Crouching down in the middle of the trail, Jason moved the branch blocking his view to the side. No matter how many times he'd encountered death, or had been the cause of it, it just wasn't the same when it was someone you knew. Someone you spent a large portion of your time with. Someone who laid their life on the line day after day, until that fateful moment when their light was snuffed out. Or got a bullet between the eyes.

The entire situation sucked. And somebody was going to pay.

"Well?" Sonny's voice came from a few feet back. Hushed. Concerned.

Blowing out a deep breath, Jason stood in a fluid motion of strength and coordination. "Yeah. It's Max."

Moving away, Jason tried to detach himself. Mentally and emotionally stepping back from the situation. Otherwise nothing would get done correctly, throughly. People needed to be contacted. Trails wiped clean. If he let his emotions get in the way, if he were to allow the darkness on the edges of his mind to seep in, he might over look something. And when mistakes were made. No. He'd get this done. Later, when everything was taken care of, he'd go down to Jake's and have a few for an old friend.

Francis and Johnny stood off to the side with Lucky, their eyes trained on the clump of bushes Max was hidden under. Both men remained silent, their mouths pinched in identical frowns. Max had been the third Amigo. The three had worked so long together they were like brothers. It was going to be hell keeping them from tearing the town apart avenging one of their own.

"Lucky?" Sonny turned his attention to Luke's son. "Could you give us a moment?"

"Yeah." Looking back to where Max was hidden, Lucky swallowed hard. "I'm real sorry."

"So are we." Sonny answered sadly as Lucky made his way back down the path toward the small cottage. Waiting until he was out of sight, Sonny continued.

"I want to know who did this." Keeping his voice steady and calm, Sonny sounded as though this event was part of his everyday routine. But his dark brown eyes were sharp and piercing as the air around the attractive man nearly crackled with electrical charges as the wave after wave of anger poured off him. "Then I want them eliminated."

"We will." Francis clenched his large square hands into fists.

"Don't worry, we'll make them pay. After a we make them suffer." Johnny sneered.

"Fine." Knowing the two men would ensure justice, Sonny turned back to Jason. "What about the girl? We need to make sure she doesn't call the cops. The last thing we need, is for them to meddle in this."

Shrugging his shoulders, Jason had other things on his mind at the moment. Like how to get Max's body out of the woods without causing a scene. Contacting his family with some story of his death so they could mourn him properly.

"Good. You do it." Seeing his indifference as accepting the task, Sonny looked back over to the other men, missing Jason's less than thrilled scowl. "Call in some backup. We need to move fast. The last thing we need right now is some random hikers out for the day, tripping into this mess. I want to know how his body got here. If there's a fresh trail to follow, follow it."

"Yes sir."

"Sonny." When the two guards headed back toward the cottage, Jason approached his friend. "Perhaps we should let Spencer talk to her. He knows her better than we do."

"Sure he does." Raising a brow, Sonny looked down at the ground before looking up again. "Luke's too close to the girl. " Looking in the direction of Max's body, Sonny choked down the bile that was burning at his throat. "I can't believe this is happening."

"We'll take care of it." Jason answered.

"We both know who's behind this. I didn't take Marino seriously." The older man's mouth pinched into a frown, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as he walked down the wooded path. "We let our guard down, and because of that we lost Max."

Jason didn't say anything to correct Sonny, cause he felt the same plaguing guilt.

"We're going to need to pump up security at the warehouse and the Towers. The men go out in groups. No more solo trips." Reaching the opening leading back to Elizabeth's property, both men stopped. The sun was already fading on the horizon, below the roof line of the small cottage. "Luke's going to have to give in on having some of the guys pose as bouncers until we know for certain what's going on."

"I'll get Johnny find two guys to watch the Spencer house." Jason knew it was useless asking Luke if he wanted the protection. The older man was stubborn. Even though he wasn't exactly a major partner, Luke had his hands dipped in enough parts of the business to become a target.

"Don't tell Luke that." Shaking his head, Sonny studied the little dwelling. "What do you know about his woman."

"Just the basics. Got her file back in the office." Jason face was void of an expression.

"Jase, we need to know if she's gonna call the cops. We can't be moving Max's body and have the men traipsing through the woods. It'll look like we're covering something up."

Moving his eyes from the decaying back porch to Sonny, Jason studied his friend. "I'll see what I can find out." How he was supposed to do this, Jason was a little clueless. It wasn't like he could force her to remain quiet. And bribing his son's teacher didn't look like much of an option either.

Christ, the last thing he wanted to do right now, was talk to some hysterical female. To have to monitor what he said so she wouldn't have a complete break down. This was going to cost him more patience than he possessed.

