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Chapter 28
Nikolas knocked on the door to Jason's villa. Ever since last night he'd been a nervous wreck. After he returned to the suite Emily called Jason and asked if they could come over. She wanted to see that Elizabeth was okay with her own eyes. Emily also said she wanted to explain to her best friend just why she did the things she did back home. His wife was smiling wide when she hung up the phone. Nikolas wanted to throw up.
"Right on time." Jason smiled as he opened the door. "Come in." He got a hug from his sister. "How are you and the baby feeling?"
"We are good. Where's Elizabeth?" Emily wanted to see her. For some reason it was urgent.
"In our room. Babe." He called back as he stepped into the front room.
"Be right there." Elizabeth's voice floated out to them through the cracked door.
Emily stepped into the hall in time to see a woman with pale skin and curly brown hair walk by. It was a quick glimpse but it was enough to let a small smile come to Emily's face. Walking back into the living room she came over to her brother. "May I use the bathroom?"
"Sure thing." He pointed to the main hall. "Go out and make a right. Down the hall."
"I'll be right back." Emily gave Nikolas a quick kiss as she walked by.
Alone the Prince turned to Jason. "Do you think it was wise to bring Elizabeth to Italy?" It was not a move he had expected.
"She is safest with me." Jason had trusted Nikolas as far as he was going to.
"Do you at least have guards?" Nikolas never knew his brother in law to be reckless. He must have something planned to keep Liz safe.
"Don't worry about that Nikolas." Jason said ending the conversation. In his earpiece he heard Cody say that Emily was in the hall. The rest of the guys would also be listening. Including Shawn and Logan who were in the guest bedroom with Luke. They had arrived just under half an hour ago. The older man had been very compliant so Jason suspected he was up to something. Let him do what he liked Jason was ready.
The entire house was wired for sound. Andy had spent the day setting up and then testing the system. They were all on the network so when Emily moved out into the hall everyone heard her conversation.
"Hi Ashley." Emily said in a bright tone. It was important she make this call.
"Protect your queen." Helena instructed. "Disable the alarm, open the door, and then call me back." The older woman, with the ever present Andre and Lucky, was in a limo outside the villa.
"Yes." Emily moved to the system and got to work.
From his position in the large hall closet Cody was able to watch Emily pop the cover on Jason's security system panel. Expertly she disarmed the mechanisms that would alert everyone to an intruder before putting the cover back in place. Next she unlocked and opened the door. With that done she made a call.
"It's done." Emily reported in a flat voice.
"Very well done. Return to the party. Checkmate." Helena said giving a new command before hanging up. "It's time to go gentleman. We have a party to crash." They alighted from the vehicle and headed toward the doorman.
"She's not out yet?" Emily said laughing. "Maybe I should go see if she needs help."
Before she could move a door down the hall opened. It wasn't Elizabeth who joined the small group. It was Luke, Shawn, and Logan. As they walked down the hall Luke looked over his shoulder and saw Elizabeth in profile. He smiled thinking this was perfect. Helena would come and he'd rescue his boy. Morgan and his men wouldn't keep Luke from getting to Elizabeth, especially not with Emily in attendance. A knife to the throat of the newest Cassadine would neutralize the whole room.
"Luke?" Nikolas looked at Jason more confused.
"Why are you here?" Emily said with real menace.
The fierceness of her tone surprised Jason but he didn't say anything. Instead he simply waited for the rest of the attendees to arrive. Cody made a clicking noise which alerted everyone that the last three attendees had made their appearance.
"I was invited." Luke responded. "Jason knows I love Lizzie like a daughter."
"You just want her to save your precious Lucky." Emily spat out.
"Relax sweetheart. I'm sure Luke is here for a reason." Nikolas used the opportunity to pull his wife closer. "Let's go check on Elizabeth." He led her from the room and when they were out of sight he whispered. "Protect the queen." When she blanked out he carried her into the back room where a woman who looked like Elizabeth as well as a man he didn't know were waiting.
"Go back out front." Andy instructed after Nikolas put Emily on the bed. When the Prince was gone the tech whiz opened the panic room and ushered their decoy inside. Once the door was closed the back wall easily swung open allowing them to leave through a private exit. At the ground floor he handed the young lady off to two of Johnny's guys who would take her to the compound. His first part done Andy returned to the room. To find Emily gone.
"Well, a room full of handsome men. I really am a fortunate woman." Helena said smiling as she stepped into the room like she was an invited guest. Andre was on her left with a gun in his hand and Lucky was on her right staring off into space. "Nikolas where is your bride?"
"Grandmother." Nikolas said nonplussed. He should have expected her to show up.
"Introduce me to your friends. You can of course skip Luke." Helena said to her grandson.
"Cowboy." Luke made to move forward but was stopped by Shawn.
