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Chapter 26

Nikolas had been sitting in his car for the better part of the day only leaving to go to the café up the street and get drinks or use the bathroom. When Emily suggested they go to Naples to find Jason and Liz he had been against it. He wanted to go forward with his plan of having Luke locate his Grandmother while they stayed in Port Charles. But that was before Helena showed up at his wedding.

He didn't think that she would be that bold considering what she had done to Lucky. Clearly he underestimated how much his Grandmother wanted to win this stupid game she and Luke were playing. Badly enough to come to the states, kill his mother and once again kidnap his brother. While life as a Cassadine was complicated it had been much worse since he discovered his mother and the rest of the Spencer family.

So while Emily waited for her brother to show up, something Nikolas didn't think was going to happen, he waited for Lucky. There was no way Helena didn't know about the villa. Jason made no attempt to hide the fact that he owned it. So it would make sense that his Grandmother would at the very least check it out. If Lucky didn't show up maybe Helena's 'assistant' Andre would. He could then follow them back to his Grandmother. It was time she disappeared for good. It was cold blooded, and closer to his roots than he wanted to get, but Nikolas needed to think of his wife and child. A world without his Grandmother would be safer for them both.

When his phone rang he absentmindedly answered it. "Hello."

"Return to the hotel." Jason told his new brother in-law.

"Jason?" Nikolas hadn't expected to hear from him.

"Now, Nikolas." Jason said in a tone that told the younger man not to argue.

"I'm on my way." He said starting the car. "Is Emily alright?"

"No." Jason said being honest. His sister was now lying on the bed because he put her there. She hadn't moved or said a word since he uttered that phrase.

"I'm coming now." Nikolas said hanging up the phone and pulling off.

Cody watched as Cassadine pulled out of the space and was preparing to follow when in his rear view mirror he saw a familiar face. He sent a text to Shawn and stayed in his car. The blonde entered the building and Cody exited his vehicle. Standing in a recessed doorway across the street he had to wait ten minutes for his quarry to come back out. When they headed up the street, he followed at a discreet distance.

Four miles later he found himself outside another luxury hotel. The blonde went inside and Cody decided it would be best to wait outside. His phone buzzed with a message from Shawn asking for an update. Cody didn't have back up at the moment and that wasn't safe. The former Marine sent back his location and said he would wait, watch, but not take any action. He settled in to do just that.

Nikolas came running into the suite and stopped suddenly at the sight of the large man sitting on his sofa drinking coffee. Shawn gave him a smirk and pointed toward the bedroom. With a nod Nikolas walked into the other room. "What happened?"

"Your Grandmother fucked with my sister." Jason said advancing on the younger man. He was pissed and beating the crap out of Nikolas would go a long way to making him feel better.

"What do you mean?" Nikolas moved past Jason, seemingly unaware of the threat the other man poised, to go to his wife's side. "Emily? Sweetheart?" She was lying there staring at the ceiling. Her breathing seemed normal and so did her pulse. "What's wrong with her?" He asked again.

"I triggered her." Jason was getting back some of his control. "Helena has been using Emily to keep tabs on what was happening in Port Charles. Either that or she's another sleeper waiting to kill someone." Neither scenario was any good.

"Helena didn't show up in Port Charles until the wedding so that isn't possible." Nikolas said running a shaking hand through his hair. "She didn't even come when Lucky was taken Luke said someone named Caesar Faison did that. So how did she brainwash Em?"

"Are you positive about that?" Jason said standing at the foot of the bed. "I've been in that castle you call home. Secret passageways and tunnels run throughout it. Your Grandmother could be coming and going without you ever knowing." The former enforcer pointed out.

Nikolas just stood there lost for a moment. "We need to find her and have it reversed."

"Really Nikolas, that's a brilliant idea." Jason said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. The urge to shoot him was really strong.

"How long as she been under?" Nikolas was worried about the baby.

"Thirty minutes." Jason wasn't sure how long she could stay like that. "Bring her out."

Nikolas took his wife's hand in his. "Protect the Queen." He said on a shaky whisper.

Emily blinked. "Nikolas?" She asked confused. "When did you arrive?" She looked from him to Jason. "Why am I on the bed?"

