Chapter 7
There were seven photos laid out in front of the men assembled around Valentine. The men at his service were fast, dangerous, deadly and without any moral compass to stop them from carrying out the mission they were paid to do. The men were hired hands that were loyal to Valentine. He would need them to get past the barrier of protection that had immediately gone up around Alexis the moment Stefan had announced Valentine was alive. The seven photos contained the image of the seven people who were at the very moment sleeping inside what they thought was a protected fortress, keeping Natasha safe and hidden. Little did they know that there was nothing they could do to keep her safe or away from him.
"I don't really care what happens to anyone else" Valentine intoned "But if anyone kills her" he pointed at the picture of Natasha " I will kill you myself." He looked up to make sure that they understood Natasha was off limits. "Whether anyone else in that cottage lives or dies is up to you." he looked down again and smiled vindictively "And bring him back alive as well" he pointed at Stefan's photo "I am not done with my little brother".
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Damien stood close to Valentine and looked down at the photos laid out in front of the few remaining Cassadines. He had not seen Natasha since they were both children but the moment he saw her big brown eyes staring up at him the past came rushing back.
Damien had been a child on Cassadine Island when the news hit the Island that the bastard child of Mikkos Cassadine had arrived. He had heard the servants talk of her in hushed whispers afraid to speak the child's name. He, like everyone else, knew that she was the love child of Mikkos and Kristen Bergman, who was said to be the only women Mikkos ever loved, much to the anger of Helena Cassadine.
Anyone who lived on the island also worked for the Cassadines and did their best to have only minimal involvement with the family. But his dad had not been like the rest of them and he had been too kind and honorable to turn away a little girl who had needed his help. And now as he stood around helping to plan her kidnapping and her family's possible death he couldn't help but think of that night so long ago and how ashamed his father would be at the man he had become and what he was about to do.
He remember the night his father had brought her home wrapped in his coat. Her eyes had been closed, her lips blue from the cold and rain. Damien thought she was dead as his father laid her down on the couch that was close to the fireplace to try and get her warm. His mother had demanded that his father take the child out of their cabin immediately and leave her elsewhere; lest Mrs. Cassadine learn that the child had been brought into their home. His mother had pleaded with his father, but his father had been adamant that he would not send a defenseless child out into the storm.
His parents thought that he was sleeping upstairs but Damien had been hiding in stairwell having woken up when he heard his parents arguing. His parents never argued at least so that Damien was ever able to remember. He was scared and fascinated at the implications of the Cassadine girl being in their home. She looked so small wrapped in his father's jacket. His father looked at his mother and desperately grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards the little girl.
"Look at her Marilee" he held her still even as she tried to turn away. "I would never put this family in danger but I could not, in good conscious, leave her out there". He stepped away to grab a extra blanket to put over the child.
Damien knew if his parents knew he was listening he would be in trouble but he was curious by what was happening. His father removed the jacket from the little girl and his mother gasped at what she saw. Damien notice the cuts and bruised all over her body and her dress was ripped. There was a cut across her cheek and her left eye was black and blue and swollen from where she had been hit.
"What happened to her" his mother finally asked.
"I was able to get to her before he could hurt her. I stopped that monster that has been taking our little girls from hurting her. He was going to hurt her Marilee" his father choked out "I had to stop him. I hit him over the head and carried her away before he got to far."
His mother stopped her protests and without saying another word turned and went into the kitchen. She came back a few minutes later carrying a box of medical supplies. She scooted her husband out of the way and started cleaning and dressing the little girls numerous cuts and scrapes. "While I do this you go heat up some soup so that we can get something warm in her." His father had gotten up and done as she asked.
His mother continued to gently cleaned the little girls wound. "Dear child what have those animals done to you?" his mother whispered as she closed her eyes. She stopped tending to Natasha as she wiped a tear that slowly fell down her cheek. She opened her eyes in surprise when a small hand reached up to wipe the tears away.
"Don't cry, please." the little girl requested in a tone that sounded more like an adult than a child her age had any right to be. As Damien continued to spy on his parents and the little girl he felt himself entrance by her soulful brown eyes. Damien had never seen someone with eyes as sad and scared as hers. Damien, at ten, had known hardship and hunger like every other family on Cassadine Island but he had never experienced the fear he saw in the little girl's eyes.
His mother wiped her tears away and smiled down at her. "What's your name honey" his mother, no matter how frighten she was of Helena Cassadine, would never turn away a child who had been hurt like the one before her.
"Natasha" she said softly. "I have to go. Stefan will be worried" she said even as she started getting up.
