(Here's chapter five. Not that great, but enjoy it. Pretty much just filler. I do Manny no justice, but I love him, damn it. He'll get more vicious as I grow more used to his character. Wham bam thank you Ma'am:

Please read and review!)

Chapter 5:

He didn't feel bad about knocking her out. Making her bleed. In fact, he loved the sight of her blood. If Kristina hadn't been there he would have discovered how it tasted. But he could wait. He was a very patient person. There was a game to be played here, and he was in control of all the pieces. There was no time to deviate from the plan, even if it meant passing on a wonderful opportunity to torture the woman that captivated him.

The way he figured it, he would have her for a while yet. More chances would arise. He didn't doubt it at all. The bubble of excitement in his stomach made him grin.

Moving away from the room, nodding at the three armed guards he left to protect the door itself and the two men stationed at either end of the hall, Manny made his way through the mansion to his personal temporary quarters. The room was grand and imposing, walls seeming to stretch to the skies and windows packed with a view that would make any king jealous. The room had very little real furniture, decorated with one large, canopied bed a cabinet and a bookshelf. There was a walk in closet, but it was near empty but for the provisions Manny brought with him in a duffle bag.

That didn't mean the room was empty. Lining an entire side of the wall, seeping half way through the room almost up to the end of the bed, was a high tech work area. Years of patient building and materials acquisition culminated in this room, of which Manny was almost paternally proud. None of it was legitimately his, but that didn't bother him in the least.

In fact, that just made it even more wonderful.

He took a seat in an absurdly comfortable rolling leather chair and pulled himself up to the largest of the three desks in the room. It stretched from one corner of the wall to the other, and housed over thirty video monitors flanking one large computer screen. Each monitor was set up with a code across the top and each displayed a different picture. This was his security center. He pulled out the keyboard from its hideaway and unlocked his computer, bringing up his favorite camera on the largest center screen. It showed the room he had just left.

Leaning back in his seat and putting his hands behind his head he took a moment to silently congratulate himself. So far there had been very few bumps in the road, and what did occur were easily smoothed over. He was more than amply prepared for the worst. And besides, it wouldn't be any fun if everything worked out perfectly.

He let his glazed eyes fall on the screen, absorbing the movements of the little girl he left terrified with her unconscious sister. She had her tiny hands on Sam's face, urging her through a waterfall of tears to wake up. She wouldn't let her fingers anywhere near the blood that was caking where he had struck the older prisoner, her small frame clearly shaking even on the grainy color distorted display. The corner of Manny's lip curled into a grotesque half-smirk.

Sam had dealt him a surprising blow with that book. She had managed to cut his eyebrow open, the slit a good inch long and deeper than he would have thought, considering how red the shoulder of his shirt on that side was. He didn't bother to clean any of it up: he was a man that lived for theatrics.

Minutes passed slowly as he watched the room. Kristina was tugging on Sam's arm now, desperate for her to get up. Sam responded, sitting up slowly, a hand to her head. It was clear that she was dazed and pained, her expression exquisitely agonized. He watched her lips as she spoke to Kristina, probably saying something optimistic and comforting: a lie. He preferred to watch rather than listen, keeping the sound cut from his visual feed. He had other men to monitor their conversation.

If Sam was to come up with an escape plan he highly doubted she would detail it to the young girl, anyway.

Drawing a deep, soothing breath, the cruel mobster rose from his seat and walked casually back to the room. It was an unexpected delay, but welcomed. Observation never hurt, and even the short time he spent watching the sisters provided him with new insight and inspired interesting twists if he bored of his approved plan. On his way he stopped into another room, ordering the man waiting inside to follow him. The lackey did as he was told, grabbing his heavy equipment as he went and not trying to look like he was struggling in front of his boss.

Manny knocked on the door politely before entering. When he opened the door he saw Sam standing in front of Kristina, her arm on the younger girl's shoulder protectively. She was staring at him with nothing but hatred in her eyes, which excited him more than she could possibly comprehend. If he could he would drop his plans and have her, taking her however he pleased with no regard for the repercussions. But he couldn't afford to. Not if he wanted this game to produce him as the winner.

