Risk

Chapter LIV

What Next?

T-48

Kris goes for an early morning run to check out the neighborhood. Upper middle class, kinda casual with some property around each one. Not gated communities but enough distance between the houses to discourage dropping by for a cup of sugar. Estranged wives of mob bosses and foreign princes have the same problems with security. And neither Carly nor Stavros are exactly low profile. Of the four of them only he could move around PC freely... as long as he didn't run into Jasper Jacks or any of the visitors in Greece, Gstaad or Italy. And it wouldn't surprise him if the visitors there ended up being visitors here.
Taking a left at the intersection, Kris jogs by the upper crust mucky muck homes of Port Charles with their gates and intercoms: Barrington, Quartermaine and a little further down one he is familiar with from the emailed pictures to Stavros-- the new Jacks Estate.
The gates are open and there is a big sold sticker across the front of the For Sale sign. Kris comes to a stop and resting a foot on the lower cross bar of the gate checks the scene there are already delivery trucks off loading thru the front door and if he wasn't mistaken the kitchen access as well. He makes a note of the names of the companies and then continues on his run.
 

T-46

Stefan strolls off the elevator and casually stops at the nurse's station. He reaches for his messages. "Audrey." He greets the head of nursing not looking up from his messages.

"Stefan." Audrey replies cautiously.

Stefan steps away as if to head to his office and then turns back. "There were a few items on the next board agenda... regarding staffing issues. Would you have time later today..."

"Well of course, Stefan." Audrey says graciously. "I'll contact your secretary."
 

T-45

Mrs Lansbury comes into the living room where Bobbie is enjoying a rare day off: No GH, No problems with Kelly's now that Penny is back and Lucas is at school. Bobbie takes one look at the cell phone and groans but takes it. "Hello?"

"Hey mama! When was the last time you watered my plants?"

"Your plants?!"

"Yeah, they're looking kinda wilty."

"Don't move. I'm on my way." Bobbie slaps the phone shut and rises to her feet.

"I've already called for the Launch, Mrs Cassadine."

"Thank you. You're a saint. If Stefan calls... never mind. I'll call him later." Bobbie races from the house.

T-44 hrs 30 minutes.

Andy Capelli walks over to the printer where Lt. Marcus Taggart is staring at the office appliance like it is going to produce the cop version of the the writing on the wall. "What's up?"

"Trying to figure who all is going to show up to this wedding in two days."

"What wedding?" Andy asks blankly.

"Where the hell you been? Jasper Jacks is suppose to be marrying Alexis Davis!"

"The attorney? I thought she disappeared when Sonny Corinthos disappeared. She's back in town?"

"That's a question. But you got to figure... if those two are getting married we got a shot at Jerry Jacks, Helena Cassadine, Stavros Cassadine maybe even Carly Corinthos."

Andy grimaces. "I'm all for the first three but damn I hate child custody cases. That warrant was issued in absentia. She doesn't even know that the rules changed while she was gone and AJ bought his visitation. The whole thing is dirty. It reeks of Edward Quartermaine and his golfing cronies getting together for a little bought justice at the ninth hole."

"Don't think she doesn't know about it." Taggart warns. "And according to my sister... Carly has moved down the food chain from Corinthos to Cassadine. Dirty is what we should be hoping for... cause the players involved it could go lethal instead."

"Your sister ever call you back?" Andy had overheard a few of the phone messages that Marcus had left over the last few days.

"Nope, because she decided to stop by and see him instead." Gia says cheerfully sneaking up on the two detectives deep in conversation. Rising up on her toes she gives Marcus a kiss on the cheek.

"Where the hell you been?!"

"Italy. The shoot came thru for Deception." Gia says cheerfully. She strings her arm thru Marcus'. "You busy or got time to buy your favorite sister a cup of coffee?"

"My only sister and she's a pain in my neck." Marcus says affectionately. "You could have called."

"It came up suddenly."

"Andy, you print out whatever comes up and verify?"