Rounding the house and heading to the front porch, Jason spotted Luke leaving against the rail. The older man's gaze locked with his. "Well?"

"It was Max." Slowing his gait, Jason came to a stop at the bottom of the steps.

"Christ." Luke's face twisted as he looked down. "What the hell's going on Morgan? This ain't right. Bodies found near the warehouse. Go-for's being hauled in for drug possession, only to get wacked before they make it to court. Now Max?"

"We think it's Marino."

"No shit Sport." Gone was the fatherly looking man the rest of Port Charles knew. Instead, Luke Spencer looked ready to take on the Devil himself. This was a side that Jason had rarely seen. "What I want to know is why? Why now? We ran that punk out of town years ago. He knows Port Chuck's a drug free zone and a territory that's not up for grabs."

"It still isn't." Jason snapped.

Both men stood glaring at one another, until Luke broke the connection. "I'm sorry. It's been a while since anything like this has happened. And now Lucky and Elizabeth are involved."

"Lucky isn't new to any of this Luke." Taking a moment, Jason studied the porch steps before talking. "Sonny wants me to talk to Elizabeth."

His body tensed as Luke growled. "Are you kidding me?" His voice shouted out, looking over his shoulder at the door, Luke took a step closer and lowered his voice. "Why?"

Jason regarded the other man, wishing like hell he was at Jake's instead of here. He could see the protective Father look in Luke's expression. The same look he'd worn on occasion when Michael's safety or well being were in question.

"I have a few questions is all."

"Let me ask her." Half demand, half pleading, Luke held his breath.

If only it were that easy, Jason thought. "Luke, don't make this any harder than it needs to be."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Jason kept his face void of emotion and Luke's shoulders dropped. "Damn it. Fine. But I want you to remember, she's like my daughter. I was the one who's practically raised her since she was nine. Well, besides that dried up prune she calls a Grandmother."

Jason's mask fell away for a brief moment, looking slightly insulted. "I don't hurt woman," Snorting, Jason nodded toward the house. "Grown or half-grown ones."

"She's with Lucky. He was trying to persuade her into letting him play doctor."

"Excuse me?"

"She was hurt." Screwing up his face, Luke looked ill. "I said like a daughter Morgan. It would only go without saying that she's like a sister to Lucky."

Checking the time on his wrist watch, Jason knew he was already going to have to forgo Jake's if he wanted to be home in time to read Michael a book before bedtime. That was as long as Elizabeth Webber wasn't one for hysterics. Taking the steps two at a time, Jason rapped softly at the door before walking in.

The inside of the house smelled of fresh paint and something else he couldn't place. Unlike his sister's apartment, full of tiny breakable knick-knacks, scented candles and frilly girl things, the tiny cottage was sparsely furnished. Probably due to the fact Elizabeth had just recently moved in.

Hearing voices from the right, he walked quietly down the hall and stopped in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Elizabeth." Lucky was standing behind the tiny half-woman, holding her hand under the faucet. "Stop being such a baby. We need to wash the dirt out."

"It stings." Apparently not liking her friend's bedside manner, Elizabeth snarled and tried to yank her hand away. When that didn't work, she stepped back on the toe of Lucky's shoe while jabbing him in the stomach with her elbow. Winning her, her freedom. "And you're not using that evil looking antiseptic stuff either."

"If one of your student were hurt would you let them run the chance of getting an infection cause their scrapes and cuts stung a little?" Trying again to grab at her hand again, Lucky swore when she ducked under his arm.

"No. I'd send them to the school nurse." Her retreat was short lived, when she came to a sudden halt in front of him. Her head tilted back, her eyes wide in surprise as her hands came up to brace herself for the collision. "Oh!"

"Thank god." Leaning against the counter, Lucky nodded toward Elizabeth. "Can you talk some sense into her. Her hands are scraped and bleeding, and I think she may need a few stitches on her knee."

Not saying anything, Jason frowned down at her dirt stained face and clothing. This was not the woman he was expecting. Well he was expecting Elizabeth Webber, but one who was on the verge of an emotional breakdown after finding a dead guy in the woods.

Taking hold of her wrists, he gently turned them over to inspect the scraped flesh of her palms. Looking back at her face he noticed she had a scratch on her cheek as well above her eye. Dropping one of her hands he pulled her over to a kitchen chair on the other side of the room and nudged her into a sitting position. He could see that the right leg of her jeans had blood soaked into the material at her knee. Crouching down Jason looked up into Elizabeth's shocked face.

"You plan on wearing these again?"

Puzzled, Elizabeth looked back at him. "What? Why?"

