of a long-term care facility and moved to a safe house.
Kellie bit her tongue and backed out of the room before Jason and Carly realized she was there. Kellie quietly shut the doors.
Kellie and Johnny both looked at Max.
"Do you want to explain to me how Carly kidnapped a frail, old woman?" Kellie asked, "And no one thought to check with Jason first about that?"
"The only thing Carly asked me for was a couple of guards for her mom," Max replied and then groaned, "She gave Bobby the instructions. We gave Bobby some newer guys looking for more responsibility."
"That didn't know to check or put a stop to orders that should come from Jason or you or Brick," Johnny said.
"Find out where they are," Kellie said to Max.
Kellie looked back at the door, thought for a moment, and said, "Screw it."
She pushed the doors open into the living room, "What the hell were you thinking, Carly?"
Carly and Jason looked startled at Kellie.
"I overheard everything," Kellie said.
"When say everything you mean what exactly?" Jason asked.
"Carly kidnapped Laura's half brother's mother from a medical facility," Kellie said, "So much for not escalating things."
"I found Cyrus's weakness and I used it to our advantage," Carly said.
"And Cyrus is just going to what?" Kellie replied, "Sit back and do what we tell him to do. He doesn't strike me as the type. You kidnapping his mother might just give him the incentive to take some one we care about, including Kelsey, Donna, Wiley, Avery. Your little stunt, Carly, means nothings off limits now for him or anyone else that might be looking to take advantage of the situation or move in on the territory."
"He's not going to know that…" Carly replied.
"Oh come on, Carly," Kellie said, "You really think Cyrus isn't going to put two and two together. That as soon as Laura told you about his mother she goes missing."
"I'm not sorry," Carly said, "We needed leverage now we have it. Besides, where do you get off coming in and telling us how to handle the business, Miss I'm Too Good To Get My Hands Dirty in it Anymore."
"At least I didn't walk into the middle of it and blow Jason's shot," Kellie replied, stepping closer towards Carly.
"Really, how would you know anything like that happened?" Carly said, "Unless….you told me you were doing to meet Cyrus alone, Jason."
"I did go alone," Jason said.
"Then who had a gun trained on Brando?" Carly asked.
"Did you really think I was going to..?" Kellie started to say and caught herself.
"You were going to what?" Carly asked, "Wait, were you the one holding the gun on Brando?"
"Hey, that's enough," Jason said, "As far as anyone's concerned neither one of you were there and one of our guys followed along as back up."
"That's easy enough," Kellie said, "Now to deal with the more immediate problem of…"
"I'll handle it. Why don't you head home?" Jason suggested, "In case anyone shows up here looking for answers."
"Fine," Kellie said, "Carly, the next time you want to obtain leverage, run it by Jason, instead of running off impulsively. You really don't know what you're doing. I hope you can live with the fallout of this one."
Outside in the car, Kellie turned to Johnny. "Were you able to get a location on Cyrus's mother from Max?"
"I've got it," Johnny said, "What are you thinking?"
"I don't know," Kellie said, "I just know I don't like where Carly took this."