"You bet. I'll handle it. If you bring me back a cup of real coffee."

"Cop shop coffee is real coffee." Taggart says loyally. "It'll make a man of ya. Put hair on your chest."

"Right. That's why you stick to the bottled water. Get out of here before I change my mind."

Taggart goes over to his desk to get his stuff before departing with Gia while his head is down looking at the piles on his desk, Gia slips a piece of paper into his view. "What's this?" Marcus looks at it more carefully.

"What do you think it is?" Gia teases.

"This... this is an autograph. An autograph of Marvin Hagler. THE Marvin Hagler?!" Taggart looks over at his sister.

"The one and only. I saw him at an outdoor cafe in Milan. He was just right there, Marcus. Right in front of me. I couldn't believe it. I knew you'd freak. And he was so nice." Gia gushes.

"You got me Marvin Hagler's autograph." Marcus shakes his head. "I take back everything I said about you being a pain in the ass."

"You said neck."

"I lied. Marvin Hagler. You met Marvin Hagler. Damn. Come on. I'm going to buy my sister a cup of coffee! You can tell me all about it." Marcus carefully takes the piece of paper and locks it in the bottom of his desk. He'd have to take it out to the framers after work.

T-43

Bobbie lets herself into Carly's house with her key. There is nobody in the living room and then Stavros comes out of the kitchen area. "YOU!" Bobbie snarls. Every thing bubbles up from when Stavros had moved Lucas and got his hopes up about Bobbie and Stefan getting back together. "You!" Bobbie repeats herself. Before she can think Right cross right to the jaw that drops Stavros to the floor. A street fighter from way back Bobbie doesn't make any silly mistakes like putting her thumb inside her fist but clocks Stavros a good one.

"MAMA! What the hell?!" Carly gets between Stavros and Bobbie.

"You ever, ever lay a hand on my son again and they will be peeling you off the pavement with a spatula. When it comes to my kids I don't play and you better figure that out about me now!" Bobbie is so furious so fast she is sputtering.

"Mama! Back off now." Carly demands she takes a step toward Bobbie. "You made your point. You got your freebie. But since Stavros is not going to hit you back you try it again and I'm going to have to get in it." Carly adds the last as a just in case for Stavros.

"You think you could take me, little girl?!" Bobbie is furious and out for blood.

"Mama, Damn it calm down! You've talked to me since everything happened with Lucas. You've talked to Stavros. It's settled. It was a misunderstanding."

Stavros works his jaw. "Your daughter made the point quite clear back in Greece. There is no doubt you two are related."

Carly comes over to Bobbie and gives her a hug. Bobbie resists it; her back like reinforced steel but Carly hugs her harder until Bobbie finally reaches up and starts patting her on the back. "I was kidding about the plants. They look great."

"Let me look at you." Bobbie puts Carly to arms length and studies her daughter from head to toe. "You're glowing. You're happy. Who are you screwing over now?"

"Mama! How can you say that to me?"

"Years of experience. Laura right?"

"Nikolas told you!"

"No, he didn't have to. Laura came a visiting to Stefan all evil Cassadine this and evil cassadine that. Since I knew it wasn't Stefan, or Nik." Bobbie points in Carly's direction and then at Stavros who'd regained his feet. "Figured it had to be one of the two of you. And my money was on you, Caroline. Where is my grandson? Michael!" Bobbie calls out.

"Grandma!" Michael comes racing out of the kitchen. "We were in Canada! And crossed a bridge and then drove home! Did you miss me?!"

"Like the dickens." Bobbie gives her grandson a hug. "I swear I just saw you a couple of weeks ago and you've grown an inch."

"Where's Uncle Lucas?"

"At School."

"But he should be here! I go to school where ever! He's stuck in a boring building."

"Carly." Bobbie's voice is warning.

"Mr Man, And you go to school year round and you work on projects until they're done, and you even do work on Saturdays! Everything has it's ups and downs."

"You got that right." Bobbie mutters. "Well am I the only one that knows you're here?"

