Chapter 20

Bo was sitting at his desk when Shane entered his office. He was grinning at him. "You'll never believe this, but I think we have enough here to lock Stefano away for good." He handed Bo a file on Stefano.

"You're kidding me?" Bo took the file and went over it. After he read every page he grinned too. "We've got him. Is the ISA taking care of his arrest, or do I have the honors?" Bo asked him.

"I think the first thing we need to do is find him." Shane told him. "Seems the phoenix has skipped town on us.""Oh man. I knew once I had Vito behind bars he'd do something. When are we ever going to catch a break?" Bo asked but really didn't need an answer.

"At least this time once he's found he'll be paying for all his past crimes." Shane reasoned.

"Yeah. If he's found." Bo scanned the file again to see if maybe there was some hideout he had that maybe he and Shane had overlooked.

"Do you think Junior might know about his whereabouts?" Bo asked. "I think I should pay him a little visit. For once I'd like to see justice served against Dimera."

"We've already questioned EJ and didn't get anything from him." Shane told him. "I think the most likely spot for Stefano to be hiding out would be the most obvious. He would go somewhere we wouldn't suspect. Which is why I'm thinking he's at Maison Blanche."

"You might be on to something there governor." Bo thought it just might be possible Stefano would go back to the place it started. He hadn't thought about it because it was too obvious. "I want to leave tonight to go check it out. You game?" Bo asked him.

"I am if you are. I think we should give Steve a call too. He might come in handy."

……

Alicia was sitting on her bed in her freshly decorated bedroom. She looked around the room at all her things and smiled to herself. This was the first time she had a room of her own designed to her liking. Her mother had done more than just spoil her a little. She had a whole new wardrobe plus jewelry and makeup. The hairs on Alicia's arm stood up. She suddenly had the feeling someone was watching her. She looked around the room and towards her window. Was that a shadow she saw standing under the street light. She couldn't be sure. She felt pure evil staring at her. She shuddered at the thought of who it might be. Only one name sprang to mind. Stefano. Alicia ran downstairs to her mother.

Hope sat at the kitchen table cutting vegetables for a salad when Alicia raced into the room out of breath. "Alicia what's wrong?" Hope's instincts aroused. She knew something was up. "Sweetie?" She put down her knife and went over to Alicia. "What is it?" Alicia's face was pale.

"I saw him outside." Alicia said in between gasps of air. Her heart was racing.

"Who?" Hope asked.

"Stefano. I could feel him watching me." Alicia's eyes were large with fear. "Where's Dad?" Alicia asked her.

"He's at work. Are you sure it was Stefano you saw?" Hope asked her.

"Yes! I know it was him. Can you call Dad? I want him to come home." Alicia was petrified of what Stefano might do to them. They were all alone in the house unprotected. Her father removed the guard after Vito was imprisoned. "Mom?" Alicia looked at her mother pleading with her eyes.

"I'll call your father. I just want to make sure everything is locked up first." Hope went to lock the back door and then went into the living room. The front door was wide open. Hope backed into the kitchen. "Alicia take my cell." She handed her phone to Alicia. "Call your father and tell him to get home immediately. He's on speed dial. Just say his name into the phone." Hope picked up the knife she had been cutting the vegetables with and went back out into the living room.

Alicia freaked. She knew something was wrong. She called her father keeping an ear glued to the door incase her mother was in danger and needed her. "DAD!" She screamed into the phone when he picked up. "Come home quick. We need you!" Alicia cried.

"Alicia? What's wrong? Why are you calling on your mother's cell?" Bo was frantic when he heard the worry in his daughter's voice. "Alicia?"

"Dad, he's here. You have to come home quick!" Alicia was crying in the phone now.

"Who?"

"Stefano!" Alicia cried.

"I'm on my way! Stay calm. I'll be there in a few minutes. Has he hurt you or your mother?" Bo asked fearful of the answer.

"NO. I don't think so. Mom went to go find him. She has a knife." Alicia told her father.

