Chapter 13:

Bullets ripped through wall and door alike, uprooting tile and smashing sheet rock. The echoing sounds of exploding gun powder deafened the rest of the world, leaving only those with a gun in their hand their senses. The scent of burning metal and fresh blood was already thick, bullets sizzling in flesh as men opened their mouths only to have their screams of agony drowned out by cover fire.

Jason covered Kristina with his body, crouched on the floor with his arm arched, gun blazing. He took down three, four men as bullets continued to pour unfiltered into the hall. An army of men appeared around the nearest corner, another to meet them in the opposite direction. Jason was caught in the middle, the focus of a firing squad, the young girl cowering under him screaming for her mother and clinging to him with vice like strength, hampering his movements.

The guns to his left exploded first, passing him by and striking the group at the other end. It took him a moment to comprehend that these were his men, his back up. Stan must have sent them in. Or had he taken longer than the allotted half hour? Whatever the case, he was thankful. They moved in, forming a barrier around their boss, their guns and lives at the ready. He ordered them to clean out the hall, to take down every one of Manny's men that barred their way. Ruthlessness was the only option.

The storm of bullets, an echo of a war none of these men had ever experienced, died away almost as quickly as it started. Jason counted twenty two bodies belonging to Manny, with seven of his own fifteen down as casualties. He frowned miserably, standing and taking the terrified girl into his arms once more. It was just eight now. Nine including himself. If they encountered another ambush like this there would be none left. He couldn't afford to let that happened.

"Alright, guys." The men gathered around him respectfully, two keeping look out, "I owe you for getting here when you did. But we have a long way to go before I can really thank you. So the goal is to stay alive. Don't engage in a gun fight unless you absolutely have to. Make sure you have a good supply of ammunition and keep your eyes peeled. I made the mistake of missing the signs of an ambush: we can't afford to do that a second time."

"Yessir." The group voiced unanimously. Jason nodded, sent two men before him, two to the rear and the rest around him. He hugged Kristina in silent reassurance, then moved with his team through the building. He was hoping to avoid fights all together, but nothing ever went the way he wanted. Three fights, and four more men later, Jason was beginning to think they weren't going to get out of this labyrinth alive.

He couldn't accept that. Alexis was counting on him, sitting alone and safe at the police station, to bring her daughter to her. He would not let her down. He didn't like her, true enough, but she was a human being. He knew she had a soft side, a side that loved Sam and, through that, trusted Jason completely. It was not an option to let her down. Kristina was going to get back to her mother, he had promised them both that.

And he had to be with Sam. For the rest of his life. She wasn't here. This couldn't be where it ended. It was as simple as that.

The small group decided the front door was the best option. It was closer and easier to storm through. If Jason had an idea about anything it was that the remaining guards, however many that could be, had divided themselves evenly through all the exits. There was no point debating about the safest way to proceed: it didn't exist. Instinct told him a straight line was the fastest course. His instinct rarely failed him.

They moved in a tight formation, the four men boxed around Jason at a radius of two or three feet. A man whose keen eyes never failed to catch anything led at the point of the diamond, lengthening his distance by about two feet. He stopped at the door first, pressing his ear to it. He signaled for them the ready their guns, then position himself to pull the door open. He did so, the others hidden to the side, staying behind the door the whole time.

Jason broke through the formation, leaving Kristina with the man behind him. He fired twice and took down the first two men to appear in the door way before they could take off a shot. The four men that followed him marveled. As well trained as they were, they knew they were nothing compared to Jason Morgan. They all felt a vicarious, child like thrill as they followed him, each ready to die for the man they respected and revered.

That wasn't a necessary sacrifice. The pathway from the door into the forest was clean. The two dead bodies were all that had been waiting for them. Jason frowned, but was some how not surprised. He didn't doubt that Manny had a very limited supply of men. That ambush must have been the main force, with the remaining setting up as strong a final defense as they could.

The amused murmurs of his men didn't slip by him. He turned to them, stern, and they understood. It was too early to relax. They had to get back to their boat and safely onto the water before they could relax, and then only slightly. The biggest threat was waiting for them in Port Charles.

The group returned to the shore without event. They boarded the boat, combed it for booby traps, and got underway without event. Jason sighed, reclining in the cabin as he left the navigation to the others. Kristina was much calmer now that she was away from all that turmoil. She looked shaken, her eyes wide like a deer in headlights, but she was talkative and good natured. She spoke to Jason about what she wanted to do when she got back to Port Charles, and as he listened his heart lifted.

"Mommy said I could have a tea party," she was explaining, her story growing exponentially longer with each breath, "and she said I could invite anyone. I want Mommy and Daddy Ric and Molly and Sam, but I want you to come too."