"Luke, he can't hear you." Helena turned and smiled at Lucky. "No the only voice he hears his mine. Finally a Spencer man worth knowing." She purred. "I had hope for you but you wanted that insipid Laura." The Cassadine matriarch waved her hand. "But we are getting off track Nikolas."
"This is Jason Morgan." Nikolas nodded to the blonde. "I have no idea who anyone else is." He said honestly.
"Mr. Morgan. Your reputation precedes you." Helena gave him a thorough looking over. "Whatever do you see in that small waif? Carly may not have been the sharpest tool but she was correct in that you and Elizabeth are entirely unsuited." She on the other hand could find uses for a man of his talent.
Jason still didn't say a word. He was waiting.
"A man of few words. I like that." Helena said smiling. "Your companions are not bad either." She said looking Shawn and Logan over.
"No one is the mood for your games. Send Lucky over here and walk out alive." Luke threatened.
Helena just laughed. "Luke, I am the one standing next to the man with the gun. He can't shoot you all at once but he'll do enough damage. There's my girl." She said smiling wide while looking past the assembled group.
"Emily?" Nikolas saw her blank out, she should be lying down.
"Did you really think that she only had one trigger? Nikolas you know me better than that." When her grandson made a move toward his wife Helena spoke again in a cold voice. "If anyone moves Emily gets the first bullet."
Jason already knew that Emily was not where she was supposed to be. Andy had told the crew when he got back to the room and saw her moving down the hall. All good plans were adaptable. Since Andre wasn't going to be shooting anyone Emily could be in the room.
"Come stand over here." Helena instructed her granddaughter in law. "Where is Elizabeth?"
"Gone." Emily reported.
For the first time Helena seemed surprised. Then she threw back her head and laughed. "Well done, Jason! See Luke that's how you do it. I hadn't expected that. Andre, shoot him."
The large man stepped forward before making a gurgling noise and falling to the floor. Helena whirled around and found herself looking down the barrel of Cody's gun. "You can turn back around now." The former Marine said in a pleasant tone.
"We seem to be at an impasse." Helena commented raising a sculpted brow.
"Emily come here." Nikolas didn't want her near his Grandmother.
"She can't hear you Nikolas. Did you not pay attention to what I said to Luke? Time surrounded by peasants has clearly dulled you." Helena really did despair of the boy. "You always were a disappointment. What did I expect with that harlot as your mother, but I had hope. You have failed to live up to your heritage, but your child will be a masterpiece."
Luke broke away from Shawn, or so he thought, and lunged for Helena. He grabbed her by the throat. "Undo it. Fix my son you bitch." He said squeezing.
"Check." Helena said as she gasped for breath.
Without a sound Lucky moved from her side, grabbed his father by the head and twisted. Luke's dead body dropped to the floor.
"You programmed Lucky to kill his father?" Nikolas was seeing what a monster his Grandmother really was.
"The only good Spencer is a dead one." Helena spat out as she rubbed her neck. Once Lucky fulfilled his programming he would join his parents. The little girl could live, for now. "You stood there and watched while he tried to kill me. I did all this so you and your heirs could rule those beneath you and you just stood there and let him attack me!" Helena said outraged.
"I don't want to rule anyone." Nikolas told his Grandmother. "Fix them. Luke and Laura are both dead, you have what you wanted so fix them!" He waved at Emily and Lucky.
"I don't have everything I want. I want Elizabeth Webber dead." Helena told him.
"WHY!?" Nikolas shouted. "What did she ever do to you?"
"You wanted her and she turned you down. You may be a disappointment but you're still my blood." Helena told him. "She has to learn what it means to spurn a Cassadine. We are gods among mortals and we get what we want or we take it."
Jason and his crew just watched the family drama drag on. He hadn't expected Lucky to kill his father but he wasn't going to complain. "Nikolas, take Emily and go." Jason said finally speaking. "Helena can't reverse her condition because she didn't cause it."
"What do you mean?" Nikolas looked at the older man.
"Caesar Faison brainwashed them, and Helena killed him." Jason explained.
Helena straightened her jacket. "You really shouldn't speak on matters you know nothing about. Faison was a hack." Helena said with disdain. "A charlatan. He is responsible for Lucky. The boy is a mess. Only good for killing people. Emily is a masterpiece. She will do whatever I tell her too. Faison isn't responsible for her I am." Helena bragged.
"Reverse it." Nikolas ordered.
"Why? She's perfect. You of all people should want her like this. The model subservient wife. She will do whatever you command. In the bedroom alone that's every man's dream." Helena watched her grandson cringe.
"That's rape." Nikolas pointed out. "Fix her, as the head of this family I command it." Nikolas ordered.
"You command it." Helena just smiled at her grandson. "You want me to fix things, I can do that." She turned to Emily.
The guys tensed not at all liking the superior attitude that Helena was displaying. They had her cornered and she had to know she wasn't leaving the villa alive but instead of backing down she was smug. It didn't make any sense at all. Before she could open her mouth Jason pulled his gun and shot Helena twice.
