Do not own General Hospital or any of the characters.

Oh and just a little disclaimer, I didn't know what the Church on the show is called so I just kinda made up a name. Anyways, enjoy!

The Flame of Franco

On Route 66...

Jason stood in the room.

Alexis had been the first one to call him after finding the room empty the next morning and Sam's car gone. He had come over immediately to the Lake House after receiving the call.

He was at a lost of words as he stood in the room, staring at the message on the wall.

Route 66

That was all that was written. That was his only clue to go on to find her. To save her before Franco did anymore damaged. His eyes filled with tears of rage as he tried to keep his emotions at bay. Franco was winning the game. That he still didn't know how to play. All he knew was that Franco was obsessed with him and his life. And to get to him, he as been using Sam. Franco wanted him to see that they were the same. But other then killing people, they had nothing alike or so he thought.

"Your going to find her right?" asked Molly, who had just appeared in the doorway, Kristina was just behind her.

Jason was shaken out of his deep thoughts at this and came back to reality. He blinked away his tears that he had not noticed before and turned slowly to face Sam's younger sisters.

He let out a deep breath as he tried to erase his anger away from his eyes. He didn't want to upset her sisters anymore then they all ready were. "I'm going to try," he answered trying to keep his voice upbeat. He would try his best to bring home Sam quickly and safely. But he didn't know if he could. He hadn't been barely able too last time. It had nearly taken him a week to figure out Franco's game and rescue Sam last time. And he had barely gotten there in time to save her. He didn't even think he had been able to save her. Franco had messed her up. She was still recovering from what he had done to her months after the fact.

"You have to do more then try Jason," cried an upset Kristina. "You have to save her from this freak, Franco!"

"Hey," spoke Alexis softly to her daughters as she appeared behind them. "Jason will do his best. He loves your sister and wants her home just as much as we do." She had her arms wrapped around both Kristina and Molly's shoulders. Her eyes looked passed them and locked with Jason. "Just bring home my baby," she whispered towards him, tears filling her eyes. She just wanted her daughter home.

He nodded his head at this. He just wanted her home too. And would do anything in his power to do so.

"Spinelli tell me what you have," demanded Jason as he stormed into the P.I office and took a seat immediately in the seat across from Spinelli's desk. The young computer hacker had been up all night doing a search on Franco and Route 66 after seeing the art show. He had yet to hear the news that Sam had been kidnapped.

"Good morning Stone Cold," greeted Spinelli as he twirled around in his chair to face him. The smile that was on his face quickly faded though as he noticed the distress on the other man's face. "What is the matter? Did the derange one leave another message for Stone Cold?"

"Franco took Sam," stated Jason as he looked away from Spinelli and out the office window.

"Oh dear," cried Spinelli in disbelief at this news. "When?"

"Last night."

Silence then fell over them for a second before Jason opened his mouth to speak again. He didn't have time to sit around. He needed to know what Spinelli had on Franco. What he had found out. "Just tell me you found something useful," spoke Jason as he let out a deep breath and turned his attention once again towards Spinelli.

"Well, I most certainly did, Stone Cold," explained Spinelli as he leaned forward in his seat and turned his computer screen towards Jason, showing a map of the United States. It had a red line through it like a road map. The line ran from the East coast starting in Chicago and moved West ending in California. "The Jackal started his search with looking up Route 66. Which was one of the original highways in America. It was first established in 1926 as a part of the U.S. Highway System. It originally ran from Chicago through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Before ending at Santa Monica, California. It soon become one of the most famous roads in America. It was so famous of a road that there is an entire song dedicated to it by Nat King Cole called Route 66. Which talks about traveling west and romanticizing road travel. However, in the eighties it was destroyed and removed internally and was replaced with the interstate highway system. Even though it is no longer more. It is still recognize on some roads as "Historic Route 66" that run through the same states. Now you must be wondering what Franco is so interest in this old highway route for traveling west. And I can tell you why. I believe Franco is trying to tell Stone Cold to travel west."

Jason studied the map before looking over at Spinelli. "In the bedroom of the Lake House where Sam was sleeping. On the wall, Franco left a message. He had sprayed painted the words Route 66 in silver," he explained thinking over what Spinelli had just told him. He didn't understand why Franco would want him to travel west. Franco wasn't from LA and had no connection to there that they were aware of.