"Your jeans." Jason answered impatiently. "Are you planning on wearing them again?"

"Ah, no." The words were barely passed her lips when she gasped when he used his two hands and made the tear in her jeans a gapping hole. "Hey!"

Paying her no mind, Jason looked over his shoulder to where Lucky stood smirking. "I need a wet washcloth."

Looking down at her knee to the man in front of her, Elizabeth tried to stand and get away from direct damage. So what. She was a freaking wuss. She could live with that. It was better than breaking down into tears in front of a man she didn't know. But with just one hand on her leg he kept her in place.

"How bad is it?" Looking over Jason's shoulder, Lucky grimaced.

"Get me a bowl of warm water." Starting above the deep gash on her kneecap, Jason blocked out Lucky's questions. Under his other hand he could feel Elizabeth's muscle's tense as she tried jerk back each time he dipped the cloth to her injured limb.

For the life of her she couldn't figure out how she ended up in her kitchen chair as some man she hardly knew cleaned her knee. Though she knew Luke and Lucky seemed to like him and all, she felt weird having him kneeling in front of her. His head bent down as he worked silently, only speaking when he needed something. Perhaps it was the way his hand lay on the upper part of her thigh, keeping her leg still that felt a little too . . . intimate, that had her wishing he'd just hurry up.

Washing away most of the dried blood and dirt, Jason stood with grace and took the phone from his jacket pocket. Turning his back on the other two, Jason waited. "Smitty, I need you to get out to the small cottage two miles out of town on Old County road."

"W-What's going on?" Looking over at Lucky, Elizabeth took in his puzzled expression. "Who's Smitty?"

"Don't worry, Smitty's -." Lucky stopped abruptly when Jason looked over his shoulder at him. "A . . . friend." Snapping the phone shut, Jason turned around motioned her to join him at the sink.

She really was a patient person. But after the day she'd had, the last thing she wanted was to be bossed around by some guy who was under the impression that he was the king of the hill. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Seeing that Lucky wasn't going to answer her, Elizabeth turned her attention back to Jason. "I think I'm owed an explanation. I didn't call the police like Luke asked. I've done a good job of not breaking down into a hysterical fit because I found a dead guy in my backyard. There's a bunch of overdressed men hiking in the woods, my hands hurt, my knee's on fire and I hate being kept in the dark."

Instead of getting an answer, she got to watch her best friend, someone she considered to be her brother look over at someone she didn't know, exchange a silent look before looking back at her sheepishly before leaving the room. "Lucky?"

"Are you going to come over here so I can clean off the dirt on your hands?" Turning the water on and testing the temperature, Jason looked over his shoulder and frowned at her. "Or you can wait for Smitty. Who's a doctor and will have antiseptic and . . ." Seeing her stand up with difficulty and limp over to the sink, Jason smirked. Apparently Elizabeth Webber had the same aversion to having her cuts and scrapes cleaned just like Michael did. "Though your knee still needs to be looked at."

Pinning her against the counter with his body, Jason held back the need to laugh when the blood drained from her face. "He's not going to give me stitches. Is he? I mean not here . . . ?"

The small hand he was holding under the water started to tremble and Jason swore to himself. He was being an insensitive prick. He'd walked into her house with a chip on his shoulder. It wasn't her fault that Max was dead. Or that she fell down and hurt herself. She was doing them a huge favor by not calling Mac Scorpio and the rest of the dimwits at the PCPD. And how did he repay her?

"I don't think you're going to need stitches. But I'm no doctor." Taking her other hand and holding it under the water, Jason frowned at how small and delicate they were. And they probably stung like hell. "I know you're probably upset with what happened."

"Which part?" Trying to sound sarcastic, Elizabeth felt that she failed miserably. Mostly because he was standing way too close. His thighs pressed against hers, as his hips pinned her to the cabinet. It was ridiculous really. Each time she tried to wiggle out from her position, he seemed to hold onto her hand tighter and adjust his body so she was trapped.

"He was a friend of mine." Making sure she didn't move, Jason turned off the water and grabbed a few paper towels. But he had nothing to worry about, his words had stopped her fidgeting.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was a little more than a whisper. "I . . . This must be really hard for you."

Most of the dirt was removed from her palms and knee, Jason stepped back, releasing her. He wasn't ready to analyze his feelings yet and not in front of anyone. "I need to ask you a few questions."

Now free to put some distance between herself and this man, Elizabeth was quick to limp back over to the chair she'd vacated. She wished she could excuse herself to her room for awhile. Just so she could step back from everything and sort though the emotions that were swirling around her stomach. Too much had happened. And with Luke and Lucky hovering over her for the last few hours she barely had time to think.