"Glad to see you're feeling better. In a better mood, I hope," he drawled, crossing to them confidently as he waved over his shoulder for his man to follow him. The guy entered and set down the heavy tri-pod he was carrying, then slipped the bag from his shoulder and opened it. He produced a classy looking video camera, the DVD recorder clearly displayed on its side. It was high end, a theft to incite an ego.

Manny motioned that the girls take a seat on the bed. Kristina made to listen but Sam took her time, staring at him from underneath her scowl. He pointed again and she gave in, sitting on the bed and taking Kristina into her lap, holding her close. Never once did she take her eyes off of her captor.

The man affixed it to the tripod and removed the cap, a beep alerting the room that he had it turned on. Manny grinned and turned to look at the camera, standing close enough to it that he pretty much took up the entire screen. He grinned maliciously, clearing his throat.

"Congratulations on your promotion to DA, Alexis. You deserve it. I know how good a lawyer you are. Sorry to hear about Durant, though. What a way to go. Trapped like a rat, I hear," Manny didn't see Sam rolling her eyes behind him, "I don't think I need to waste either of our time by beating around the bush. I think you and I both know why you're watching this little movie, huh?"

Sam glanced around the room, her eyes inadvertently returning to the window. She didn't know how high up they were, but he doubted Manny left this to chance. There was probably a bed of nails waiting on the floor below or something. But she had to find a way out. For Kristina's sake.

Manny continued while Sam plotted her escape, "I bet you're wondering where your little girls are, huh? You were pretty quick to get that last one of yours protected. I know who I have to thank for that, but not right now. Still, two out of three ain't bad." He took a step back and let the camera guy move to frame Sam and Kristina. Manny sat beside him, startling Sam, who found that she hadn't been paying attention.

She couldn't help but blush from embarrassment. This was a serious situation and she was spacing out? Somehow that didn't surprise her. She didn't think it would surprise Jason, either.

Manny, however, was amused. "Taking in the view, Sweetness?" He asked, his voice patronizingly soft.

"Yes. That was exactly what I was doing. Can't hide anything from you," She sighed, feeling strangely confident. She tilted her head at the camera and made a goofy face. She refrained from the typical 'hi mom', though, considering that to be bad taste. All she needed to do was show them that she wasn't scared. That she was capable of taking care of herself, at least in the meantime.

Manny put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him, unable to resist. He was sitting on the side where he had hit her, and the glistening, fresh blood beckoned to him. He kissed her bruised and split skin, making her shiver. She wanted to shrink away, even if that meant crawling out of her skin. She clung to Kristina tightly.

"See, there's no reason to worry," Manny was saying to his invisible audience, "I'm taking good care of her. Sure, there's some discipline issues, but what can I expect from someone raised away from her real mother, right? So, Alexis. The point." He put his hand on Kristina's head only to have it knocked away by Sam. He grinned at her, pulling her closer, "You have two lovely daughters here. But let's face it, everyone has their favorites."

He paused to let that sink in. He could just imagine the features of his victim dropping as she watched this footage, reveling in the misery he was on the brink of causing.

"So if you were faced with a choice, Miss DA, how would you pick? Which one of these beautiful girls would you like returned to you in two days? I'll give you tonight to think about it. Oh, and Jason? Don't bully her into sacrificing her Corinthos born. You both need to remember: the one you leave with me is mine."

He didn't elaborate. He didn't have to. The camera man turned off the camera and removed the DVD. He slipped it into a case and handed it to his boss, who accepted it while he stood. He looked at Sam with a disapproving frown. She continued to scowl at him, unwilling to let him scare her.

The camera man packed up his things and exited the room wordlessly. Manny moved to the door behind him, stopping and looking back over his shoulder. His smirk was unmistakable as his fathomless eyes captured Sam's stare.

"I wonder who Mommy Dearest is going to pick?"