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(2/11/04 21:09)
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Extreme Ways
Extreme Ways
Prologue
The granite blocks piled atop each other gave no hint to their withered age. Blotches of snow faded away with each gust of wind. The wind itself was bitter and blinding - effortlessly demonstrating its power wielded by the high elevation.
A black boot made its mark on the first step, scrunching the powdery snow. The long black leather jacket thrashed through the blistery elements, periodically whipping across the matching leather pants.
Unfazed by the vicious wintry conditions, the man continued his tempestuous advance on the castle. His muscles ripped underneath the fitted black shirt as his hands gripped the frozen metallic handles. Without the slightest hesitation, he vigorously swung the doors aside.
Colliding against the stone walls, the sound echoed through the cathedral ceilings - replaced with the howling wind as it enveloped the halls. Brushing the long dirty blonde hair out of his face, the man maintained his stride.
Banging one final time against the walls of the castle, the doors abruptly slammed shut - the roar fading into silence. Only then did the man halt his progression; his infuriated stare coursed through the black sun glasses, boring two holes into the back of the figure standing before the fireplace.
“You’re late.”
“You @#%$ summoned me to Neuschwanstein. I was at Lake Uri. It takes awhile to go from Switzerland to Germany.”
The figure turned slightly, the light from the fireplace enhancing the features of the man. His face was chiseled and yet could not hide the harsh lines of his age - much like the traces of white in his sandy hair. And the cold blue penetrating eyes that had never dimmed in his forty seven years, remained transfixed on the youth.
“That was yesterday.”
“You sent me there.” The youth fired back, removing his shades. “What the @#%$ do you want?”
The older man removed his icy glare as he tore away from the fireplace.
“Follow me.”
Doing as told, the younger man found his reluctant guardian stationed outside a doorway. His own blue eyes narrowed, the green edges glowing in annoyance.
“What the @#%$ is that?” He asked.
Situated in the room was an elaborate machine; the silver encasements glaring back at the men with a mischievous gleam.
“This.” The older man replied. “Is Helena’s new toy. The one she has been working on since the day you were born.”
“This is what you call me up here for? It’s a @#%$ piece of metal––“
The older man looked over his shoulder then, sending a message to quiet the irate twenty year old.
“Bobby.” He called stepping forward to block the view. “I have a new assignment for you.”
Chapter One
“Give me your purse!!” A raggedly clothed man ordered, pressing the young frightened woman harder against the brick wall. “Come on you bitch!” He shouted; his switchblade closing in on her throat.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The anxious mugger turned his head down the ally just as a leather clad figure emerged from the mist.
“What are you gonna do about it pretty boy?” The man antagonized, pressing the knife against the woman’s throat. Her breathing became more labored at the feel of the cold metal.
“Wrong answer.” Lifting the gun located against his leather hip, the man fired the silencer.
The young woman gasped when she felt the bullet pass by; the mugger froze. His body remained motionless for a few seconds before collapsing onto the pavement. In shock, the woman slowly back away, staring at her attacker’s face and the bullet hole strategically placed between his eyes. The sound of the steady footsteps upon the tar caused her to turn and face the leather clad man.
“You alright?” He inquired, halting his movements several feet away from her. Regaining her composure, the young woman merely nodded; her eyes transfixed on the mysterious man. “It’s late. You shouldn’t be walking in the ally, kid.”
His words triggered something in the young woman and she stood a bit taller. Her pin straight shoulder length hair bobbed slightly; her dark brown eyes narrowing.
“I’m hardly a child.” She rebuked placing her slender hands in fists against her delicate hips. He took the opportunity to eye her petite frame from head to toe; his eyes smiled behind his shades.
“Looking the way you do, princess, I’d say you’re not the ally type. So what are you doing down here?”
Ignoring his question, she pulled the strap of her purse closer to her shoulder. Clearing her throat, she outstretched her hand. He glanced down at the gesture and then back up at her face; against his better judgement, he tucked the gun back in its holster and shook her hand. The young woman gave him a smile she used hundreds of times at business functions.
“Thank you for saving my life.” She removed her hand from his. “Now, if you would please excuse me, I must be going home.”
She made it five steps.
“How well do you know this place?” He inquired. She looked over her shoulder with a perturbed glare.
“I know Port Charles well enough.” She eyed him wearily, folding her arms across her tank top. “Why?”
He scrutinized every feature of her face looking for any sign of deceit. Easing his rigid posture slightly, the man took a single step forward.
“I need someone to show me around.” It was her turn to observe him from head to toe.
“That’s it? Show you around town?” She asked carefully, raising a perfectly tweezed eyebrow.
“Yea. You up to it?”
“That depends. You have a name?” When he remained silent, she gave a saucy smirk. “Either you tell me or I’ll come up with one for you.”
The green edges of his eyes glowered down at her.
“Bobby.” He watched the muscles in her face relax at their exchange. “What about you, princess?”
“Brooke...Ashton.” She slid him a sideways glance. “Well then, I guess I’ll see you around, Bobby.”
A shadow of a smirk crossed his lips.
“Want me to walk you home, princess?”
