Today is my birthday. I am currently accepting comments for birthday presents.
Carly loses all track of time sitting alone in the room. It could have been an hour or several. Suddenly, the sophisticated, 'no big tacky clock on the wall' design choice seems less a good idea. She has her hand resting on a black marble statue, one of those amorphous pieces that does and doesn't look like a couple embracing. She has it sitting on the floor beside her, something within reach heavy enough to do some damage if she plays her cards right.
Her cell phone signal has been jammed, probably Jerry's way of shutting down all communication in and out of the hotel. At this point, her cell phone is dead, so it's no use to her anyway without a charger. She wishes like hell she had a landline in here. If they had been kind enough to put her in the next room, one of the offices for traveling businessmen, she would be in a much better position, and would already be on the phone with Jason. Though, she supposes Jerry knows that and did it for that reason.
She glances up at the security camera in the corner of the room, knowing Spinelli has likely tapped into that first thing. She isn't sure if the hostage takers have shut them down as well yet, and she knows the hotel has no audio surveillance in here, but still she talks to the camera trying to reassure and warn Jason. "Be careful. They are setting an ambush. I am okay. The baby is okay. I love you." She says enunciating as clearly as possible to help Jason read her lips. She has said the same thing over and over every few minutes.
A couple times now, two separate guards have poked their head into the room, seemingly just making sure she is still where they put her. She has kicked off her shoes, and is running back and forth to the chair anytime she hears footsteps coming. Luckily the guards are wearing loud shoes, or maybe they are just stomping everywhere. Either way, she gets plenty of warning when they are heading her way. Each time, seeing her sitting in the chair, they quickly turn around and leave, locking the door behind them.
She was very glad that, having been in enough tight spots with both Sonny and Jason, and Lorenzo, and… well, you get the point, she keeps some bobby pins in her hair just in case she ever needs to get out of a locked room. As she fails to get the lock open for the gazillionth time, she curses, left wishing that she had both better and worse security at her hotel.
Hearing several footsteps heading her way, she grabs the statue, quietly runs across the room, and tucks the statue behind her in the tan colored leather seat. The seat has the added advantage of being tucked in a corner, so it protects her back. She quickly hides the bobby pins back in her hair, crosses her arms across her chest, and glares at the door with a look that could kill. When the door slams open, she sees they are dragging her ex-husband into the room. Sonny has a bruised and bloody lip, a cut above his eye, and appears unconscious. They throw him down on a matching sofa closer to the door.
Jerry follows the guards and her ex into the room. With a sneer, he boasts, "One thug down, one to go. I have to commend you on your ability to keep these ruffians chasing you like dogs chasing a bitch in heat. This one came right to us, claiming to be here to rescue you. How disgustingly noble. It's all a charade though, isn't it? Just covers up filth and stupidity. And you… I've seen you with Morgan, that's clearly who you're jonesing for. What exactly do you do with that luscious body that brings multiple powerful men groveling at your feet? It must be one hell of a ride. Or are you giving it to them both?" His eyes leer at her, insultingly running up and down her body.
She bites out, "You're disgusting."
He lets out a laugh that sends a shiver down her spine, and makes all the hairs on her body stand on end. "I think maybe when your other loyal thug arrives I'll take my turn while they watch. It can be your last act of atonement before I snuff the life out of you."
Carly feels a wave of fear that makes her tremble, her hand lies protectively over her flat belly. "You're a monster."
He crosses the room to her and leans down, his hands propped on the armrests of the chair she's sitting in, his breath wafting across her face. His voice is chilling and slightly mad as he snarls, "And you are a disloyal slut who deserves to die."
The fear is too much. Carly suddenly clutches her hand over her mouth, trying to stop the rising tide of nausea, but it's too late. She ends up leaning forward and puking all over his pants and shoes. He jumps back too late, before letting out a string of obscenities. In a rage, he raises his hand to backhand her, but she raises her arms to protect her head, so it doesn't have as painful an impact.
