A/N – Thanks for the comments! Glad you're still with me. The flash drive has been found and backed up. I knew I shouldn't have asked my hubby to look for it lol. I'm lucky he finds me in a lit room.

Chapter 16 - Retribution

Jason knocked on Spinelli's door.

"Maxie, I've got a lead." Spinelli's mouth dropped open as he opened up the door. "Stone Cold."

"Want to tell me what this lead is about and what Maxie has to do with it?"

Spinelli started to sputter and Jason glared at him.

"Now Spinelli."

"I—I was investigating the Covert one. Uh EJ Banks."

"What did you find?" Jason asked.

"Well, he had a meeting with a man named Stefano Dimera."

Jason frowned. "Never heard of him."

"He's very dark Stone Cold. He's practically a legend."

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose. "Where were they meeting?"

"At a rest area on the interstate."

"Did you bug him?"

Spinelli smiled. "Yes, but just his office. I put a GPS on his car."

"Good work. So, you think EJ and Stefano are working together?"

"Yes or at least they are planning to do harm. Stefano is evil and…..oh dear." Spinelli said gulping.

"What?"

Spinelli quickly read the information on his screen. "EJ is Stefano's evil spawn."

Jason didn't say anything. EJ clearly didn't want anyone to know his real name. He was definitely up to something. He dialed his phone and Johnny picked up.

"Put someone on EJ Banks whose real name is EJ Dimera. His father is dangerous and they may have something to do with the sabotage." Jason explained.

"I'm on it."

He hung up. "Spinelli, I need to know everything you find out. And leave Maxie out of this. It's dangerous and we don't need Mac breathing down our necks."

"What do I say when she asks?"

"Tell her you didn't find anything. I don't give a shit what excuse she uses. Do not tell her anything. She's a hot mess and I will not have her screw this up," Jason said getting up to leave, "Remember who you work for Spinelli."

Spinelli groaned. He hated lying to Maxie but he could not disobey Stone Cold's wishes.

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Sam walked into EJ's office. "Hey."

He smiled. "Hey yourself. I need to go out of town for a few days."

She frowned. "Why?"

"It's business. I'm setting things up. My father wants to move up the date of our takeover, so I have to take care of things."

She sat on his lap. "I'll miss you."

He smiled. "I'm sure you will."

She smacked him on the arm and he chuckled.

"When are you going to snatch Elizabeth? I can't wait to be rid of her for good," Sam said smiling, "I have never hated someone so much in my life."

Spinelli's eyes grew big as he listened.

"You really want her dead or just missing in action?"

Sam swallowed hard. If Elizabeth was just missing, then she could come back and claim Jason—no, the nurse needed to die. "Dead." She said definitively.

"We'll talk later. Right now, I have a hard on that needs to be tended to." EJ said smirking.

Spinelli's face contorted.

"I'm sure I can help with that." Sam said smiling.

Spinelli's turned down the sound and called Jason. The goddess was now the enemy.

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Jason listened to Spinelli tell him what Sam said and he was furious. He drove over to her apartment and waited for her to return. They were going to get some shit straight tonight. Whatever feelings he had for Sam were definitely gone.

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Sam walked into her apartment and flicked on the light and jumped. "Jason?"

"Hello Sam." He said coldly.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Sit." He demanded.

She frowned and sat down on the couch. Jason was the last person she expected to be there when she got home. "What's going on?"

"EJ is a dangerous man Sam but then you know that don't you?" He asked cryptically.

She swallowed thickly. "What are you talking about?"

"Did you really think that I'd sit by and let you hurt Elizabeth?"

"Jason, I don't know what you think you heard." She said nervously.

Jason showed no emotion on his face. "I know what I heard. You and EJ are planning to kidnap Elizabeth and get rid of her."

"No Jason. I've moved on," she said firmly, "I'm not responsible for whatever EJ does. Sometimes people say things when they are angry and hurt."

He smirked. "Oh really? I don't believe you, especially when I know that you are willing to help him achieve his goals."

Sam looked down. "You know I still love you Jason. But I'm trying here. You hurt me so badly—blew my whole world apart. What do you want from me?"

"To leave my girlfriend alone."

She stood up, completely enraged. "You don't even give a shit how I am feeling. You just walked away like I was nothing. You were my best friend, my lover, my everything Jason," Sam yelled completely losing it, "So fuck Elizabeth. She stole you from me. She deserves whatever she gets."

Jason got up and grabbed her around the neck. "Wrong answer Sam," he said stabbing her with a hypodermic needle.

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes began to tear. "What did you do?"

He pushed her back onto the couch. "You fucked with the wrong person. Your heartbeat should be slowing down and soon, your throat will close up."