"Have you noticed anything unusual lately?" Leaning a hip against the counter, Jason crossed his arms across his wide chest and waited for her to answer.

"No. Not really. I only moved in about a month ago."

"Gunshots?" The word brought back the image of the man under the bushes.

"No."

"Have you hiked in the woods before today?" Some of the color in her face drained. As she shook her head.

"I've been too busy. I didn't even know there were trails back there before today." And she doubted she'd be exploring them anytime soon. "Shouldn't we call the police?"

His face remained impassive as he regarded her silently. This was the part he wasn't looking forward to. Knowing he was going to have to be careful, but at the same time ensure she understood the seriousness of the situation.

"It's a little too late for that." Waiting for her reaction, Jason could almost hear the wheels turning in her head.

"Luke said they wouldn't be of any use, you're saying it's too late." Rubbing at her temple, Elizabeth was starting to feel the impact of the day. "I feel like everyone's in on this great big secret and I'm being kept out in the cold. Do you have any idea what would happen to me if the police were to find out I didn't report finding a dead body?"

"They wont find out." Frowning, Jason watched as her face took on a crimson color.

"Can you promise me that?"

"No."

"I'm a teacher. I'm supposed to set an example, to be honest and . . . and all that. Who's going to trust me to teach their child if they found out I helped in covering up a homicide?" Even saying the words out loud didn't make the situation completely real to her. "So I'm supposed to trust you, someone I don't even know? You can't even promise me no one will find out."

"I never make a promise I can't keep. Too many things could happen." Shrugging his shoulders with ease, Jason let himself relax. Though she was putting up a slight fight, he could see in her eyes that she was only voicing the reasons why she should call the police.

"So what about that poor guy and his family?"

"Max's family will be taken care of." Jason answered tight jawed.

"Max." The man had a name of course, but knowing it was different. "What about the person who did this? You say Max was your friend. Don't you want them to pay?" A memory from long ago invaded her mind and a chill went through her body.

The question caught him off guard, but only for a moment. "I'll worry about that." Answering her slowly, Jason watched as she stared off in space and nodded slowly. "We just can't have you calling the police-."

"I already promised Luke I wouldn't. I'm able to make promises and keep them." Still sounding as though she were a hundred miles away, Elizabeth gave herself a shake and found Jason staring at her.

"Morgan?" A female's voice called out and soon a tall redhead with legs up to her chin and a chest Elizabeth had once prayed she could have had a third of, walked into her kitchen as though she owned it. "You beckoned?" She asked blandly.

Giving Elizabeth one last look, he turned to the other female. "Could you take a look at her knee? I cleaned it the best I could."

Looking at the woman, Elizabeth could honestly say, that the amazon redhead was the last thing she'd expected. "You're Smitty?"

"Sure am sugar." With a southern drawl and a saucy wink, the woman who was more like some fifties pinup girl laughed at Elizabeth's expression. "Not what you were expecting?" With a shy shake of her head, Elizabeth was ready for this day to end. "I'm Shelby Smith. The guys call me Smitty."

"Elizabeth." Feeling like a Sculley Maid compared to the woman, Elizabeth fidgeted. "Webber."

"Jesus." Dropping a bag on the table, Elizabeth winced as the women kneeled down and probed at her tender skin. "God. That had to hurt." Her ministrations lightened up. "How'd you do this?"

Clearing her throat, Elizabeth blushed. "I tripped."

The woman nodded as she searched her bag. "There's still some dirt in the cut." Without breaking stride she pulled out a bottle that had to hold something evil as she looked over her shoulder to where Jason was waiting. "So is it true about Max?"

"Yeah." His answer was curt and to the point. "Is she going to need stitches?"

"I don't think so." Elizabeth watched intently as the woman dabbed some of the foul liquid on a small cloth. "So Elizabeth tell me something about yourself."

Keeping her eyes glued to what the woman was doing, Elizabeth answered slowly. "I'm a Kindergarten teacher."

"Really?" Hissing before the medicine hit her knee, Elizabeth clenched onto the seat of her chair. "Wait, your Michael's teacher aren't you? I heard some of the guys talking about the new teacher in town."

Sucking her lower lip between her teeth and nodded absently.

"He's a cute kid, too bad he's a lot like his father." Shelby joked.

"Wouldn't know." The stinging started to fade. "I haven't met him yet."

The doctor's hands stilled. "You're kidding. Right?"

"I wish I were."

"Well then Honey, let me introduce you." Pointing to the silent man, glowering down on them Shelby smirked. "Jason Morgan, Elizabeth Webber, your son's Kindergarten teacher."