"I'm on my way. Alicia I want you to find a hiding spot and stay there no matter what you hear. Understand me? Don't come out for anything. Your mom is a trained officer. She can handle herself." Bo hung up with Alicia and raced to get home. He pulled into their driveway several minutes later. He had back up on the way, but wanted to get in to his family now. The front door still stood wide open. Bo walked in cautiously with his gun aimed in front of him. The whole house was in darkness. He couldn't see much. Bo searched the entire house looking for signs of Hope, Alicia, and Stefano. The house had an earily dead calm to it. "Hope?" Bo called out into the stillness. "Alicia?" No one answered back.

"BO? Where are you?" Roman called out to his little brother.

"Up here Roman." Bo came down the stairs to find his brother.

"I just got the call from the station. What's going on?" He asked him.

"Hope and Alicia are missing and I think Stefano is behind it." Bo slammed his fist into a wall. "Damn that bastard!"

……

Hope walked cautiously into the living room holding the knife out in front of her. She searched the room looking all around her and went to the front door to see if anyone was there. She felt the hand close around her mouth before she realized Stefano was behind her. She struggled to free herself, but it was no use. She made a stab at Stefano with the knife when she felt a stinging sensation in the side of her neck. He held a syringe in his hand showing her as the room started to fade from her sight. Hope's legs slipped out from under her. She felt Stefano lift her and carry her out to his car. She tried to scream out to Alicia to warn her, but no sound came from her mouth. Hope's head bobbed down to her chest as Stefano sat her on the seat. He closed the door and Hope fell into unconsciousness.

Alicia hung up with her father and peered into the living room to find her mother. Her mother wasn't in sight. She figured she went upstairs to check for Stefano. The house went dark. Alicia stopped in her tracks. Where could she hide? She remembered the shed and quickly unlocked the back door. She yanked it open looking back behind her to see if anyone was coming and walked straight into Stefano's awaiting arms. "NO!" She screamed as he plunged a syringe into her neck. She felt everything fading away as he carried her to his car and sat her in the backseat with her mother. Alicia saw her mother sitting slumped over and feared he had killed her. It was only a few minutes before she too fell into unconsciousness.

Stefano sped off just moments before Bo arrived. "Looks like I have the last laugh Bo Brady!" He threw his head back and laughed. "Hope you ladies are comfortable. You're in for a long ride."

……

Bo searched the house for clues. He found the knife Hope must have been using on the ground by the couch. "Doesn't seem like she put up too much of a struggle. He must have surprised her." He told Roman. "I'm going to check outside to see if I can come up with anything." Bo went to check when one of the officers came in carrying two syringes.

"I found these out back on the ground." He told Bo.

"Damn! They've been drugged." Bo knew he wouldn't have much to go on. Hope must have been drugged before she could leave him any clues. "Get that down to be analyzed right away. I want to know what he gave them."

"Bo, what's going on? What are all the cruisers doing here?" Kayla walked in the front door with Ciara.

"Daddy!" Ciara ran into her fathers arms.

"Hey sugar bear. Give Daddy a hug." He picked up his little girl holding her tight.

"Where's Mommy?" She asked him.

"She's not here right now." He turned to his sister. "I thought Ma was keeping her."

"She was. Steve and I were at the pub and she asked if we could bring Ciara home for her. Bo is everything alright?"

Bo held Ciara close so she couldn't hear. "Hope and Alicia are missing. Stefano drugged and kidnapped them. Would you mind taking Ciara home with you tonight?" He asked her.

"Of course I don't mind. Is there anything else I can do to help?" Kayla asked him.

"Lend me your husband for a few days. I think I have an idea where he might have taken them. Ciara may need to spend a few days with you if that's alright." Bo kissed Ciara's head.

"Steve is out in the car with Joe. I'll go pack a few things for Ciara and then I'll send Steve in to you." Kayla went to pack Ciara's clothes.

"Daddy when's Mommy coming home?" Ciara asked him. She knew something was wrong. She was very instinctive to her surroundings for such a young age.

"Soon baby. I promise." Bo held her tight in his arms not wanting to let her go. "Listen, Daddy has to go away for a few days to find Mommy. I need you to be a big girl for me and not be afraid. Can you do that?" Ciara nodded her head yes. "Good. Aunt Kayla is going to take you home with her while I'm gone. You be good for her okay?" Ciara nodded yes again and reached around her father's neck to hug him tight.

