Chapter 10 - Out of Focus

Elizabeth wandered in and out of consciousness. She thought about what the boys would do if she died and tried to fight the medication, but she just wasn't strong enough.

Jerry occasionally checked on her to make sure that she ate and drank fluids. She is still pretty banged up from the crash and has a nasty cut on her head, bruised ribs, and her arm was useless. He really didn't want her that damaged, but what was done was done. The only thing he wants is to make sure that Carly fries for this. After luring her to the cabin with Liz's dead body inside, the police will show up at that very minute and arrest her. Michael will be so mad at Carly that she will do just about anything to fix it. It is all too delicious. Michael will hate her for what she did, and Carly will lose everything. After all she had done to Jax, she deserves it. He had made sure Joss was fine with the nanny and would deliver her to Jax when the time was right. Hopefully, his brother will forgive him.

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Michael looks bad. He hasn't slept in days and his eyes are bloodshot. Losing her is driving him mad. When there is a knock on his door, he moved towards it.

"Michael, please let me in." It is AJ, so he slowly opened the door. "Dad."

AJ looked at Michael. He looked horrible. He pushed his way past him.

"I bought you some breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

"Sit down and eat, now!" AJ said sternly. "You need your strength."

Michael sat down at the table and slowly ate the breakfast. AJ was right. If he didn't eat, he would be of no help to Liz.

"I know this is killing you. It's killing me too. I'm sorry," AJ said softly.

"Thanks."

They sat there silently as Michael finished and the phone started ringing.

"Michael, it's your mother."

"Mom? Where are you?"

"Someone posted my bail. Was it you?"

"No."

There was a pause.

"Mom, I have to go."

"Michael!" she yelled, but he had already hung up the phone.

She sat in her living room staring at the wall, trying to figure out how she is going to fix everything.

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Jerry had given Elizabeth a final big dose and then patted her on the head.

"Goodbye, my sweet Baby's Breath. It a shame you must die. You are quite a looker, but all is fair in love and war and my revenge will be complete by tonight."

The phone rang at Carly's house.

"Hello?"

"You need to come to the cabin in the woods where you had your beautiful baby."

"Who is this?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Come alone, if you want precious Elizabeth to survive."

"But that cabin was burnt down. Hello?"

The phone went dead, and Carly just stared at it for a moment. If she followed his instructions and ended up saving that bitch, then maybe her son will forgive her. She grabbed her keys and headed out.

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John picked up the phone and listened as the computer-generated voice began speaking.

"I have a tip regarding the kidnapping of Elizabeth Webber."

"Go on." John motioned for someone to tap the line.

"I have it in on good authority that Carly Jacks is holding her at a cabin."

"Ok, I'll write it down. What is the address?"

"It's the cabin that Claudia Zacchara was killed in. Do I have to do all your work for you, detective?"

John has no idea who Claudia is and just stared helplessly at first, but then he noticed the look in Dante's eyes and realized that he knows.

"Who is this?"

"You'll find out soon enough. I know what you're doing." The line went dead.

"Damn!" John said throwing the receiver down. He glanced at Dante. "Who is Claudia?"

Dante quickly filled him. "But the cabin was burnt down. There's nothing there."

John ran his fingers through his hair.

"Take me there. I'll have an ambulance follow." They ran out the door towards the car. This case is getting stranger by the minute. He yelled at the ambulance driver. "Try to keep up."

They tore out of the parking lot. Something told him that Elizabeth didn't have much time.

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Carly drove like a maniac to get to the cabin. It seemed like it was taking forever to get there. She thought about calling Sonny, but she figured if she ruined this, Michael would never forgive her. Driving through the woods, she gasped as she finally saw the cabin. She couldn't believe it was there. It looked exactly like the cabin where Claudia was killed. After turning off the engine, she tentatively moved towards the front door and when she got closer, she peeked in the window and saw Elizabeth lying on the couch. She has no idea that the police were on their way and decides to go inside. Slowly, she turned the knob and the door opened. Running over to Elizabeth, she felt around for a pulse which is barely there. She tried shaking her, but Liz is knocked out.

"Open your eyes you bitch," Carly said shaking her, but Liz didn't move. "Don't you die on me!"

"Freeze."

She turned towards the door where she saw a gun and John McBain staring at her.

"What?"

"I said freeze, Carly," he said moving forward. "Get your hands off of her."

"Are you crazy? She isn't breathing."

"Step back from the body."

"No. She'll die if I don't give her CPR."

"Step back now!"

Carly's bottom lip trembled as she obeyed and backed up.

"Sit in that chair over there."

She obeyed, knowing that she had been set up again. Tears started streaming down her face.

John bent over Elizabeth. He didn't find a pulse and started CPR. He noted how pale she looked and started to panic when it didn't work.

Dante entered with the paramedics in tow and they began to work on Elizabeth.

He grabbed Carly and led her outside.

"You better hope she lives."

Carly glared at him. "You really think I re-built the cabin Claudia Zacchara died in and then kidnapped her and bought her here?"

John and Dante stared at her thoughtfully. "It doesn't matter what I think," Dante said softly. "I'm just doing my job."

"You're always just doing your job," Carly muttered. God, she hates him.