"Tree nuts?"

Jason smiled. "Yes. But that wasn't in the shot. That was just too temporarily disable you. This is what's going to kill you." He said coldly.

With his gloved hand, he grabbed a piece of the candy and shoved it into Sam's mouth and she was forced to chew and swallow it so she wouldn't choke.

"I love you." She said as her breathing became labored. "I would have done anything for you."

"You don't know what love is Sam," he said with no emotion, "The fact that you would take Elizabeth's life just because you couldn't have me, shows me just what kind of person you really are."

He watched her struggle to breathe and thrash. And before she took her last breath he said, "You are nothing to me."

Picking up his phone, he dialed Johnny. "It's done. I'm leaving now. Find EJ Dimera and put him on ice."

"You got it." Johnny said.

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Jason walked into Sonny's house and Michael ran up to him. "Hello buddy."

He picked him up and looked over at Elizabeth and smiled.

She got up and gave him a kiss.

Sonny walked into the room and Jason nodded that it was done. They had spoken earlier about it and Sonny agreed that there should be no warning. Sam's actions were a direct threat and neither thought she'd give up her revenge anyway.

Carly walked into the room and smiled. "Hey."

Jason gave her a slight smile. "Is he ever going to stop drooling?"

Carly chuckled. "You did eventually."

Liz smiled.

They all sat down for dinner.

"So, how's your new job?" Carly asked.

"Tiring but rewarding. I like everyone I work with."

Carly smiled. "That's good. I like doing volunteer work there."

Jason frowned and Carly laughed.

"I know you're allergic to hospitals." She said.

"Very." Jason said before taking a swig of his beer.

They ate and Carly told Elizabeth about the island. About an hour later, Ronnie showed up.

"Jason, do you have an alibi for the last hour?" He asked.

"For what?" Jason asked.

"Sam McCall is dead." Ronnie announced.

Carly and Elizabeth gasped.

Jason didn't say much. "I don't really speak to her anymore. We broke up."

"Did you have a reason to kill her?"

Carly rolled her eyes. "Come on Ronnie. He's with someone new. She moved on already anyway."

"With who?" Ronnie asked.

"EJ Banks." Jason said.

"And you have no problem with that?"

Jason shrugged. "Why would I?"

Ronnie shook his head. "So, where were you the last hour?"

"Here eating dinner," Jason said, "Do I need to call Diane?"

"Not unless you're feeling guilty." Ronnie said.

Jason didn't say anything.

"How did she die?" Sonny asked.

Ronnie smirked. "As if you didn't know already. There was some candy found that had nuts in it and apparently, she's allergic to them."

"So what does that have to do with Jason?" Carly asked.

"Nothing. But, it doesn't make sense that she would eat the candy willingly." Ronnie said.

Liz walked up to Jason and placed her hand on his back. "Are you okay?" She whispered.

"Yes." He said softly.

Ronnie noticed the change in his demeanor. "You're taking this awfully well for a man who was engaged to Sam a short time ago."

"Are we done here?" Jason asked.

"Fine, but don't leave town." Ronnie said walking away.

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Mac pulled Ronnie aside. "Do you think Jason did it?"

Ronnie shrugged. "He could have but I don't know what the motive would be."

"What about EJ?" Mac asked.

"He's out of town. He left several hours before."

Mac sighed. "Could he have sent her the candy?"

"We checked for deliveries in the building and haven't found any to her apartment." Ronnie said. "We'll have to wait for an autopsy but it looks like she only had one piece."

"So, she could have realized her mistake too late." Mac said.

"Her phone was across the room but there is no way to tell if she was trying to get to it."

"Then we have nothing." Mac said.

"I'm not ruling out Jason or EJ," Ronnie said, "But for now, I agree."

Mac wasn't happy but they'd have to just hope that they got a break.

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Carly walked back into the living room after putting Michael down for the night. Elizabeth and Jason had left shortly after the police did.

"Did Jason do it?" Carly asked.

Sonny looked up at her. "Why would you ask that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe it's just a feeling."

"You know I can't tell you either way."

She sighed. "If he did, it would be because he had a good reason. Maybe you should have let someone else handle it."

"Carly…" He said scowling.

"Okay, I'll drop it."

Sonny reached out and pulled her closer. "I love you."

"I love you too." She said softly still wondering what the hell Sam did to piss Jason off enough that he had to end her. She just hoped that if Jason did do it, it wouldn't affect him later.

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The ride back to the penthouse was silent. Jason was wondering if Liz suspected him and Elizabeth was thinking that Jason knew more than what he let on.

They went upstairs and Jason walked over to the window.

"It's okay to be upset." Liz said softly.

