Chapter 25

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1/20/2002

"Can we meet somewhere private? I have a message from Elizabeth."

"Who is this?"

"Not on the phone."

"Meet me at 486 Lexington Ave. It's a house in Queens Point. No one besides me knows about this place. This afternoon at 2 pm?"

"I'll find it. Bring money for my information."

Jason thinks about the home he purchased when Elizabeth told him she was pregnant. He considered using it as a safe house, but they could move out of the studio apartments and into the house with the proper security. It's sparsely furnished but sufficient for meeting with the unknown woman.

Milo is still recovering from his wounds, and Jason needs someone he can trust to watch his back if he's walking into a trap. He swears Max to secrecy. They arrive at the house early, and Max hides. Jason tells him not to come out unless his life is in danger. Jason sits against the wall with his gun tucked under his jacket. Dr. Joyce Meadows knocks on the door and hears, "Enter."

Jason stands and reaches for his gun. He holds it at his side, waiting to see who enters. Joyce jumps when she sees the gun. She raises her hands and announces she is unarmed. Jason points to a chair. "Who are you, and where is Elizabeth?"

"I'm Dr. Joyce Meadows, an OBGYN. I don't know where Elizabeth is. Ric Lansing has her. He brings me in to examine your wife. He picks me up, frisks me, inspects everything I bring in, and again when I leave. Elizabeth gave me a message for you. She said you could help me escape Ric and offer me more money."

"I want answers first. How is my wife and baby, and what is the message?"

"Elizabeth and baby are healthy. She is taking prenatal vitamins and is eating healthy. Ric will contact me when it's time for another checkup. He wants your baby. He believes that, in time, Elizabeth will choose him and leave you. She wanted to tell you she loves you."

"What can you tell me about where he's keeping her?"

"It's a house, there's a room, it looks like an old recording studio. He keeps her chained up in the room. She's kept comfortable except for the leg irons. She's monitored by video. She had to whisper her message to you."

"Is there a way to put a tracker on you?"

"No, he takes my phone and frisks me. I'm allowed my doctor's bag and medical supplies. He has an ultrasound machine."

I'll get my tech guy to find a passive tracker to put in your doctor's bag. Please contact me when he calls. We can follow from afar and get where he has Elizabeth. You can leave, and once Elizabeth is rescued, I'll pay you. I'll protect you."

"Elizabeth has faith in you. She said to trust you. I'm holding you to that. Ric is insane; he flies off the handle at any provocation. Elizabeth is the only one who can calm him down, and I don't know how much longer she can keep it together. I've been gone too long. Ric might discover I've been missing."

"I'll have people watching you." Jason throws an envelope containing $10,000 cash and tells her more will be delivered when Elizabeth is safe. Joyce leaves. Jason calls Maximus and asks for rotating guards to watch Dr. Meadows from afar. Jason asks Max to prepare the house for Elizabeth when she is rescued.

Jason meets with the Webber and Giambitti families. He updates them and is confident they will find Elizabeth within the next week. Milo hopes to be healed enough to return before Elizabeth is rescued. Jason secretively works with contractors to craft plans to create security for the Queens Point house.

1/21

Elizabeth lies on the bed, rubbing her hands on her belly. She notices her baby bump is growing. She whispers, "If your daddy got the message, we will be home soon."

Ric enters with food. "Are you talking to yourself again?"

"I was talking to my baby." She rubs her belly again.

Ric walks over, says, "May I?" and tries to touch her stomach.

Elizabeth scoots away, "Ric, I promised not to escape, but I will not allow you to touch me. Despite your ridiculous idea that this is your baby, Jason will be the one to feel his baby kick. Those are my terms."

"You'll change your mind when our baby is born. You'll need me to hold you when you are in labor." Elizabeth shudders and turns away, eating her food in silence. Ric stocks her fridge and locks the door behind him. Elizabeth cries and prays for Jason to find her.

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Ric calls Dr. Meadows to check on Elizabeth. "I want another ultrasound. I'll pick you up Friday morning; same rules as before. Leave your cell phone behind."

Joyce calls Jason and says, "Ric called me. He wants another checkup for your wife. I trust you to protect and pay me when it is over."

"We placed the tracker in the handle of your case two days ago. Turn it off before they check you, and turn it back on when you are in transit. Turn it off again before you enter the house. We'll get you to safety when you leave before we storm the place."

Jason ends the call and hurries to the PC Hotel. He meets with Maximus. Max and Milo are there, and Jason asks for as many lieutenants as they can trust. Jason calls Stan, Johnny, and Francis and explains the situation. He doesn't want Sonny to know because it involves his brother. They arrive at Maximus suite. Jason puts Stan in charge of security. Stan picks his team and lays out his plan.