"JASON!" Nikolas rushed the older man only to be tackled by Logan. "What have you done?"
Helena looked down at the blood spreading across her silk jacket. "What did he do? He tried to save your precious Emily but it won't work. I have no intention of leaving her alive. She isn't fit to bear a Cassadine." The older woman swayed on her feet before slumping to the floor. "I would have let her live in her current state, I could have guided your heir to perfection." Helena coughed and blood rolled from the corner of her mouth. "Even with her peasant blood your child would have been a legend among men." Helena looked up at Lucky. "Now you won't even have one." Leaning against the wall her body bleeding out she whispered. "Net ni damy ne vzoydet." Before falling over dead.
Lucky didn't even get a chance to move before Shawn dropped him.
"What did she say?" Jason asked the other man. He wasn't even sure what language Helena had spoken although if he had to guess he would say Russian.
"No queen shall rise." Shawn said reaching down to help Logan up. He spoke fluent Russian. "Based on the very odd conversation that took place tonight I'm guessing Lucky was also programmed to kill your sister." He said to Jason.
"Probably after she had the baby." Cody added. While the conversation had been odd, it had also been chilling. "Your Grandmother was bat shit crazy." He said to the young man rising from the floor unassisted.
Nikolas just nodded as he approached Emily. She was still standing looking out at the room. Her eyes were vacant. "Protect the queen." Nikolas said in a shaking voice. Nothing. "Protect the queen." He repeated his eyes burning with tears. Still nothing. "No!" He almost wailed.
Jason was also feeling the horror over the fact that he may well have trapped his sister inside her own mind. But Helena had admitted that she wasn't going to do anything but further harm Emily. His mind went over everything the older woman had said since she started talking. Chess was the name of the game with her. There were hundreds of phrases associated with the pastime. If they said the wrong one there was no telling what could happen.
"Emily." Nikolas was crying now.
"She said c-h-e-c-k to trigger him." Logan pointed to Lucky's dead body. He wasn't sure what would happen if he said the word out loud.
Jason just nodded. He walked over to where Nikolas was holding Emily. "Let her go."
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Nikolas screamed turning on Jason.
"She was going to kill her Nikolas. Your Grandmother admitted it. If its anyone's fault, it's hers." Jason was trying to stay calm. Playing the blame game didn't help his sister. "I think I know what the trigger is."
"What? How could you?" Nikolas said wanting to believe.
"Lucky's trigger. Helena said Emily was a masterpiece so her trigger should be the penultimate move on the board. It's the way an egomaniac would think." Jason hoped like hell he was right.
"Let me do it." Nikolas asked Jason. "If it goes wrong it should be on me." If it failed he would kill himself, he didn't want to live without Emily. He looked at his wife. The only woman he would ever love. "Checkmate."
Emily blinked, but was still spaced out. "Try the other command." Logan suggested. "She." He pointed to Helena. "Said more than one trigger."
"Before you do that." Cody said stopping them. "Take her somewhere with less bodies." He suggested.
"Okay." Nikolas picked her up and carried her to the room he put her in before. Lying her on the bed he whispered. "Protect the queen."
"Nikolas?" Emily blinked and then looked around the room trying to figure out where she was. "Where are we? Did I faint again?"
"Yeah." He said smiling. "You really scared me."
"I'm sorry." She looking up at him. "Where's Elizabeth?"
"She's not here." Jason said feeling his eyes burn with relief. "I tricked you."
"But I saw her." Emily said looking between the two men in confusion.
"No, you didn't." Jason said gently. "But you will later. Nikolas." Jason tilted his head to the side. "Holly Sutton in Paris is looking for Faison. I will have Andy give you her number. He may know how to undo what your Grandmother did. If he's still alive." Jason cautioned.
"Thank you. I'll contact her. Until we know it's safe, I don't think Emily should be around Elizabeth." He looked over at his wife. "I'll take her to Paris and if that's a dead end to my island." He sighed. "I need to find a way to explain this to her. I'll do it once I make myself believe it."
"Is your car downstairs?" He needed to get them out so clean up could be finished.
"Yeah. How do we leave?" Nikolas couldn't take her out the way they came in.
"Pick her up." Jason took the same steps Andy had not even an hour ago. He kissed Emily's forehead. "I love you."
"I love you too." She was still confused but trusted the two men in front of her.
"I'll call you." He promised.
"Elizabeth too." Emily really wanted to speak to her friend.
Jason just nodded not wanting to lie. For now it would be best if Emily had no contact with Elizabeth. Too many questions remained unanswered. As much as he hated it right now Emily had to still be considered dangerous. "Take care of her."
"I will." Nikolas said turning and heading down the tunnel.
Jason secured the door. The guys would have started cleanup already. For now there was only one thing he wanted to do. Taking his phone out of his pocket he called his girl. "Hey baby, I'll be home tonight."
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