Almost finished I swear, only a couple of chapters left. Thank you to everyone still reading and reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own the show or it's characters.
Jason pulls up to the dock that Jerry asked to meet at and shuts the engine off, but doesn't get out of the car. Instead he pulls his phone out of his pocket and hits redial and wait for Jerry to pick up on the other end.
"Very good Morgan, although I shouldn't be surprised at how well you follow orders considering you're Corinthos little errand boy. You're used to following orders aren't you?"
"Quit with the bullshit Jerry. I've done everything you asked, now where is Sam?"
"You've done almost everything I ask Morgan."
"What more do you want!" Jason slams his fist down hard on the steering wheel, wishing it was Jerry's head.
Jerry chuckled into the phone, finding amusement in Jason's frustration. "I want you to get rid of whatever weapons you have with you and put them on the passenger seat of the car, including the gun you keep hidden at your waist. Stay on the phone while you do so, I'll wait."
Clenching the hand holding the phone Jason grits his teeth as he pulls first the gun kept in his boot and then he pulls out the one at his waist that Jerry mentioned. Setting both on the seat next to him Jason sighs. "Anything else?"
"Is that really all the weapons you have on you?" Jerry asks with amusement.
Resisting the urge to shout into the phone, knowing it will do no good, Jason reaches into his pocket and pulls out the pocket knife he keeps there. Holding it up for Jerry to see, wherever he was, Jason then drops it down next to the guns.
"Much better, nice try though Morgan."
"What now?"
"You can get out of the car now Morgan, but I want you to keep the one hand in the air while you stay on the phone with me." Jason shuffles the phone to the other hand and reaches for the handle. Sliding out of the car he casts a quick glance back at the guns left on the seat and then Jerry's voice is once again coming across the line. "Leave the weapons in the car Morgan."
Reluctantly Jason does what he's told since he knows Jerry must be close by watching him and he doesn't want anything to happen to Sam. Slamming to door closed he steps away from the car with his hand in the air, hating how vulnerable he was right now. "Alright Jerry…" Jason starts to speak into the phone, but notices there was only dial tone on the other end. "Dammit!"He says pulling it away and lowering both of his arms.
"Ah ah ahh! Hands in the air, remember?" Jerry says, his voice coming from behind Jason now.
Startled Jason turns with both hands hovering and glares when he sees Jerry was alone. "Where the hell is Sam?" Jason asks stepping forward not caring he was without a weapon.
"Stop where you are Morgan." Jerry says quickly aiming his gun at Jason's chest. "Sweet Sam might not survive otherwise."
"Where is she!"
"We'll get to that in just a second." Jerry says making a tsking sound. "You are very impatient man aren't you?"
"Only when I'm being jerked around yea." Jason grounds out through clenched teeth. "Tell me what you want Jerry. You got me out here all alone and without any weapons. It's about time you held up you end and tell me what I want to know. Sam obviously isn't with you, so where is she?"
With a glimmer in his eyes Jerry circles around Jason until he is closer to the vehicle. "It's funny Morgan, you don't really know what quid pro quo means, do you? It's sort of like tit for tat or I scratch your back and you scratch mine. If you want information on Sweet Sam, which obviously you do since it's all you seem to ask for, than you're going to have to do something in return for me that I want as greatly as you do Sam."
"I already promised you I would let you go with your life, what more do you want? Money?"
"Oh don't be ridiculous Morgan, I have plenty of that. And, before you even ask, no I don't want weapons or anything else you and the Corinthos organization are a part of."
"What do you want then?"
"Your protection…or to be more exact, I want the protection that comes from your organization."
"You want what?" Jason asks incredulous.
"Come now Morgan, don't look so confused. You know what I'm asking for and only you can give it to me."
"You want the Corinthos organization to offer you protection…from what?"
"From anything…everything. You know a man like me who manages to anger more that my fair share of people out there could really use the protection offered by being linked with you and Corinthos. So with one little directive from you that I'm to be left alive or else and I figure I won't have to keep looking over my shoulder at every turn."
"You can't be serious."
"Oh deadly so I'm afraid. You see, it's not just you and this pesky little town that I've managed to anger with my…oh let's call them antics…so I could really use the back up."
Jason just stands there a moment in shock, out of everything he figured Jerry would ask for, this wasn't it. "After everything you've done. Everything you probably plan to do. Do you honestly expect me to just give you a free pass? And not just from me and Sonny, but from every organization out there that you've manage to piss off?"
"The way you say it, it sounds like that might be a problem."
"Of course it's a problem!" Jason explodes. "Jerry you'll be lucky if I don't kill you myself, why would I put the Corinthos organization on the line for you when you have already done more than enough to be killed for."
"Well that's too bad for Sweet Sam than, isn't?" Jerry says with a smirk.