"I love you Daddy." She whispered in his ears.

"I love you too, Ciara." Bo kissed her on the cheek and set her down. Kayla was just coming down the stairs. She reached for Ciara's hand and they walked out the door. Ciara looked back at her father.

"Are you coming back?" She asked looking up at her father with worried eyes. Bo's heart sank. He went to her and pulled her in his embrace.

"There's nothing in this world that would ever keep me away from you. I'll be back. I promise." He kissed her again. "Now run along with Aunt Kayla." Ciara waved bye as she climbed into the backseat of the car.

"Hey man. What's going on?" Steve asked him.

"Dimera kidnapped my wife and daughter."

……

Bo, Steve and Shane stood immersed in papers and maps. "We need a plan." Bo was telling them.

"Where do you think we should start looking?" Steve asked him. "You've got road blocks up all over, men stationed at the airport, and around Dimera's mansion. Is there anything we haven't thought of which might give us some clue to where Steffie might have taken Hope and Alicia?"

"Shane seems to think we should be looking in the most obvious of places. If Stefano thinks it's a place we would look for him, he won't hide there, but he might also think that we wouldn't look there because he knows we know he wouldn't so therefore he would."

"Mind repeating that in English I can understand. You're running around in circles over here." Steve smirked at him. "So what you're saying is Stefano might be hiding out in the place he thinks we won't look because it's too obvious for him to be hiding there."

"That's what I said man." Bo looked perplexed. "I think he took them to where it all started; Maison Blanche."

"So when do we leave?" Steve asked him.

"Glad to hear you're on board man." Bo told him.

"You know I've always got your back." Steve slapped him on the shoulder. "What's with you Shane? You seem awfully quiet."

"What if we're wrong?" Shane pondered trying to make sense of the clues or rather lack of clues. "Maybe Stefano is hiding out right here in Salem. I don't think we should be jumping the gun and running off in the wrong direction. Stefano is a smart man. He plans everything down to the tiniest of detail. I wouldn't put it past him to send us on a wild goose chase."

"Man I just wish we had a clue to go on." Bo paced around the living room. He knew Hope would have left clues if she could've. He couldn't stand to be apart from her for more than a few hours. He could feel her tension in his heart. They always had a close connection that went beyond reason. Each knew exactly what the other was feeling. "Fancy Face I'll find you. I swear." He held a photo of the two of them in his hand. They looked so happy.

"Hey man. We'll find her." Steve hung his arm around Bo's shoulders. "We won't stop until we do."

……

Hope looked around the dimly lit room. Her head was pounding. She didn't know where she was or how long she had been there. She sat up and immediately regretted doing so. Her head throbbed. "What happened?" She tried to think back as she lay her head on the pillows. Her throat was dry and she desperately longed for some water. She opened her eyes again to try and put a grasp on the situation. The room was pretty bare of furnishings beside the bed she was lying on. There was no window and only one door to the room. How did she get here? Stefano! Alicia! Hope tried to get up again. She struggled to keep her balance as she walked to the door. She tried the door handle, but it was locked. She banged on the door. "Stefano! Let me out of here!" She screamed at the door as she continued pounding.

Someone placed a key in the door and opened it. He stopped Hope from running out. She was still to weak to battle him off. "Hello Hope." Stefano pushed Hope back into the room closing and locking the door behind him.

"What do you want with me?" Hope asked him.

"I want you to relax and make yourself at home. If you behave, I might even let you see your daughter."

Hope's face paled. He had Alicia here too? "What have you done to Alicia?" Hope screamed at him.

"I haven't done anything to either one of you. I don't know why you always accuse me of such deplorable acts. Alicia is resting comfortably in her room. Now then, I know you must be tired. You should get some rest. I'll send in a servant with something for you to eat. You must be famished." Stefano turned around to leave. "Hope. Be advised not to try anything. I'll be watching you."

Hope shuddered thinking about it. She glanced around the room searching for video cameras. After everything she saw on the disc Shane managed to crack, she knew Stefano must have every room wired for his personal viewing pleasure. I hope Alicia is alright. She must be so frightened.

.…..