"Uncle Jason helped! I talked to him on the phone." Michael offers eagerly.

"Michael, don't you have a project to show your grandmother?" Stavros suggests. Michael goes racing upstairs. Stavros quietly adds. "Jason's man Zander, I have a call into Nikolas. That's it."

"It's a mistake for you two to be here." Bobbie says flatly. "You both have warrants out for your arrest. And Michael..."

"See Grandma, See what I made." Michael comes racing back down the stairs and takes the last two in a huge hop. He brings over his book on Puerto Rico. "The books on Gstaad and Milan aren't done yet. Me and Stavros went to a church in Milan and we saw a picture painted on the wall called the last meal."

"Last Supper." Stavros corrects.

"It's a huge dinner with a bunch of long hair guys but it's really fragile. More fragile than the glass vase Mama bought Stavros in Milan."

"Glass Caroline?!" Bobbie tsks. "Is this the same kind of glass that Deception perfume comes in?" Carly shrugs and looks guilty. "My Gawd, Caroline what have you done?" Bobbie's cell phone rings. She reaches into her pocket. "Hello? Yes, I was going to call you. I'm not at wyndemere. I came over to Carly's to check on her place. It's infested. I'm going to be awhile."

"May I?" Stavros asks. Bobbie reluctantly hands over the phone. What is it with Cassadine men and grabbing the phone. "Stefan! Brother, how are you?!" Stavros hands the phone back to Bobbie. "He hung up."

"Guess I'll go put the coffee on." Carly quips. "I think we're going to have company."

T-42

Stefan stalks into the cottage at the end of the lane. Carly looks up from the other side of Michael where she is sharing the couch with Bobbie. "You know there is getting to be a lot of cars out there for a vacant house."

"I parked around back." Stefan says thru gritted teeth. "Where is he?"

"Where is who?" Carly asks innocently with a flutter of eyelashes.

"Caroline." Bobbie rebukes with a sigh and then tells Stefan what he wanted to know. "Your brother is in the kitchen on the phone."

Stefan walks thru the living room to the kitchen. Carly quips to her mother. "Well that was rude-- not even a howdy do."

Inside the kitchen Stavros is on the phone but disconnects the call when he sees Stefan stalking into the room. "You're late."

"There was traffic." Stefan strips off his gloves and sheds his coat looking around and then throwing it over a chair. "You couldn't wait! Could you?! Do you understand what a delicate situation we have here?"

"The bridegroom grows impatient. Who am I to stand in the course of true love?"

"Oh give me a break."

"Coffee?" Stavros offers Stefan a mug.

Stefan takes it automatically and then sets it down on the breakfast bar. "I was in a meeting with Audrey Hardy. She was this close to going out of town.."

"Why do you need Audrey Hardy out of town? Who is Audrey Hardy?"

"Director of Nursing at General Hospital. With her gone I could put Barbara in that position and shift the balance of power away from the Quartermaines." Stefan grouses.

"We own the damn hospital. I own the damn hospital. I understand that your wife and Caroline hold it in some sentimental regard but lets not quibble over nothing. The Quartermaines make a sound and I will squash them like bugs."

Stefan groans. "It's comments like that have all of the western world having a price on your head."

"They love me in Europe!" Stavros protests. "But I we'll come back to that, so who will give Natasha away? You or Nikolas. There are certain conventions. I'm thinking Nikolas."

"Stavros..."

"Cassadines don't divorce. How many times do I have to tell you?" Stavros growls. "This is Natasha's choice made by her and it will be enforced by the family. Do you understand?"

Stefan nods his head gritting his teeth. "But I do not agree."

"Why doesn't that surprise me. So Nikolas will give Natasha away. Next order of business."

"You're not going to be at the wedding." Stefan says flatly.

"No, it would be... disruptive. This is our sister's day. Caroline will attend."

"There is a warrant out for her arrest!" Stefan protests. "The Quartermaines have filed for custody of Michael and Caroline is in contempt of that order!"

Stavros shrugs. "So you keep telling me."