"I know." Jason said.

Oh he was upset alright. Just thinking about the fact Sam was willing to team up with someone to hurt Elizabeth was still pissing him off. EJ needed to be taken down fast.

"I'll be upstairs." She said getting up.

He wanted to destroy everything in the room. He hated that he had to kill Sam but she brought it on by her actions. She was hurt and that was all on him but everyone had choices. She didn't have to make the choice to hurt someone else just because he broke up with her. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he paused from his pacing and then cracked his neck. He was quite sure that EJ was using Sam to get what he wanted. The question was, exactly what was he after.

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Elizabeth felt Jason get into bed about an hour later and spoon her. It felt good to feel his body against hers but she was worried that he was holding all his emotions inside and it would hurt him.

"I know you're awake." He said.

She rolled over to face him and then touched his face. "I wish you could talk to me about how you're feeling."

"I'm fine. I don't process things like everyone else."

"I know. You hold it in, but what happens when you can't any longer?" She asked softly.

Jason sighed. "I usually go destroy something."

"You have to learn a better way to deal with your life. Just like you learned this way of handling things you can learn another way to cope with the stress better." She said.

Jason never really thought about it like that. "It's just what I know, kind of like a habit at this point."

Liz didn't push. She hugged him into her and rubbed his back. After a few minutes, she felt some of his stress lesson. Something had to give. She was worried about her man.

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EJ put down his phone and cursed under his breath. Maxie had just called him and told him that she had found Sam dead in her apartment. The girl was distraught and he assured her that he would return the next day.

He would call the police department beforehand to get a feel on whether or not he was a suspect. This reeked. The only thing he could think of was that somehow Jason had found out what happened, and if that was the truth then he was also exposed. They probably knew who he was and that was just unacceptable.

He made a call. "Get it done tomorrow morning. I need to strike before they strike against me."

Slamming his fist onto his desk, he called his father and updated him on the new developments.

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The next morning, Jason was gone before Elizabeth got up. She quickly got herself ready for work and then left the penthouse with Francis and Cody.

She had a surgery first thing and then one in the afternoon.

Jason went to his office at the warehouse before everyone else got there. He and Johnny went over their plans for EJ. His plane was due to land in two hours.

They were in the middle of a conversation when Jason rubbed his eyes. "Are you getting tired?"

Johnny yawned. "Yes. I thought it was just me."

They stared at each other when they realized what was happening. Someone was gassing them. They both jumped up and threw open the office door and it was like the air was sucked out of their bodies and they fell to the floor.

The last thing Jason muttered was Elizabeth's name.

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Francis walked over to Cody. Liz's surgery would be done soon. "Johnny is not returning my calls."

Cody frowned. "I think they were going to the airport. Do you think something went down?"

"I don't know but I have a really bad feeling."

Cody's phone rang. "What's up Enzo?"

"We can't get into the warehouse."

"What do you mean?" He said warily.

"The locks are jammed."

Cody cursed under his breath. "Go to the front and break a fucking window."

Enzo ran around to the front of the building and grabbed a trash can and hurled it through the window. He started to cough and him and two other men backed up from the building.

"Enzo." Cody said loudly.

"I'm here. I think someone pumped some kind of gas into the building. We're trying to figure out how now but I'll need a gas mask in order to go in there."

"Jason was in there." Cody said.

"I'll put something over my face then." Enzo said handing off the phone to Marco.

"It's Marco. He's going in."

Enzo disappeared and Cody said a silent prayer that Jason wasn't dead. About two minutes later, Enzo appeared.

"Jason isn't in there." He said before coughing. "Johnny is knocked out. He has a pulse."

"Get him out of there and get him to Doc." Cody said.

He ended the call and immediately dialed Sonny's number and filled him in.

Sonny was stunned. "Protect Elizabeth with your life." He said.

"I will."

The fire alarm started to go off.

"Sonny, I have to go. Something is going on." Cody said.

Sonny cursed under his breath. "Find her."

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Elizabeth looked up at Patrick the moment the alarm began to sound.

"I'll finish up." He said.

Epiphany nodded. "Go ahead. I'll stay with him. The rest of you follow protocol."

Elizabeth rushed out of the OR room. There were people everywhere and that is when she felt someone pull her arm. "Go this way, it's faster."

She nodded and then followed them to the elevator and then suddenly realized she needed to get to Cody and Francis and stopped.

"What's wrong?" The woman asked her.

"I need to go back to the main lobby."

The woman looked at her funny and moved closer. "I don't think so." She said stabbing her with a needle.

Elizabeth was stunned. She was pulled into a room and the woman and another man hauled her onto the bed and then she lost consciousness.