He turns and storms out of the room, calling the other men to follow him. When they leave, Carly jumps up running to Sonny's side. She starts trying to wake him with gentle pats on his face that get progressively harder when she can't rouse him. "Dammit, Sonny, I need you to wake up." When he still doesn't wake up after a not so gentle shake, she looks around the room. Seeing a few bottles of water sitting on a side cabinet, she grabs two, opening one and pouring it over his head and face until he sputters awake.
"What the… stop!" He shouts at her, raising his hands as though trying to stop an attack.
"Thank God!" She sighs out in relief. Then uses the rest of the water to rinse out her mouth. "Sorry about the water, but you wouldn't wake up. Are you okay? It looks like you're getting a knot on your head. Are you seeing two of anything? Any disturbance with your vision?"
He lets out a groan, "No. it just hurts like a son of a bitch."
"What are you doing here, Sonny?" She asks in exasperation.
He gives her a smoldering look, his dimples flashing, "Isn't it obvious? I came to save you."
"Well, you're doing a bang up job so far. Please tell me your plan consists of more than showing up and getting yourself beaten and taken hostage as well." She grumbles, pulling out her bobby pins and continues trying to open the door.
He watches her put the statue down beside her and begin fiddling with the lock. "What are you doing?"
She gives him a rueful smile, "Jason showed me how to pick locks, so I'm trying to get the door open." She frowns when it doesn't unlock, shakes her head and refocuses, "But it's been awhile and I really should have practiced more. Did you talk to Jason? What's the plan?"
When she's met with silence, she looks back at her ex. His brows are lowered and his jaw is tense. Rolling her eyes, she refocuses on the door. "You didn't call Jason. Why would you do anything without him? You know he's better at strategizing. We suck at planning, though if you tell anyone I said that I will make your life hell." She turns back to glare at him, appeased when he raises his hands in supplication. "You have got to put to bed whatever this stupid guy thing is with your best friend. First of all, you love him like a brother, you dumbass. Second, your business turns to crap without him," she hears him start to grumble, so she points her finger at him and tells him in a hard voice, "Don't. You need Jason and you damn well know it. This is just some stupid pissing contest, and you need to snap out of it!"
"Damn it, Carly, I love you." He practically shouts.
She looks back at him with a sardonic smile, "So what? You love me, and Jason and I are supposed to just drop how we feel for the great Sonny Corinthos? Get over yourself." Looking at him directly, she tells him, "You know despite myself I do love you too. I mean, you are the father of my children. But, Sonny, we don't work. We don't like each other half the time; we're both too fiery. What did you once tell me; that people like us burn down the world around us? I'm tired of fighting fires, Sonny. I need someone like Jase who helps keep me steady."
"You need someone who understands you, someone who gets how that gorgeous head of yours…"
She cuts in, "Still Jason. Nobody understands me better," her brows pinch and she rises to her feet. Standing over him, she puts her hands on her hips, "And you know what pisses me off? You sitting there telling me you love me, like you don't know how I have always felt about Jason. From the beginning, I never hid how I feel about him, the depths of my love for him. If you really loved me as something more than a prize to be won, you would know how happy I am that I have a chance with a man I have been in love with for a huge chunk of my life. But all that matters is how you feel, right? Typical Sonny."
"That's not fair, Carly. I just don't think he's right for you. I think we're better together." He whines.
Carly rolls her eyes, getting back to work on the door in front of her. "Get over it." Then, slyly she turns his attention, "Did you know Brenda was shacking up with my soon to be ex-husband?"
He perks up in his seat, "Brenda and Jax? Are you sure?"
She grimaces, "Oh, yeah. I've seen the pictures. I even have a video of the bastard screwing her in the elevator. I handed it over to Diane to stick it to Jax."
"He always did pull her into his web." He muses, lost in thought.
"She's probably in desperate need of being saved." She tells him over her shoulder, rolling her eyes so he won't see.