Jason clenched his jaw tightly and considered his chances of taking down Jerry without a weapon. He would only have one chance since Jerry had the gun, and he still stood a better chance of getting shot than getting his hand on the gun. And even then if he did get the gun from Jerry then what would he do, Jerry still wouldn't just give up the information on Sam. No…Jason really had no choice in this and that's why Jerry was smirking because he knew it.
"Well what's it going to be Morgan? Is that big brute brain of yours finished working through this dilemma you seem to be in? It's either the honor of your precious Corinthos organization or the life of Sweet Sam, I wonder which is more important to you. Just remember the clock is tick, tick, ticking and Sam isn't fairing too well." Jerry switched the gun to his other hand so he would be able to look at his watch. "Ah tick tock, tick tock, tick…"
"Fine!" Jason spits out just wanting Jerry to shut up.
"Fine…what Morgan?"
"You have the protection of the Corinthos organization."
"Do I have your word on that?"
"You have my word."
"Excellent!" Jerry says with a laugh. "You made a very wise choice Morgan, I'm sure Sweet Sam would be pleased. It's really too bad she might never know what she truly means to you."
The hairs on the back of Jason's neck rise at Jerry's words and he takes an involuntary step forwards. "What do you mean, Sam better be alright? I've given you my word, your under my protection, now tell me what I want to know! Where is she?"
"That does seem to be the question of the hour, doesn't it?"Jerry sighs. "If I only I could tell you what you wanted to know."
"What the hell are you talking about? What have you done with Sam?"
"Honestly Morgan I don't know if I should be honored or insulted that you immediately assumed I was the one behind Sweet Sam's abduction, but then I shouldn't be surprised should I? I am your target of blame for all criminal activity you and Corinthos aren't behind yourselves. And normally you are quite right, but alas…this time you are wrong."
"When I get my hands on you…" Jason says clenching his fists and standing still, because Jerry still has the gun.
"Oh not so fast, don't lose that impeccable patience of yours Morgan and don't forget our deal."
"What deal? You only live if you gave me Sam. If you don't have her, deal is off."
"Deal is still on Morgan." Jerry insists. "Because while I don't have Sweet Sam, I do know who does and can point you in the right direction."
Jason didn't know if he should believe Jerry anymore since the lies kept piling up is seems. "Who then if it's not you?"
"Perhaps you should look at yourself Morgan and ask who out there has a vendetta against you?"
"Sonny and I have a lot of enemies…"
"Yes, but one in particular has really been set off. And quite recently might I add." Jerry adds enjoying the game of it all. He only wondered how long it would take Jason to figure it out, for Sweet Sam's sake he hoped it was fast.
"Claudia!" Jason says with a breath and knows before Jerry speaks he's right.
"Quite impressive Morgan, I must say you're smarter that I gave you credit for."
"Where is she?"
"Who? Sweet Sam or that vile Claudia?"
"Both of them."
"Well as I said before, I don't know where they are, but I do know where Claudia is heading."
"Where then?" Jason shouts.
Jerry merely smiles and then gestures with the gun for Jason to look over his shoulder at the dock behind him. There is a boat that Jason noticed before except now he noticed there were a couple of men moving around who didn't look like your average fisherman. They didn't appear to be doing anything but standing there, as if on the lookout. Turning back around he looks at Jerry for confirmation for what he already knows. "Yes that boat is Claudia's means of getting the hell out of here."
"How do you know this?"
"Because Claudia isn't as bright as she likes to think she is. That boat is listed under her uncle Rudy and those are two of his men, I recognize one from…well let's just say I know him from the past."
"And I'm just supposed to trust you on all of this?"
"We have a deal Morgan and as important as Sweet Sam appears to be to you, my life I assure you is far more important to me."
Jason looks back at the boat and the men on it and then back at Jerry. He didn't want to trust Jerry, but it all made an odd sort of sense. At least as much sense as you can get when you're dealing with people like Jerry Jax and Claudia Zacchara. "We have a deal." Jason says earning another smirk from Jerry, but he knows it won't be there for long. "But only if you stay and help me take down Claudia and get Sam back."
"Oh come now Morgan, you think I'm going to agree to that?"
"If your life is really as important to you as you say it is...yea you will." Jason says staring him down.
Jerry was no longer smiling, things weren't going as he had planned anymore. He was just supposed to get Morgan's agreement, take the vehicle, and then never step foot in this screwed up town again. It looked like he was going to have to get his hands dirty one last time however. "You have yourself a deal Morgan. Now how do you suppose we do this?"
Jason wasn't quite sure himself and the fact he had Jerry's 'help' didn't necessarily make him feel better, but for some reason he just knew he wouldn't have time to call in for help so Jerry was his only choice. "Well first we have to get rid of the vehicle, because if Claudia sees it she'll know something is wrong."
"And then...?" Jerry asks when Jason doesn't finish.
"And then we wait."