"Honey," his mother pushed her back onto the couch gently. "Your hurt and there is a terrible storm brewing out there, you will never find your way back." She tucked the blanket around her. Marilee, curious as to who Stefan was, asked "Who is Stefan"
Big brown eyes looked at her suspiciously. She looked away as she started coughing violently. "Darrius" Marilee called to her husband. "She's awake, please bring me the warm tea."
His father walked in with the bowl of soup and warm tea. "Here you are princess" his father said warmly to Natasha as his mother adjusted the pillows behind her so that she could sit up.
"I have to go". She practically pleaded. Her big brown eyes brimming with tears but she refused to let them fall. "If I don't go back Valentine will hurt Stefan."
His mother looked to his father a question in her eyes. His father shrugged at the name of Stefan.
"You are putting yourself in danger if you keep me here." She blurted out.
"Honey" his father stared down at her "do you remember what happened to you" her eyes once again filled with tears and she looked down ashamed. She wiped at her eyes and looked up at his father "Thank you, you do not know what it meant to me."
"You need to tell your father" Darrius said suddenly "He will protect you" Darrius was scared and beyond angry at what could possibly happen to her if he let her go back.
"Stefan protects me." She repeated." I have to go. Thank you for everything" she removed the blanket and started to get up.
"Honey you can't go out there in this storm" his father stepped forward to stop her from leaving. "You can stay here and I will take you back as soon as it clears up out there."
"You know what your wife says is true." she swallowed hard. "If Helena doesn't hurt you Valentine will if he learns what you have done." His parents paled at the realization that she had heard them. There was a sudden knock on the door and his mother gasped afraid of who was outside their cabin.
"Get Damien and hide" his father hissed.
"No Darrius, please come with us" his mom pleaded as she pulled at his arm.
"No Marilee. Go now" his father kissed his wife and pushed her away gently towards the stairs.
His mother saw that he was awake and had seen what was happening downstairs but she said nothing as she joined him.
His father pushed Natasha behind him. He grabbed his knife and whipped the door open. only to find a dark figure turned away from them. The person turned to them as soon as the door opened. "Sir, my name"
"Stefan" Natasha stepped around Darrius and ran towards Stefan..
"Little One" the blond boy who could not possibly be more than 13 bent down and hugged her tightly to him.
"Stefan" she cried.
Stefan pushed her away from him gently to make sure she was okay. He noticed her ripped dress and the many cuts and bruises had around her body. His gaze grew dark and Damien feared he would do something crazy. But instead he caressed her cheek softly.
"Little one" he almost cried. "I am so sorry its my fault Valentine hurt you" he cried as he pulled her into his arms.
"Stefan. You tried I am just so glad you are alive" She hugged him just as tightly.
Darrius pulled back and felt that he could at least alleviate the concerns he saw in the young man. "I was able to pull her away from Valentine before he was able to do what he planned"
Stefan looked up as if just realizing the man was still there. "Thank you." Damien saw as Stefan choked out the words as his blue eyes welled up.
That night his parents had stayed up all night discussing the horrors Natasha and Stefan were probably subjected to on a daily basis. After he had gone to bed he had woken up screaming and sweating thinking of a little girl with big brown eyes cold, wet and alone.
His parents nervously waited for two weeks for something to happen. Every time someone knocked Damien and his mother would hide. The stress was palpable in their home but true to their words Stefan and Natasha had not given them up.
They never discussed the incident again and with the passage of time Damien forgot all about it. And when he had needed money when his daughter broke her back he had gone and asked for a loan from the Cassadines so that he could get her the best medical attention. He knew that with the Cassadines you never paid off your debt but he couldn't let his little girl suffer. He had started as a simple stableman but Damien was big, strong and good with a gun and eventually recruited as a personal guard to the family. When Valentine seized power, Valentine had given them a choice to be loyal to him or die along with their families. Damien had made the only choice.
Damien had killed before but he justified it by telling himself that these people were just as evil as the Cassadines and deserved to die. But now as he looked at the people in front of him he knew that was no longer true. In that moment Damien bent his head and prayed for the first time in a long time.
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The house was well guarded Valentine noticed immediately that the cottage was now on lock down. The men guarding the cottage would die to save the occupants inside. Lucky for Valentine he only really cared for one of those lives. He looked at his men waiting for his signal.
He dug in to his pocket and pulled out a snake shaped lighter.
"Burn them out" he ordered his men. H looked around the house that was surrounded by trees and a lake. The fire department and police would have a hard time getting to the house especially if there were unexpected barriers in their path.
He took out his cell phone and dialed his second team. "Set some barriers down and cut the power line, then circle left and come in from the south." he paused letting the other man ask some questions. "We will burn them out and if they refuse to come out they will burn." he looked over to his men who were pouring gallons of gas over the trees and shrubs "10 minutes. "
****Thanks for the reviews I am glad I am getting across what a sick bastard Valentine is. ****