"You passed out when I scared you." Jason lied. He wasn't sure what the stress of knowing she was brainwashed would do to her.

Nikolas looked at Jason with gratitude. "How are you feeling?" He asked his wife.

"Fine." Emily looked from one man to another. "Is Elizabeth with you?"

"Wait here." Jason said not answering her question. Walking out into the main room he was surprised when he didn't see Cody. With Nikolas here the former solider should be too.

"Lucky stopped by your villa right after Nikolas left." Shawn knew what Jason was thinking. "Cody followed him back to another hotel. Helena is registered there. That bitch has some serious balls, she isn't even trying to hide. By the way, she checked in an hour ago." Shawn reported. "How is your sister?"

"Awake. She wants to know where Elizabeth is." Jason told the other man. Shawn knew about the brainwashing.

"So the question is how will she get the information to Helena?" Shawn asked thinking out loud. "Phone call?"

"If so she needs to make sure Nikolas isn't around. He'd notice his wife zoning out and reporting on Elizabeth's location." Jason picked up the line of thought.

"He's tagged." Shawn figured. "We can use that to our advantage."

"Yeah we can." Jason said coming up with a plan. He'd need more bodies to pull it off. Just then his phone rang. "Morgan."

"Carly's body just surfaced in Rome. Her throat was slashed." Johnny told his friend. "I'm guessing Helena figured out she was useless. My guy will make sure she remains a Jane Doe until you are done."

"We have a possible location on Helena. A hotel here in Naples. Lucky was seen entering the building after visiting my villa." Jason told Johnny what he they had learned.

"I'll reach out and see if we can't get some eyes on her." The Irishman could call in some favors. "What are you thinking?"

"Let me hear what Luke divulged and then I will call you back." Jason's plan wasn't fully formed. Before they moved forward he wanted all the information he could get. "You will want to make sure that Sonny doesn't get a line on Helena's location."

"That's not an issue. Sonny received information that Nikolas's Grandmother is in Russia. He just sent some men to check it out. The same source also told Sonny about Cassadine Island. So he is looking there as well. He is counting on his contacts in Italy to tell him if she shows up." Johnny said looking out the window of his office. "Those contacts will not be coming through." Europe was Johnny's playground and he had more friends here than Sonny did. Enough to make sure the Cuban didn't get any information Johnny didn't want him to have.

"Good to know. I will call you later." Jason ending the call. "We need to get back to O'Brien's compound." He said to Shawn who just nodded. "Nikolas."

"Yes." He came to the doorway wanting to still be able to see Emily.

"Don't leave the suite unless you hear from me." Jason's blue gaze promised pain if the younger man didn't obey.

"Alright. Emily should rest anyway." He had no intention of letting his wife out of his sight.

"Don't tell anyone we are here and don't let Emily answer the phone or the door. In fact take her cell phone and put a do not disturb order on the room phone. I will call you on your cell." Jason instructed. Nikolas came into the main room to call the operator while Jason walked into the bedroom. "I have to go. Stay inside." He said giving his sister a gentle hug.

"Be careful." Emily requested. She was aware that her brother never answered her question about Liz.

"I will." Jason promised before walking out. "Let's go." Jason said to Shawn.

They took the long way home trying to spot a tail, Johnny had guys in the lobby of Emily's hotel to make sure they stayed safe and stayed put. When Jason walked into Johnny's house, Cody was waiting. "I have good news." He said grinning.

"You saw Helena?" Jason guessed, it was the only thing he wanted to hear.

"You are no fun." Cody mock pouted. "Yeah I saw the lady herself getting into the limo with a tall guy."

"Any idea who that is?" Jason asked Cody.

"Andre." Logan said coming in. "Luke is knocked out and secured. Two of Johnny's guys are watching just in case." They had been warned that the older Spencer was slippery.

"Who is Andre?" Jason wanted to know.

"Her boy toy/manservant/henchman." Logan grinned. "A jack of all trades. Luke was not very helpful on tracking Helena's movements but I learned a lot about the history of the two families. The old bat must be floating on cloud nine, she had a real hate for Laura. And I found out why Helena may want Elizabeth dead."

