Three Hours have now Past-The Townhouse
"So, let's go over this again." Steve lamented, "Vincent exited the car. Hope ordered him to drop his weapon, he then took off running. Shawn and Hope gave chase. You tried looking into the car, called out Ciara's name and then it exploded."
"Yes, for the thousandth time yes." Ben responded exhausted.
"I'm sorry for the wringer treatment Ben but we need to keep going over this to find a piece, any piece to support your belief that Ciara can be alive." Steve tried to explain his stake, "I want this so much too, Ben. Not only because she was so wonderful and unique but because she's Bo and Hope girl. She's my best friend's daughter. She's my niece. God, knows I'm fighting every fiber of my being to go to that jail and violently fasten Vincent's head through the bars and beat the truth out of him."
John drummed his fingers on the table deep in thought then made a deduction, "You said that you went around to the passenger side of the car and that you tried to get Ciara out and then mysteriously passed out?"
"Yes. And me and my dad found it totally bizarre that I lost consciousness from smoke inhalation even though I was outside. That is the part that keeps haunting me." Ben start to feel as if he was going in circles.
"Unless you were drugged." Kayla chimed in, "You said Vincent seemed to very well experienced in using drugs to subdue. Is it possible he could have drugged you somehow?"
"Great conclusion Sweetness." Steve applauded the love of his life.
"But how? How is it possible? Vincent was on the run from Hope and Shawn." Ben was starting to feel hopeful yet hopeless.
"He could have doubled back." John surmised, "He knew that airstrip pretty well most likely. Hope and Shawn lost him, he could have doubled back saw you was afraid you would ruin his plan to abscond with Ciara and drugged you."
Ben became frustrated, "Why can't I remember, everything. Am I repressing it? Was I drugged? Doctor Evans, please I need you to hypnotize me."
Marlena, sat back on the couch next to him, "Relax. Take a deep breath." She noticed Ben start to relax. "Let my voice guide you. Ben you are at the air strip tell me what do you see."
Ben felt as if he were witnessing a movie scene with himself as the main character," I see the car on fire. I'm calling out to Ciara in panic. I'm praying she's not in the car. I took my jacket off trying to use it to try and shield me from the flames and the smoke. I'm at the passenger side of the car. I can see the flames, feel the heat but I can't see her." He then started to breath fast, "I touch the car door the handle. I'm about to open the door when I hear her calling my name from a slight distance. She's calling me, Ben. Ben. I turn and I see her, Vincent has her in his arms dragging her away. I drop my jacket to advance on him then I feel a sharp pain in my neck and everything goes black."
Marlena sees John and Steve motion to her, "Ben I'm going to ask you to keep your eyes closed and then slowly open them. When you do you will remember everything you just said."
Ben opened his eyes not sure how to react. If he should be filled with uncontrollable rage or panic stricken. He quelled his anger to examine the matter at hand. Ciara was not killed in the car explosion nor shot there and murdered like Vincent boasted. The evidence was stronger by the minute that Ciara was possibly still alive and Vincent held the key. "Ciara is alive. She's out there somewhere trying to escape. I know her she's probably fighting hard to escape. Looking for any opportunity she can." He then felt helpless," Or she's being drugged or incapacitated. Scared and wishing for me to find her and bring her home."
Steve wrung a napkin in his hand trying to hold his own anger at the thought of his niece in danger and God forbid in a vulnerable condition. He needed to keep his head to reassure Ben. "From what you've told me about this Bellman guy he's calculating that fights hard to remain one step ahead and have contingency plans in place when his original plans fall through. We just need to find a way to trip him up."
"How is that possible? The guy sounds like a cross between Stefano DiMera and Orpheus rolled into one." Kayla was worried about Ciara, "The guy sounds like a mental maniac."
"He doesn't seem to care if he goes to prison for murder just as long as his vengeance is served." Marlena was morose, "His life will not be in vain as long Ben pays the price for Wendy."
John sat up, "Wait that's it. As long as he feels fulfilled then he won't feel his sacrifice of his freedom as in vain as long as his mission of destroying Ben is a success. How do you think he would feel if that was taken away from him?"
"An ego like his would collapse." Marlena diagnosed. "But how would you be able to make something like that happen?"
"We need to find a way to out con a con." Steve sat back in his chair feeling confident.
Ben thought long and hard and then flashed back to a memory from the past, "My Dad once had an associate who was just like Vincent. A guy who was too over confident for his own good. One day my Dad was suspicious that he was double dealing him but he couldn't prove it. So he came up with a way to make the guy out himself. He would get him so mad that he'd lose it and admit what he did. He called it the Rumpelstiltskin Treatment."
"The Rumpelstiltskin Treatment? I don 't get it." John looked at Ben completely confused.
"Rumpelstiltskin? Like the nursery book story?" Kayla inquired equally amazed.
