Alexis emptied out the workman's pouch and studied its contents. A number of small screwdrivers with different heads, and some other wrenches and ratchet tools, all palm sized. Would they be enough? She wondered. With a sigh, she gathered them all back into the bag, except for the screwdrivers and left her bedroom. She walked back into the sitting room and over to the door and studied it.
It looked simple enough. The door was heavy oak wood; Alexis knew that more than likely she wouldn't be able to pick it. Her mouth lifted in a reluctant smile. What she wouldn't give to have Johnny by her side right about now. She'd bet that he would have no problem jimmying the lock. Johnny had a knack for handling most situations.
She sobered; where was he? How was he? Trapped somewhere in the tunnel cells below Wyndemere. She had to get her and Stefan out of here, then the next order of business was to find Johnny and free him.
"Alexis." Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't heard Stefan's voice at first, but even when she did, it startled her. She jumped visibly and turned. Stefan was standing, leaning heavily against the doorpost.
"Stefan, you shouldn't be up yet!" Alexis hurried to him and led him, protesting, to one of the chairs.
"I'm fine…no, I amend that." Stefan replied to her reproachful glance. "I am better."
"Can I get you anything, Stefan? Water? I can send for some food; Helena has very generously left a walkie-talkie for my use. The wonders of technology, with a push of a button, we can have anything…" her voice trailed off…mainly because it wasn't really true.
Stefan's eyes traveled over her face, and then looked around the room, landing finally at last, on the window. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, clearly relishing the fresh air. "I see you have managed to win a concession from my mother.." He opened his eyes and looked at Alexis' face. "But at what price, Ninotchka?"
"Nothing." Alexis said. While she looked at Stefan, remembering his warning about their words being monitored, she let her hands do her speaking – showing him the tools that she had stolen.
"Hardly nothing, I think." Stefan said. His eyes shone with approval. "Any small concession from my mother must be taken for what it is."
"A small miracle?"
"Indeed." Stefan's hands moved and covered hers. "I am so very glad to see you holding up so well, Alexis."
"I am simply determined what tools I have at hand."
"I see. Would you like it if I read to you, as I did when we were younger?"
Alexis didn't follow his reasoning at first, but momentarily it came to her; the sound of Stefan's voice might serve to cover any noise she might make as she make. "If there is something here that you used to read to me when I was a child, that would be nice."
She went to the collection of books that lined one wall and studied the titles. In spite of their circumstances, a cry of delight escaped her as she found an old favorite. She brought it over to Stefan and a smile spread across his face as well as he read the title; it was a collection of Russian fairy tales. Leafing through it, Stefan recognized several of the stories that he had read to a very young Natasha, not long after she had come to the island they'd called home, when she was struggling to master her Russian studies.
"The Rise of the Phoenix…. You remember this?"
You know as well as I do, that it was one of my favorites, right along with the Firebird."
"As though I could forget." Stefan's chestnut gaze warmed and he looked at her as though he was seeing the young Natasha.before his eyes. "So shall it be the Phoenix who has a vision of pearls, or the tale of the Firebird."
"I think the tale of the Phoenix would suit me right about now."
"Then that is where we shall start." He replied.
With Stefan's voice lending her its confidence as he began to read, Alexis turned back to the task at hand. Maybe she couldn't pick a lock, but maybe she could release the hinges. All they needed was luck – and a little time.
It seemed that luck, and time had run out for them.
After finding Mason's cell phone and Alexis' briefcase, there was little else to be found in the room. Luke jerked a thumb at Mason. "Take him – and his phone back to the boat." He turned to Stan. "Your man there, can he handle the program? I need to make sure that Carly gets home to her momma, safe and sound."
Stan nodded. "I briefed him; he's cool. We'll find her."
Sonny looked at Jason. What he wanted was there for anyone who knew Jason to see. Sonny reached out to touch him on the arm. "You go too, Jason."
"What about you?" Jason asked, even though what he wanted was etched clearly in his eyes.
"I'm good. I've got Max and Johnny. I need to know that Carly is safe, no matter what. Who else can I trust that to but you?" Sonny gaze locked onto Jason and what went between them needed no words. Jason needed to go to Carly. She needed him like she had never needed Sonny. That was the truth, after all.
Jax looked at Sonny. "I'm going after Carly. Unlike you, I know she didn't know that this is how things were going to play out." His face showed his torn emotions.
"She never does, Jax. But you do what you gotta do." Sonny told him.
Jax stepped closer to him. "I'm trusting you to bring Alexis out of here, do you hear me? I want to see her safe and sound and I'm only leaving because I believe you can do it. Don't let me down."
"I won't." Sonny turned back to Jason. "Go after her." He didn't have to say it twice. Jason took one guard with him, and then he, the guard, Jax and Mason were gone.
And that's when their time ran out.