"Because Lucky loves her." Jason filled in.

"That's just gravy. Nikolas was interested in Elizabeth before his brother was. She chose Spencer. Just like Laura chose Luke over Nikolas's father Stavros." Logan filled everyone in. "Only difference was that Stavros seemed to have an obsessive love for Laura, whereas from what I can tell Nikolas was interested in Elizabeth until he met Emily. From that point on he was all about your sister."

"Helena doesn't like that Nikolas was slighted so to get revenge on both women, she kidnaps Lucky making everyone think he was dead. She in turn makes him a walking killing machine and then sends him home to carry out the programming. That's a bit convoluted don't you think? It would be easier to just send a hit man in." Cody said shaking his head.

"Revenge is a very personal motive." Shawn pointed out. "By using Lucky to kill both Laura and Elizabeth not only does she destroy the father but she destroys the son as well. Plus teaching both women a lesson. It's cold, I will give you that." He finished up.

"How does your sister factor in?" Logan asked Jason. Shawn had kept everyone updated.

"I'm not sure." Jason confessed. "We guess that she is spying for Helena but I don't know if it's more than that." And that lack of knowledge worried him. "We also don't know if Helena gave Lucky any special skills or training while he was with her." That made him dangerous as well. "Helena and Lucky have to die. We will also have to monitor my sister closely. Andy what do you know about Faison?"

"Jack shit." The tech guy told his boss. "The man's a ghost and currently presumed dead by Interpol. Heavy on the presumed, but he was known to be a master hypnotist."

"That would help with brain washing." Cody spoke up.

"Presumed dead since when and why?" Jason asked Andy.

"Six month ago, a boat explosion that took out two WSB agents as well. It was thought he was working for someone but WSB never figured out who." Andy told the guys. "I am guessing that the who was Helena. Maybe she killed him because she didn't want him to ever be able to reverse the programming." Andy finished up.

"If he's actually dead." Jason said as the tech guy nodded.

"That's a sucky retirement plan." Logan said laughing. "Yours is much better." The Texan said to Shawn.

"I'm working on a plan." Jason told his crew. "What I'm thinking will have us moving quickly so everyone get a good night's sleep." Jason would need some support from Johnny's guys but that shouldn't be a problem. If all went well tomorrow or the day after at the latest this would be over. "I need to make a call." He said walking out to the pool area.

Sitting down beside the blue water he took out his phone and dialed Elizabeth's number. He was smiling as she answered. "Hi."

"Jason, hi." Elizabeth was smiling as well. "Are you okay?"

"With the exception of missing you I'm fine." Which meant he was miserable. "How is Dublin?"

"I don't know. I haven't left the apartment. Chloe, Siobhan, and Diane came to visit. We had fun, especially whenever Frannie came out of the back room." Which was often. He and Diane had eyeball sex each and every single time. It was a hoot to watch.

"You may need to stay inside for a few days." He warned her. He wouldn't tell her what he was hoping would happen.

"That's fine." She said softly. "I'd rather wait to explore with you. I miss you." She had no idea how she was going to sleep tonight. She had one of his shirts but it wasn't the same as having him.

"I love you so much." He told her. "I'm hoping that this will be over soon."

"Me too. I want you away from those Italian women." She said joking.

"There are women in Italy?" Jason answered. "I hadn't even noticed." Honestly he hadn't noticed a single woman since he left her studio that January.

Elizabeth blushed to the roots of her hair. "So what will we do when you get home?"

"Get a hotel room. I don't think I can wait the hour it will take to get back to our place." He said grinning. "And I need you somewhere you don't have to worry about noise." Jason said on a wicked whisper. He heard her audibly gasp and grinned wider. They hadn't really played much.

"Jason." She said laughing. "That was naughty."

"I know." He wanted her to know that sex could be fun too. He wasn't talking anything extreme, just that they could laugh while in bed together. "Plus in a hotel they will bring us food on demand."

Suddenly the separation hit her full force. "Just be careful." She said as the tears fell.

"I will." He promised again. "I love you." He had to say it again.

"I love you too." She said biting her lip. Hanging up she stretched out on the bed and prayed for his return.

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