"Wait now I get it. Make him believe he's lost and that would totally destroy his ego and make him tell us everything for real about Ciara's abduction and maybe her whereabouts." Marlena surmised.
"The plan sounds easy but from what we're finding out about Vincent he prides himself to be a worthy adversary. We just need to find the right people to help shame him." John interlocked his fingers together ready to do battle.
"We won't have a shortage of people willing to help and put on the performance of a lifetime to snare him." Steve was feeling like prize fighter ready to do battle.
Ben became empowered with the determination that he would find Ciara in hopefully a few short hours, "Then it's settled operation Rumpelstiltskin a go."
The Next Morning
Vincent sat in his cell trying to figure out how things got so out of hand regarding his plans to completely destroy Ben Weston. Perhaps not taking into account that the love Ben found really did nullify the monster that took his Wendy from him. So Ben couldn't kill Ciara with his own bare hands, the complete plan was not completely lost. Ben believes Ciara is dead and her blood is on his hands no matter how he tries to convince himself otherwise. A lawyer will present the case as it is. His confession was not in the presence of an officer and easily can be recanted. The worse charges that can validly be brought are kidnapping. He was confident the most he would serve is a few years. It would be worth it to condemn Ben Weston to the same hell he condemned him to. Living life without the woman he loved. Vincent sat on his cot feeling beyond confident but became distracted as he watched two police officers walk past his cell and snicker. He thought it was his imagination but then another set of officers walked past his cell again and were openly laughing at him. He sprung up from his cot and confronted them.
"Here now what is so funny?"
"You." The officer in his early forties responded and turned and walked away with his partner.
Vincent was dumbfounded at the officer's reply.
Eli approached his cell and ordered him," On your feet Bellman. Arraignment time. Time to put your twisted ass away for the rest of your life. And if there is any justice in this world you'll never see the light of day again."
Rafe now appeared, "Oh, you don't have to worry about that Detective. I just got back from Melinda Trask's office. She's going to ask for the death penalty for Vinnie here."
Vincent wouldn't be rattled easily, "Oh, please the death penalty. I'm not a small child Commissioner. For kidnapping please?"
"Actually she's trying you for murder one. The first degree murder of Ciara Brady Weston." Rafe folded his arms dominantly.
"Murder One? Oh, please. You don't have a physical body or my signed confession." Vincent played his statement very closely.
"You made your statement in the presence of a Detective. There is a bullet missing from your gun and the remains of the melted shell casing were found in the car and Ciara's DNA was found in the car confirming she was in it when you blew it up. That is enough probable cause to present to a jury to get a conviction. Trask is a fierce prosecutor and once she presents the facts and assassinates your character for down to the premeditated monster you are, the death penalty decree will have written itself."
"And all for nothing." Eli smiled menacingly at Vincent.
With seeing the mocking expressions of both Eli and Rafe Vincent exploded, "What is so bloody funny?"
"You. You set up this whole elaborate plan to destroy Ben Weston completely. Take the woman he loved the way he took the woman you loved away from you." Rafe leaned against the wall, "It turns out you failed."
Vincent remained stoic, "What the hell do you mean by that?"
"I mean Ben didn't love Ciara." Rafe was cold in his answers.
"That isn't completely true Rafe he did love something very important about Ciara. Her trust fund." Eli delivered his reply sarcastically.
"Ben missed his court appointed session with his therapist this morning. Court appointed therapy sessions weekly were part of his terms in order for his release from Bayview three years ago. His Doctor became worried and went to check on him at the Salem Inn. When she got there the room was empty and all of his clothes and possessions were gone. She did find his wedding ring from Ciara on the desk along with hers and her engagement ring. She reported her findings to me and in tracing his credit card found out that he bought a one-way ticket to the Dominican Republic. I got a court order to freeze his assets on the grounds that he broke the terms of his release and hoped by doing that we could try and track him if he tried to withdraw money from his bank account. It turns out he had a joint account with Ciara and closed it yesterday. He told the bank manger that his wife had recently died and left him very well off. The bank manager said for a supposedly grieving widower Ben was upbeat and cheerful. Spoke about buying property on the beach. It seems you did Ben the biggest favor around by killing Ciara for him." Rafe smiled as he delivered his information.
"Ain't that a kick in the head Ben is going to live out his life eating the best fruits money could buy and chasing women and you're going to spend your remaining days on death row thinking about your last meal." Eli could see Vincent's face contorting with anger.
"I don't believe one word you just said." Vincent spat.
An officer in uniform walked by carrying a newspaper that Rafe took from him.
"Well look at this here Vincent you made the Spectators' Front page. Murderer Does "Grieving" husband a Favor. Notice how they put grieving in quotes." Rafe looked satisfied at Vincent, "Translation we all got played by Ben and his reformed, changed man act. Including you."