"Once we discover where Ric is holding Elizabeth, we will set up a perimeter. We need to survey the area in case he has associates aiding him. Dr. Meadows said she has only seen Ric. Ric picks her up, frisks, and checks for devices. He returns her to an undisclosed location. She says the trip usually takes 30-45 minutes each way. This means we have at least an hour to find and rescue Elizabeth before Ric returns."

Jason tells Milo to stay in the van and assist Stan. "You are not fully recovered. I can't have you going in to help Elizabeth because if you reinjure yourself, Elizabeth will never forgive me. Maximus has five of his men in a second van, and Jason will stay in his SUV. He clued Steven in case Elizabeth needed medical assistance; he accompanied the crew. Jason reminded him he needed to remain professional and help Elizabeth if her health was in distress.

1/28

Ric picks up the doctor. From a distance, two of Maximus's men watch Ric frisk her. Jason waits for Joyce to activate the tracker, and he maps the location she's heading to. They followed at a distance and divided the area into grids. They stayed out of the perimeter zone and waited.

Ric watches as the doctor applies the cool gel to Elizabeth's abdomen. She applies the wand and points out the fetus. She says, "You are about 13 weeks along." Elizabeth tears, watching her baby move. She wishes Jason was beside her; instead, Ric is experiencing it. Ric asks if she can tell if it's a boy or a girl.

Elizabeth exclaims, "No! Don't tell him. I don't want to know."

Ric says, "Fine. Have it your way. Doctor, it's time to leave." He escorts her out of the room, not allowing additional contact with Elizabeth. The men watch Ric lead Joyce to the car, blindfolded. They drive away. Two men wait at her house to whisk her away when she returns. Jason had people take Joyce to a safe house when she was free from Ric's control.

In the meantime, Jason and crew stormed the home, carefully looking for trip wires. Milo is in the van monitoring things with Stan, and Steven joins them, hoping to find Elizabeth in one piece.

Johnny and Max stand guard, and Francis follows Jason to the basement. Jason recognizes the layout from Joyce's description. He finds the recording studio and the video room. He gasps, watching his wife lying on her side, one leg dangling over the bed, chained to the floor. Max rushes to the door, but Jason yells at him to stop. "Wait, we don't know if Ric booby-trapped the door. I'm looking for a way to unlock the door safely." Jason looks at the keyboard and finds the automatic button that 'clicks' the door, and it slowly opens.

Milo informs them Ric has dropped Dr. Meadows off, and she is headed to the safe house.

Elizabeth says, "Ric, I've had enough of you for one day. Can you please return tomorrow to torment me?"

Jason says, "Elizabeth, it's me. We don't have much time. Do you know where the key is?"

Elizabeth rolls over and cries, "Jason. I knew you'd find me. Ric has the key on him. We don't have much time." Jason removes his gun and aims it at the chain. He hesitates. "Do it. I trust you." She looks away, pulling her leg as far away from the floor as possible. Jason shoots at the chain on the floor. Elizabeth's leg snaps away. She falls into his arms.

Jason holds and kisses her. She grabs her sketch pad. Francis takes pictures of the room where Elizabeth was held captive. Jason informs the rest that Elizabeth is free and carries her up the stairs and out the door. Max and Johnny flank him. Francis follows up behind them.

Jason deposits Elizabeth into the van, where Maximus, Milo, and her brother greet her. Steven directs the men to the front so he can examine his sister in private. He applies salve to her ankle and performs a cursory exam. "Elizabeth, I want you checked out at GH, but you appear fine."

Despite everything, Ric ensured I ate healthy foods, provided prenatal vitamins, and had Dr. Meadows visit, and she examined me weekly. She's done two ultrasounds, and the baby is healthy. Jason, he is sick. He believes our child is his, and we will raise it together. I want to leave. Please get me out of here."

Francis does a final walk-through of the house while Max removes the items Jason and Elizabeth requested. Francis sets charges throughout. Stan starts the van and drives away; the SUV follows. Francis hits the charge button, and the house explodes behind them. Stan takes a different turn, and they narrowly avoid Ric's car returning.

Steven gets his phone and is about to call GH. Jason stops him. "I have an idea. Let's wait until we get to PC. If Elizabeth's health is at risk, I want her admitted immediately, but I want to try something first."

"Jason, my sister comes first, not some crazy idea of yours."

"Steven, I promise you, I will make sure Elizabeth gets the medical help she needs," Jason calls Max in the SUV. He then tells Max to Pick up Dr. Meadows from the safe house and bring her to the Queens Point house. Jason directs Milo to the house he once hoped to create a home for Elizabeth and their children.

Ric arrives, finding the house burning. He screams for Elizabeth. He falls to the ground crying. He hears sirens and has no choice but to disappear. He lost Elizabeth and their child, and he blames Jason.