Just then, the lock clicks open. Both Carly and Sonny freeze in shock. Then, she does a little happy dance. "I did it! You saw that, right?" Looking up at the camera, she says, "Jason, you better be proud of me! Spinelli, I want a video of that."
"You know they aren't here, right?" Sonny asks, looking at her like she's crazy.
Giving him a cutting look at his tone, "Please, Spinelli tapped into those cameras within a minute. And that right there is why you need Jason." She opens the door just a crack, peeking down the hall. Not seeing anyone, she slips out the door, "Now, c'mon."
Jason and Spinelli are set up on the roof of the hotel. The computer hacker has gotten his beloved Stone Cold audio surveillance by doing some reverse engineering something or other that baffles his mentor, but is very appreciated. He has been keeping an eye on Jerry and his goons, while also watching as Carly tries over and over to unlock the door to the lounge she's in.
Spinelli had cut Jerry and his crew's access to the feed an hour ago to conceal both Jason and Carly's actions. The plan is to go in at eleven when, according to Spinelli, there's some sort of system reboot that will keep their actions undetectable. They had climbed over from the roof next door to get to the rooftop access door. Spinelli has set up his computer with hotel surveillance, so Jason can keep an eye on everyone's movements as he plans and waits.
To keep himself from completely losing his mind, he continues watching Carly. Every few minutes she reassures him that she and the baby are okay. Knowing she's in there, in danger every moment makes it feel like he has a band around his chest, like it's hard to breathe.
He keeps replaying his conversation with the boys, where he promised to bring their mother home to them. Michael had been a stoic soldier, trying to hide how scared he is. Morgan had pleaded with him to "Stop the bad guy from hurting Mommy and the baby. Please save my Mommy!" He prays he can keep that promise, or he's not sure he'll be able to survive it.
With about fifteen minutes until eleven, Spinelli warns, "Jason, there's activity. It appears that Mr. Sir was trying to break in through a window, and has been taken hostage as well."
Looking down at the surveillance, he lets out a curse, "Dammit, Sonny." He watches as the guard is on top of him before he's fully through the window, beating him until he lies limp.
As Sonny is dragged into the room with Carly, Jason's hands tighten into fists, instinctively preparing to hurt the man threatening his woman. The entire interaction, he is glued to the screen. He would give anything to be in there, ripping Jerry's throat out when he threatens her. He holds his breath until the bastard leaves the room.
Then, he's left watching his best friend and the woman he loves. He would be lying if he said that Sonny and Carly's past doesn't concern him. Or that her admission that she loves him doesn't sit like a heavy weight in his stomach. As much as he likes to think he's let the past go, there are still times when the memory of her walking down the stairs in Sonny's shirt hits him squarely in the chest. But he's so damn proud of her for how strong she's being, and feels his soul settle as she states her love for him, her commitment to him, not Sonny.
"Stone Cold, it's time." Spinelli tells him as he takes the computer and puts it in his book bag. Looking up, he sees Jason pushing a gun into his hand. He puts his hands up to push it away. "Oh, no. I don't… guns are not my weapon of choice. I'm far more a cerebral warrior than your brute force." Jason gives him an annoyed look. "Not that you are not a cerebral warrior, you clearly have both brawn and cunning, like the great warriors of..."
"Spinelli! I need you in there to help me navigate and to handle the control center. And you need to have a way to protect yourself. You are taking the gun."
"What if I shoot myself in the foot, or accidentally shoot you?" He stammers.
Jason goes to stand right beside him, putting the gun in his hand, showing him how to hold it with proper hand placement and stance. Then, showing him the safety and how it works, Jason tells him, "Don't take off that safety or put your finger on the trigger unless you are planning to shoot and you will be fine." Putting his hand on his shoulder, "I need your help, Spinelli."
His chest rises, his eyes suddenly determined, "You can count on me, my valiant liege."
Jason shakes his head, carefully opening the door, holding his breath until he's sure the alarm isn't going to sound. "Come on." He cautiously goes through the door, gun first.