Vincent was boiling with anger but fought not to let Rafe and Eli see he was unwinding at being played for a fool. "If you are finished Commissioner, I believe my arraignment is scheduled."
Rafe looked nervously at Eli but proceeded, "Of course. This way, Sir."
As Rafe and Eli led Vincent out through the door into the detective's area they made eye contact with Lani and uniformed officers to signal that it was time for them to stare at Vincent and smile slyly, snicker and giggle as he walked by.
After passing about twenty mocking faces Vincent erupted, "Stop it! Stop your laughing! I'm not some court jester for your entertainment. I'm not some puppet on a string…."
Before he could continue further Victor Kiriakis burst through the crowd of officers and pointed a silver revolver directly at Vincent.
Surprised and unprepared Rafe shouted, "Victor what are you doing?"
"What am I doing? I'm getting justice for my granddaughter. Nobody believed me about Ben Weston. Nobody and now look. Because of him my granddaughter is dead. If you had put him away for good, stopped his release from Bayview this bastard would never have gone after him and my Ciara would be alive. Now he's gone. Fled the country and my girl is dead and nothing left of her but ash. Her family is giving her a memorial today to honor her. They don't even have anything to bury. I can't kill Weston." He pulled back the trigger on his gun and pointed it directly at Vincent's chest. "But I can kill you. The man who shot my Ciara at point blank range and left her in a burning car to die. "Victor's voice broke, "Say hello to my Granddaughter before you go to straight to hell, Bellman."
Vincent screamed in terror, knowing very well the reputation on Victor Kiriakis not to make empty threats, "No wait, you can't kill me!"
"Begging for mercy means nothing to me. You took my granddaughter's life you don't get to beg for yours." Victor was steel eyed.
"Victor he's right. Ciara wouldn't want this." Rafe tried to calm the aged patriarch.
"Bo is gone, Zach is gone. Now her. I have very little left to keep me. Shawn and I aren't close and all Claire sees out of me is self-entitlement as my great granddaughter. Don't stop me!" Victor growled.
"Wait if you kill me, you kill Ciara as well." Vincent was pleading.
"Don't give me your lies, Man. You killed her without an ounce of fear and remorse. You made your bed now lie in it." The elderly Kiriakis continued.
"I'm not lying. She's not dead but if you kill me she will be. There is more to my story." Vincent found himself at a crossroads, his revenge for Ben Weston meant nothing. "I wanted Ben Weston to pay. To feel what I felt when he took my Wendy. I had the perfect plan but Weston was something I never expected. He couldn't kill Ciara. I believe and accept that when he killed Wendy and Paige Larson and Serena Mason he was a very sick man. But in his love for Ciara I don't see that anymore. I truly believe he loved her and couldn't kill her. I should have quit while I was ahead. When he couldn't have done it I should have let her go. He beat me. He won. Even then. He didn't deserve to have his Ciara while I couldn't have my Wendy. I had no back up plan after our fight in the dorm room when I drugged him and then drugged Ciara. I was floundering all the way. Ciara even got the best of me in Wendy's house. She had almost gotten away in the car. Then I saw the rings that bound her to that monster. My senses had come back to me and then I saw the plane arrive. My pilot unlocked the gate and was ready to abscond with her. I was going to sell her into sex trafficking and she would never be heard from again by anyone especially Ben Weston. The best way to hurt him, make him think she was dead. I had my pilot take hold of her and I set my car with explosives." He shook his head and let out a small smile, "Perfect plan. Then she broke away from Rhodes and saw Weston at the car trying to put the flames out. I had arrived just in time to see Rhodes come from behind and knock him out again with syringe full of sedatives. I subdued her and I kept her in line by telling her if she tried again to escape I'd inject her Ben with enough barbiturates to stop his heart for good this time. She complied. Rhodes took her away."
Rafe took a moment to process, "If what you are saying is true. Then where is she?"
Vincent was silent.
"Answer him damn it!" Victor raged, "Or are you stalling to think of a way for them to overpower me to save your miserable ass? It won't work you'll die now." Victor fired a warning shot into the floor.
"Wait. Wait. I have money sent every morning through my lawyer. I was going to pay him before my arraignment today." Vincent paused, "She's being held by Rhodes in the DiMera tunnels."
Rafe loudly exclaimed, "The DiMera tunnels!"
With Rafe's words a black SUV took off from the Salem Police Department parking lot carrying Ben, Steve and John headed for The DiMera Mansion.
When the trio arrived, Ben sprang from the car and headed for the secret entrance at the back of the property while Steve and John rushed through the gates of the estate and headed for the front door to the mansion with numerous guards chasing them.
John was the first to break in as Steve ran past Chad and headed for the bookcase leading to the entrance of the secret room.
