Part Seven

Emily felt bolstered by elation and the clutching paralyzing fear as she asked him. "Who?"

The leader's smile became brighter and the sight of it was nauseating. "I'm going to allow the good doctor to leave. Consider it an act of good faith."

Again, Emily turned to her friend and her father, her face awash with conflicting emotions. Elizabeth smiled, but pain pinched her lips together and Emily cried out for her friend. "Let them both go, please." The silence behind her was deafening.

She turned to see the cold iron of the leader's gaze pin her to the spot. "Don't test me. You won't like my reaction"

The desk phone rang again, startling everyone in the lobby. The leader waved at his men. "Four... Five, show the good doctor outside." He crossed to the desk, far away from the others and picked up the phone. "Yes?"

"Have you decided to give Elizabeth to me?"

The leader leaned against the wall and smiled, he had this pinhead exactly where he wanted him.

"So... all of these... machinations," his voice dripped with curiosity, "are all for one little nurse?"

"Don't push me."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mr. Lansing." He couldn't help the delighted smile on his lips. "It would be one thing to posture if you had the upper hand, but right now, I can see little miss Elizabeth doubling over in pain-"

"Damn it, get her out of there!" Ric pressed his hand to the side of his face and felt the
sweat tipping the ends of his hair even in the chill of the evening air.

"Now, Mr. Lansing," He purred his warning into the phone, "I didn't hear the magic word."

Ric bristled. He wasn't used to being treated in such a manner. Even when it was Sonny in front of him. "The magic word, Mr. Craig?" He felt his own measure of power flooding through his body. "Is immunity. If you want it... give me what I want."

It took everything Alan Quartermaine had to put one foot in front of the other there was hardly any strength left in his legs and if his heart didn't stop pumping its violent rhythm in his chest it was going to pop out and walk itself out into the cold.

He was barely aware of the odd strength the masked man beside him was giving him and the gentle way he was being helped across the floor.

The roar of blood in his ears almost masked the harsh whisper from the gunman. "Alan... Alan!"

The doctor blinked and turned his head slightly. It was a supreme effort on his part. "What?"

"It's me... Jason."

Relief, like a wave of cool water, washed over him as the truth of those words registered. He looked into the vibrant blue eyes of his son and smiled. "Thank God, Jason." He felt the cool air of night on his face and the sudden chill shocked another thought into his head. "Oh, Jason, wait-"

"I can't go any further, I have to... someone will come and get you... and get you help."

Alan felt the shift in Jason's body, he was about to let him go. "No, wait," he grabbed onto Jason's clothing, trying to hold him still for just a moment, "I have something to tell you."

"Hurry," Jason looked over his shoulder at the others inside and then at the police. Any longer and someone would try to put a bullet in him."

Alan wanted to tell him the truth, but really it wasn't his secret to tell... Elizabeth would see to it... Elizabeth! "You need to get Elizabeth out of there, Jason."

"I will," Jason whispered, "but you have to get to the hospital."

"Yes, yes," Alan agreed, "but you have to save her... promise me."

Jason felt the odd spark of emotion deep down inside of him. "I promise, Dad... now please... go and get help."

It nearly killed Jason to walk away but he had to get to Elizabeth.

The leader smiled to himself as he concluded his business with the D.A. "That's fine... just be there like we agreed and you'll get what you want." He paused, his mind working faster and faster keeping track of all of his plans. "But I warn you... you screw with me... and it'll be the little woman that pays for it."

Ric's palms were clammy and cold as he struggled to keep his heart from bursting with excitement. "Same here. You screw with me... and- Hello? Hello?" Ric slammed his phone shut. "Damn him!"

He caught the curious looks from Cruz and another PCPD detective but he didn't care. He pushed through the crowd and marched up the Mayor. Cruz watched in growing horror as Ric Lansing started ordering the Mayor around, telling him what kind of reinforcements they needed and how to get rid of the media. The mayor nearly burst a vein in his head.

A couple of well placed verbal and finger jabs sent the Mayor's temper and blood pressure into overdrive. The last they heard was, "I don't want to see you within ten miles of me, Lansing!"

Cruz thought it might be a trick of the revolving police lights that made it look like DA Lansing was smiling as he walked away.

Jason stepped back inside, hoping to catch some kind of reflection of the street in a glass pane or metal surface somewhere, but there was nothing to see besides the group of frightened people. Elizabeth was now on the other side of the room.

Sam was itching to do something. She hated being bossed around at someone else's mercy... she was the one who wanted to be in charge. She wanted to come out on top. She searched the room for something... anything to take hold of.

Oh my God! Jason!

Those amazing blue eyes could only belong to one person. She wondered for just a moment why he was in with the crew, but she knew he had to be there for something going on. Either way she was going to do something.

Jason caught her eye and she fought off a smile. She made a significant look in the leader's direction but when she turned back to Jason he wasn't happy. The dark look in his eyes pricked her temper. She nodded.

He shook his head.

She set her teeth together. If he was in this with Sonny, they hadn't told her about it. And if they were keeping secrets.. she wasn't going to stand for it. She was going to do something to make an impression on him whether he liked it or not.

The leader started across the room toward Elizabeth and Sam knew he'd have Jason's attention for sure. Striding forward she reached up and swept the man's mask off.

That did it. The room exploded into action. A quick backhand from the leader sent Sam to the floor in an undignified heap then he wrenched Elizabeth up onto her feet. When Sam managed to sit up enough to see, Jason's eyes were glued onto Elizabeth and when the leader shoved her into 7's arms she watched Jason's shoulders tense beneath his black shirt.

Elizabeth was dragged down the hall by another one of the masked men, Jason tried to follow only to be shoved back by the leader and ordered to see to their hostages.

She knew enough about Jason and his ridiculous attention to Elizabeth to know that under that nearly shapeless mask was a man... dying to do SOMETHING.