Alicia lay curled up on the bed. She knew she was back in Stefano's possession. She looked around the room to see if she could find anything to use to her advantage. For once she was glad for everything Stefano taught her. She could use it against him. Poetic justice. Alicia heard the key in the door and the click as it opened. She closed her eyes pretending to be asleep.

Stefano came in and chuckled to himself. "It's good to have you back my little Alicia. I can't tell you how happy I am." He walked over to her bed. "I know you're really not sleeping. I know you to well. It's funny how you think you can fool me. After all these years you still haven't learned I know everything." He nudged Alicia. "Wake up!"

Alicia opened her eyes and looked up at Stefano. "What do you want with me?"

"Funny, that's exactly what your mother asked me. How alike the two of you are. I never saw it before now, but you resemble your mother a great deal. Too bad you have your father's eyes." Stefano sat on the edge of her bed.

Alicia's heart leapt with joy at the news of her mother. She wasn't dead. She remembered seeing her slumped over in the car before she lost consciousness. She eyed Stefano curiously. She wondered if he thought she would become the good little student and go back to following his orders. She had her family now. She knew her father would be out looking for her and her mother. He couldn't hold it over her head anymore.

"I see the wheels turning in your head. You think I don't know you, but I know you better than you know yourself. Your thinking your dear daddy, Bo Brady, will be coming to your rescue. He can try, but he will never find you." Stefano rose from her bed. "Rest now Alicia, there is much for you to do tomorrow." Stefano left then, leaving Alicia alone to ponder his words.

"My father will find me. You're wrong Stefano. I have a family now. Everyone knows about me. Do you hear me! He will find me!" She yelled out knowing full well he was watching her from afar."

……

"Morning Officer Reynolds. What do you have for me?" Bo opened his front door to find Reynolds standing on his front step.

"We found Mr. Dimera's car abandoned on the side of the road about 20 miles east of here. Their's a private airfield nearby to where we found his car. We're looking in to any flight plans that may have been filed yesterday." Reynolds filled him in.

"Good work Reynolds. With any luck we'll nail the bastard tonight." Bo thanked the officer and showed him to the door. "Let me know as soon as you have anymore information.

"Hey Dad, can I get you anything?" Chelsea asked. She had been in the kitchen washing the breakfast dishes.

"Thanks kid. I could use some coffee. I've been up all night trying to find some clues." Bo walked over to the couch and sat down going over the same papers he, Steve and Shane were perusing the night before. "There must be something in here we overlooked."

Chelsea came back in with the coffee and brought it over to her father. Just then the doorbell rang. "I'll get it. I'm heading out anyway. I want to stop by Aunt Kayla's to check on Ciara.""Thanks kid. Give her a big hug for me." Bo said as he sat shuffling through the papers.

"I will." Chelsea opened the front door. "Hey Uncle Steve. Dad's over there. I have to go." She said as she passed by her uncle.

"Hey Bo Bo. Any news?" Steve asked coming in and nonchalantly sitting down on the couch by Bo.

"We might have a lead. Stefano's car was found abandoned on the highway heading east. There's a small airfield near there called Littlefield's. My guts telling me it's a decoy though. I think Shane might be right. He's probably hiding them right here in Salem. Here's phase one of the goose chase. I'll have to check it out just the same, but I can't shake the feeling Hope's nearby." Bo pointed to the stack of papers in front of him. "I've been going over all the evidence Shane pulled off the disc to see if maybe there's something I've missed. I could use an extra eye."

Bo and Steve perused through the files looking for anything that might seem even remotely like a clue. After several hours, Steve was becoming irritable. "Man this is hopeless. There's nothing in these papers to tell us where Dimera might have taken Hope and Alicia. I say we go smack it out of Junior." Steve got up stretching his legs. "You coming or should I have all the fun." He smirked at Bo.

"I just wish I could find a clue to help lead me to Hope." Bo stood up and went to grab his jacket. "I think EJ is a long shot. Shane and the ISA already questioned him.""They have to play by the rules. I don't." Steve said smiling. "I'll get it out of him.

Just then Bo's cell rang. "Commissioner Brady here."

"Bo, it's Shane. I think I have a lead on Stefano."