"This adds to what Franco was trying to say in his painting. The Jackal isn't sure if Stone Cold remembers what was written on the painting but it had the words Hollywood in it. The Deranged One wants Stone Cold to go to Hollywood, " began to explain Spinelli again as he brought up something else up onto the computer screen for Jason to look at. "I was also able to find some information on the artist that we didn't know before hand. There was a recent article done up on the Deranged Picasso, promoting his upcoming show in LA," Spinelli smiled at this as he watched as Jason's eyes widen slightly as he made the connection, " Yes, yes I was most thrilled to find that the artist would be in LA in a day or two for the opening of his show, which is getting a lot of press in the art world. But that is not what I wanted to tell Stone Cold."

"First hand this article gave a whole background on the artist upbringing that I could not originally found out when Stone Cold first asked me to look up the artist. The article stated that the artist was born and raised in Brooklyn which we already knew. That his real name was Robert Frank but goes by Franco. And it stated that the artist got his start in New York City after graduating from university there. And had been an acted member of the New York art scene for years. But the article said that the artist had not been showing over the past few months or so. And that the last showing he had, was here in Port Charles back in November. And since then he had been out of the scene. Until a couple of days ago, where he had yet another showing at the Port Charles Gallery, which we visited yesterday. It talked about how this small showing of his new painting- Sam. was to kick off and promote his bigger show in LA. Which was suppose to be his big comeback event." Spinelli explained this all in one breath. He had been sitting on this information for a good few hours now. He had been excited to explain his findings to Jason.

Jason just continued to stare at the younger man, letting everything he had just been told sink in. "So I guess we are heading to LA," spoke Jason. All the signs were leading to it. From Route 66 spray painted on the wall, to the Hollywood sign painted in the painting and now to hear that the artist would be in LA for his showing. He just wasn't sure if Sam would be there, too.

"Does Stone Cold believe that is where we will be able to find not only the Deranged one but Faire Samantha as well?" asked Spinelli.

"I hope so," replied Jason with honesty to his friend. He didn't know what Franco had in mind this time around but he knew that going to LA would at least be a start to finding out. He had no other leads to go on in order to find where Franco and Sam were.

"Does the article mention anything about this upcoming show that is supposing suppose to be his "come back"?" asked Jason as he shifted in his seat and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.

"Well, apparently that's the thing, no one knows for sure what this new show will be about, according to all the press releases and such. The show is called Francophrenia and is suppose to be at the MOCA. The show is just described as a 'show of surprises by New York's finest artist, Franco.' It's suppose to be the show of the century. It going to have mixture of painting, performance art and mixed media in it," explained Spinelli as he read one of the descriptions of the art show off of his computer. "Another one describes the exhibition as one of Franco's finest works. And that viewers can except a guest of honour to be apart of the performance. It then goes on to list a few artists who they suspect to be this guest of honour."

"I think I know who that guest of honour is," whispered Jason as realization set in and his eyes darkened suddenly with annoyance.

"Stone Cold?" replied Spinelli, looking up at his dear friend. He was thinking that the guest of honour would be Stone Cold himself.

"No, Sam," replied Jason as he suddenly stood up and began to pace around the small office space. He prayed that this was indeed a lead and he was heading in the right direction to finding Sam. He hoped that this trip to LA wasn't just a void and wouldn't send him on a wild goose chase. That Franco would indeed have Sam with him in LA at this exhibit of his.

"Well, we must move quickly then Stone Cold, the show is scheduled for tomorrow night," spoke Spinelli in a soft voice as he glanced over at the mob enforcer.

Sam's head pounded with pain as her eyes fluttered open and tried to focused on her surroundings. She was still in the same clothes she had been wearing the night previously, an oversized t-shirt and leggings. Both items of clothing she had borrowed off of Kristina after deciding to stay the night at the Lake House.

She was seated upwards, her hands were bounded and wrapped around a column so she could not get up. Her muscles ached as she tried to move. Her eyes blinked as she tried to focused. She could tell she had been there before.

The room looked familiar as her vision became clear and she could see clearly were she was. She was in a church of sorts as she looked up at the high arched ceiling. She was at the front of the church as she looked down at the rows of pews.

She was in Queen of Angels Church, she thought to herself as she looked at the familiar church interior.

"What the hell am I doing here?" she thought out loud to herself as she continued to look around the church. The last thing she remembered was Franco appearing at her mother's house. She remembered him grabbing her and... that was all she could think of.

There was no sign of the artist around the church. She appeared to be alone or so she thought.

Little did she know that there was a hidden camera set up, watching her.

I know it was short. There will be more to come soon. Thanks for reading and please review.

Julie