Jason smiled, laughing nervously. He wasn't the kind of man that liked to show how sweet he was, taking a look about the cabin to make sure no one was listening before saying stiffly, "You want me to go to your tea party?'

"Mhm, because Sam says I do really good tea parties, and I want to show you. You're Sam's knight. That's what she said. She said you save her and she wants to be with you. So you should come, because Sam will. She likes my tea parties."

Jason smiled warmly, nodding slowly, "you know, that sounds really great."

The door to the cabin opened and one of the men, grinning sheepishly because he didn't knock, told Jason they were soon to come to Port. He, the same keen eyed man from before, also mentioned that two people were sitting on the docks, one identified as Manny and the other a woman. Jason nodded.

Sam had done her job. If she was still on the docks with him than nothing had gone wrong yet. She had kept him busy. Used herself as bait. Now all Jason had to do was make sure she didn't get hurt for it.

Manny moved closer, his hands on either side of her hips, his body snaking up hers as his lips searched for a new place to tease. Sam leaned back, supporting herself with her arms behind her, wishing desperately to slip through the wooden planks of the dock. She turned her head away, her hair falling over her face, and saw the ship coming towards them. Manny took her chin in his hands then, noticing the change in her eyes, followed her glance out over the water. Grinning, pressed his cheek against hers, their eyes on the same thing, moving in unison as a man appeared on the deck, the anchor slipping into the water.

"Looks like Jason is here to play, huh? Back from my island, the amazing hero, the young damsel in distress safe inside that boat," He kissed her cheek and then stood abruptly, yanking her to her feet by the arm. It hurt and she yelped involuntarily, grabbing at his hand with her free one and sinking her nails into his skin. He released her briefly, watching as Jason leapt from the boat to the dock, gun raised as he hurried over to them.

With a grin Manny grabbed Sam again, pulling her and holding her so tightly she gasped for air. He used his free hand to take her hair in his fist, pulling her head back and speaking directly into her ear. His voice was demented and perverse. She cried and tried to shrink away from him, tried to block out that terrible sound, but found she was helpless.

Jason held his ground, unwavering.

"It was all for you, Sweetness," Manny hissed, "all for this. You belong to me. Now Jason is going to figure that out the hard way."

Jason could see that something in the evil man at the end of his gun had snapped. He jerked and twitched, snarling and baring his teeth like some sort of rabid animal. He fixed his wild eyes on Jason and every once of humanity melted away. All he had was complete loathing and utter contempt for his rival. Every sinew in his body was built for one end: killing Jason Morgan. And now he had his chance.

"Come on, Jase: take me down, huh?"

Sam watched Jason the best she could, Manny's hold on her hair making focusing on anything difficult. She suddenly understood what this game had really been about. Manny was playing them all. He didn't care that Kristina had been rescued, that Alexis wasn't here. They weren't the targets. It wasn't even Sam he had orchestrated this thing for.

It was Jason.

"He's going to kill you, Jason!" She cried uselessly, grimacing as Manny pulled her hair in warning. She continued regardless, "he's been setting this up from the get go: why else would he send the DVD to Stan instead of the DA's office? He wanted you to be involved: to invest in this. That's why he agreed to meeting with me-"

"Because he wanted a showdown. Alexis and Kristina… they don't matter…" Jason snarled, tightening his grip on the gun, "you want to kill me, Manny? Then try it: let Sam go. You're an idiot for doing this – you're completely surrounded. Even if you manage to kill me, you won't get out of here to enjoy your victory. You won't get Sam."

"Want to know something funny?" Manny said, his chin behind Sam's shoulder. He licked the delicate skin of her neck, as if he had just noticed how succulent and perfect it was. Jason watched in disgust, knowing he was just being mocked. Manny randomly opened his mouth and sank his teeth into her shoulder, causing her to scream in surprise. He spoke with his teeth in her flesh, her blood staining his teeth and words, "You're completely outclassed."

On cue the cutter Manny had arrived in, hidden behind Jason's newly docked boat, exploded. Debris rained down from the sky, everything suddenly engulfed in flames. Jason hit the dock hard, it groaning in protest, thrown by an unexpected shockwave as his own boat erupted with a thunderous sound. The old wood of the dock caught fire quickly, the oppressive heat bearing down on everyone involved. Jason watched in horror as the remains of his boat began to sink. He couldn't see the four men that had been on it. The little girl that had been hiding in the cabin.

"Kristina!" Sam screamed in unison with Jason's yell. Manny pulled her away from the wreckage, covering her mouth with his hand and holding her deftly immobile. He watched with a mad grin as Jason scrambled to his feet and raced to the water's edge, not hesitating for a moment before diving into the water.

"Look, Sweetness," Manny whispered, his tone haunting, "even your boyfriend thinks Kristina is more important than you."