Hearing the commotion upstairs Rhodes opened the door to the wine cellar's secret room and was met by hard punch by Ciara who ran from it as he fell to the ground. As she ran down the passage way she could feel a severe cramping in her abdomen. She tried to encourage herself.
"It's Ok Baby. We'll be free in a moment. I'll get us help. "
As she was turning the corner of the tunnel Rhodes grabbed her from behind.
"I'm not losing my insurance policy."
Rhodes started to grab Ciara more harshly and drag her when he was slammed aggressively into the wall.
"Leave her alone! Leave her alone!" Ben hollered as he put his hands around the captor's neck and started to strangle him.
Ciara though doubled over in pain screamed, "Ben! Ben please stop!"
Steve and John arrived on the scene and pulled Ben off of the kidnapper.
"That's enough Ben! We'll take care for him." Steve had Ben by one arm.
"Let him go, Kid!" John was able to break Ben's hold from Rhodes, "It's all over now. Go be with your wife."
Ben relaxed his hold around Rhode's neck and then getting his bearings back, went immediately over to Ciara.
"Babe, Babe are you Ok? I'm here. I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner." Ben took Ciara in his arms and broke down as he held her.
Ciara's voice was meek, "Ben? Is it really you?" she then cried out in pain, "I'm spotting!"
Lani arrived upon them and shouted hearing Ciara's words, "Call an ambulance!"
University Hospital
Ben sat by Ciara's bedside holding her hand and softly crying.
"Babe, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."
Ciara squeezed his hand, "It's not your fault Ben. Every moment when I thought about giving up I wouldn't let myself. I knew you would come for me. When I started to realize I was pregnant I fought hard for us. For our baby, so they can reunite with you. So we could come home." She started to cry.
Kayla walked into the room.
Ciara looked her aunt in the eye and broke down, "Aunt Kayla, please. Tell me our baby is going to be Ok. Tell me I won't lose my baby."
Ben woke up in a terror filled sweat. The room was dark and the robe Ciara wore on their wedding night was on the chair. He was all alone. It was just a dream. Nothing but a dream.
As he held his head in his hands, in despair, he heard a giggle from outside the door.
He raised his head and saw the face of a two-year old child staring at him.
"Daddy, wake?" the little girl asked happily.
"Yes, my little ballerina, Daddy wake." He put his arms out and picked up the child as she ran into his arms, "Merry Christmas Gemmie Gem! Where is mommy and the others?"
"Baby room." Gemma answered resting her head on his shoulder.
Ben carried Gemma in his arms and proceeded to the nursery. Before entering he paused and stared at Ciara as she was changing one baby and talking to the other in its bassinet.
Ciara looked up as she felt she was being silently watched.
"About time you woke up Grease Monkey. I could use another set of hands." She noticed Gemma hold on tighter to her father, "But I can see they are very full. Gemmie, you need to let Daddy put you down. Mommy needs help with your brothers."
"Don't' worry Mom I got her." A boy of five years old entered the nursery and yelled happily as he saw Ben, "Merry Christmas Pop!"
Ben put Gemma down, and addressed his son, "Merry Christmas Bo, come here for your Christmas hug."
Bo hugged his father, "Daddy can we open our gifts now?"
"Yeah, can we?" a four-year-old girl ran into the nursery, "Can we now? Please?"
"Well princess..." he waited and watched as the three children bounced in excitement after kissing Harley's cheek, "Well Harley Doll, let's see if your brothers are ready to go."
Ciara finished snapping one of the six-week old twin's onesies closed, "Well Stevie is all cleaned up and ready to see his gifts. And Ollie is already finished."
"Ok, so let's get those gifts opened then. Bo, Harley hold Gemma's hand as you take her down the stairs. I'll help Mommy bring your brothers down."
Ben watched as the children descended down the stairs. Ciara held Stevie as she watched her husband swaddle Ollie loosely, kiss his tiny hand and pick him up.
"Ok, Ben Weston what had you so deep in profound thought before our army came in?" Ciara kissed Stevie's forehead.
Ben didn't want to burden Ciara with his recurring dream of the events of six years ago. So many times she had reminded him that it was over and Vincent and his demons would no longer haunt them. Marlena continuously reinforcing to focus on his life that he had now. Bury the past and pave way to the future, meaning Ciara and the children needed to come first. "I just still can't believe that after all this time what such a lucky guy I am. Five kids later we are still Ben and Ciara."
"Well, when Xander and Sarah are busy with the kids at the mansion while Grandpa Victor is enthralling them, we can go up to my old room and I'll remind you how much Ben and Ciara we still are." She cooed seductively.
Mr. and Mrs. Weston walked down the stairs and joined their children and watched as Bo and Harley ripped into their gifts open and helped Gemma open hers.
The Westons were finally the family they were destined to be.