Bobbie and Michael come into the kitchen. Bobbie starts preparing Michael a snack. "Barbara, Stavros and I were in the middle of..."

Michael groans dramatically greatly put upon. "Business, business, business. I hate business. Port Charles sucks; I want to go back to Greece!"

"Michael?" Stavros inquires of the youngster.

"Yeah, Nikolas showed up and he and Mama got business and said me and grandma had to leave and now you and Stefan got business. It's not fair."

"Nikolas is here?" Stefan looks at Barbara.

"I informed him." Stavros tells his brother. He goes over to the door to the living room and pushs it open.

Inside the living room, Carly and Nikolas are going at it round two. Nik throws a contract in Carly's direction. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Three times the cost as the previous contract?! Do you think I'm going to go along with that?"

Carly picks up the contract and looks at the back page. "Laura signed it. What's the big deal?"

"That's cause she doesn't know it's you!"

"Not my problem. Sign it and the essence is back flowing."

"Three times!" Nik protests.

"Laura is going to get 48% of the profit for Deception for sitting on her ass. I will get my money. You and I are going to be doing all the work and getting a quarter."

"23%"

"Okay so I was being generous. It'll pass."

"Our deal was for the glass and the essence in exchange for the 23%."

"And my brilliant mind."

"The glass and the essence! That was the deal!"

"You got my mind, you got the glass, I hooked you up with a new product line and if you want the essence just sign right here." Carly pulls out a pen. "You're the one holding things up not me." She clicks it open "Come on you know you'd be signing if you didn't know I was on the other end."

"No, I wouldn't! It's out of line!"

"Supply and demand. I got the supply and you're making the demands. So pay up or..."

"Or what? You'll sell it somewhere else? And screw yourself out of Deception?"

Carly shrugs. "Not as screwed as Mama dearest will be. Sign. Consider it my bonus since I'm not getting profits from Deception."

Nikolas looks up and sees his father standing in the door, Stefan right beside him and Michael with his head tucked between the two of them all listening in on the conversation. "Lets talk outside."

Carly looks over her shoulder to see the interested eavesdroppers. "Oh gees. Fine. Your car. Bring the pen." She stalks out of the house.

T-39

Kris Windsor walks up to the Hardy house. He'd seen Audrey arrive after staking out the house on Stavros' direction. Knocking on the door, he waits patiently for Audrey to check him out at the window before answering. Finally Audrey opens the door. "Yes, Can I help you?"

"Mrs Audrey Hardy?"

"Yes."

Kris offers a card. "Kris Windsor, Cassadine Enterprises."

"Excuse me?"

"Could we talk privately?" Kris indicates the house.

"No, I'd rather talk out here." Audrey pulls a shawl around her shoulders and steps out on the porch. "What is this about? General Hospital?"

"In a way, it's come to our attention Mrs Hardy that you are... bored at General Hospital."

"I never, would never say, I was bored at GH!" Audrey says vehemently.

"I misspoke." Kris nods. "How about that you are looking for a shortterm challenge in your career before returning to your duties as head of nursing at General Hospital refreshed and with a different perspective?"

"Who are you?"

"Mrs Hardy, I have been authorized to offer you a position but before we go any further I'm going to have to request your confidentiality."

"Of Course. You have it." Audrey replies her curiosity tickled.

"Cassadine Enterprises has a small lab where they are doing cutting edge research into AIDS and HIV."

"I haven't heard anything about that." Audrey says suspiciously. "I keep up on my reading."

"It's in Uganda."

"You're avoiding the FDA." Audrey realizes.

Kris nods. "Yes, the lab is set up in a country where the... testing time can be minimized and there is government support of the research. By the end of the week we are going to need an administrator. The outgoing administrator is leaving for another position. The job comes with a house and staff. In addition to drawing your GH salary you'll be given a travel bonus."

"It's a very interesting offer." Audrey bites her lip. "But I really need to do some research of my own before I can say anything either way."

"My cell number is on the card. Please do get back to me, Mrs Hardy. The lab will be without an administrator until I can find someone. And Cassadine Enterprises will guarentee your job here at General Hospital, your return here, as you are a valued member of the staff. It is a short term emergency assignment." Kris goes for the big gun. "I hope to hear from you soon, Mrs Hardy. You really have a chance to make a difference in people's lives here."

T-38

"What do you mean there are no warrants?" Taggart snarls. "I was a witness at the grand juries for both Cassadines and Jacks too. I know there are warrants."

"The stuff on Helena is still there. But other than that-- nope. Not in the computer. Not the hard files not over at the courthouse. That is what took so long, Marcus. I did the search myself." Detective Andy Capelli answers defensively. "Nothing in the computer, nothing in the files and it gets worse."

"What do you mean it gets worse? How could it get worse? Oh no. Don't tell me. Do NOT tell me."

"The evidence is gone from the Chloe Morgan Murder. There is nothing in the box. Hell there is no BOX! I've got the evidence dweebs looking for it. We might get lucky."

"I wouldn't bet on it." Taggart growls. "F'ing Cassadines. I told you the best we could hope for was dirty. They're lethal." Taggart sighs heavily and then rises from behind his desk. "I'll go tell Mac and Dara. I get the feeling they won't be surprised either." he pauses on his way out the door. "What about Carly Corinthos?"

"Her warrant is gone too. But that is easy enough to refile. It was a contempt warrant. The same judge can just issue a new one." Taggart looks at Andy. Andy is the first to start swearing. "I'll drive."

"Use the sirens."

T-37

Carly throws the door open. "You brought pizza! You are an angel."

"Right. Ribs from Eli's too. I know Michael likes their cole slaw. Where is Michael?"

"Getting a little class time in. Mama was over earlier. You just missed her and Stefan. They had to head back to the island to have dinner with Lucas."

"Thank you, God for small favors." Jason mutters. "Let me go set this down in the kitchen."

"So how was the flight back from Milan?" Carly follows Jason into the kitchen.

"Long. And you owe me. You owe me big time. Luke has been a pain in my ass ever since Roy let him out of the trunk of the caddy."

Carly pauses in reaching into the fridge and handing Jason a beer. She grabs one for herself and twists off the top. "You locked Luke in the trunk of his car."

Jason shrugs. "He might have caused an accident otherwise."

Carly grins and it just keeps getting wider. "Did you happen to get pictures of that?"

"That's the problem with you, Carly. You always want evidence. Evidence that will come back and bite you in the butt. And if you think that Luke is out for my blood. He really isn't happy with your boyfriend about now."

"He's never been happy with Stavros." Carly pulls up a bar stool at the breakfast bar and lets Jason do the puttering in the kitchen. It was one of the the things that Jason had in common with Sonny. They were both aces in the kitchen even if Jason wasn't quite as anal about it as Sonny is. "Do you think he'll cause trouble?"

Jason just looks at her.

"Okay stupid question." Carly sighs. "Who are you bringing to the wedding?"

"You need a date?"

Stavros comes in the kitchen after checking on Michael upstairs in his room. "That would not be prudent, Caroline. I believe that Mr Morgan has enough on his plate without adding Cassadine family dramas to it."

"I'm used to it." Jason says calmly. "You're steering clear?"

"Caroline and Nikolas will represent me. I will be keeping company with Michael so that he will not witness any difficulties with the Quartermaines who are sure to be there."

"Which means I can cut loose and not have to worry about Michael seeing his mama being unladylike when Monica gets in my face." Carly says with some relish.

Jason and Stavros both wince. Stavros gets the first word in. "Caroline... please restrain yourself until after the happy couple are reunited and sent off on their honeymoon."

"Yeah, I've been busting my ass to get that warrant on you to disappear. I'd just as soon you don't get arrested for something new." Jason directs.

"Would I do that?" Carly ignores the groans behind her and goes over to the doorway between kitchen and living room. "Michael! Dinner is on and Uncle Jason is here!"