“No, thank you.” She waved him off. Brooke made it three steps before she halted at the sound of a metal trash can hitting the pavement. Cursing under her breath, she looked over her shoulder to find Bobby hadn’t moved from his spot. “Maybe.”
It didn’t take long for him to move to her side.
“Whatever you say, princess.”
Wrinkling her nose, she peered up at him.
“I’d prefer you call me Brooke. The princess thing is getting old.” Maintaining his stoic persona, Bobby merely nodded.
In time, the scenery changed from the filthy ally to the perfectly manicured sidewalk and the equally illustrious mansions lining the street.
Walking idly, side by side, Brooke tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You don’t talk much, do you?”
“Nothing to discuss.”
“You’ve been listening to me talk about living in New York and my life.” She slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “What about you?”
He shrugged.
“Nothing to discuss.”
“Yea, you mentioned that already.” Sighing, she looked up to find the stone pillars and wrought iron gates of the Quartermaine Mansion in sight. Bobby was quick to notice her brown eyes light with recognition as they neared the entrance.
“I think you can take it from here.”
“Yea. Thanks again...for saving my life and you know walking me home.”
Even through his sun glasses he could see the sincerity in her eyes and he looked away. Giving a half hearted shrug he succeeded in maintaining his indifference. He began to walk away when he heard her call out to him.
“When did you want me to show you around?”
Bobby looked over his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, princess. I’ll find you.” And then he slipped into the shadows.
Chapter Two
Bobby remained seated on the wooden bench; a place he found after his aimless walkabout through the night. His gaze did not sway from the sun in the horizon as it rose above the harbor.
Morning.
And he had yet to find his assignment. His blue eyes flashed behind the shades. Oh how he hated his guardian. Clutching his fists, he fought off the urge to throw the bench into the water rippling a few feet away.
“I had a feeling I’d find you here.” Bobby turned at the feminine voice from atop the stairs.
Brooke Ashton.
“A little early for you, isn’t it, princess? Shouldn’t you be getting your beauty sleep?”
He was rewarded with an icy glare as she descended the last of the hallow steps. Bending down to his level, she gave a vindictive smile.
“Two sentences. My, my, we must be careful your brain doesn’t overheat.” A ghost of a smile graced his lips.
He watched as Brooke gracefully smoothed the wrinkles of her blue skirt. Without the slightest hesitation, she sat beside him, glancing briefly at the sunset as she collected her thoughts.
“As I’ve told you before, I’m not a child.” Her brown eyes rose to meet those hidden behind the sun glasses. “And I know that you’re not the type of person that...well...you’re exactly what my grandfather would refer to as a deviant. Just another person like Jason.”
Bobby’s head perked up at her words and more specifically the name.
“Jason?”
Brooke released a deep breath and folded her hands in her lap.
“He’s a cousin...well second cousin, really. I’ve seen him once or twice. He’s not around the family very much even though its all the seem to talk about half the time.” She paused, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. You don’t need to know about my family other than the fact that they are completely dysfunctional. Their only beef with Jason is the fact that he...” She froze as she looked up at him.
Frowning, Brooke backed away from him. He didn’t move, opting to watch her curiously as she ran a hand through her brown locks.
“My original point is that I know you’re in some sort of illegal activity, but I know that you saved my life last night. So I owe you---“
Bobby stood then; a hand held up to stop her words.
“You don’t owe me anything.”
“Yes I do.” She insisted. “It’s not everyday someone appears in the ally and saves my life.” And as he had done hours before, Bobby tore his eyes away from hers. “So I’m going to show you around town like I promised...starting now.”
“Don’t you have school, princess?”
And then Brooke did something no one had done in a long time - she caught Bobby off-guard. He glanced down at his leather encased right arm where she had just slapped him. Mouth slightly agape, he looked up at her face. Her very determined face.
“In case you haven’t noticed, it is summer, Einstein. Not to mention the fact that I graduated in the spring. And for the last time...stop calling me princess.” He opened his mouth as if to say something, but she cut him off. “Now I am still going to help you out.” Her eyes took in his outfit. “But first, we need to get you some new clothes.”
“For the last time, lose the shades.” Bobby glared at Brooke through the mirror. He clenched his jaw, returning his attention to the black suit she had talked him into wearing.
Growling, Brooke marched towards him, jumping up on the platform where he stood. Without a moments notice, she removed the sun glasses from his face and unleashed a gasp.
She knew he was handsome, but as she took in his newly cut spiky hair and his magnetic blue eyes, Brooke felt as though her knees would give out. For a few moments, they stood like that - staring at each other through their reflections.
“Brooke Lynn?” A woman’s voice called, effectively ending the moment. Catching her breath, the young woman stepped down from the platform.
Smile ready, she turned. Beaming in maternal expectancy, a petite woman with long chestnut hair and bright blue eyes awaited her. A genuine smile graced Brooke’s lips as she rushed to the woman.
“Elizabeth...you look...you’re glowing.” Extracting from their embrace, the woman named Elizabeth studied Brooke carefully.
“And you’re just beautiful as always. I see it took no time for you to—“ Her smile dimming, Brooke followed Elizabeth’s gaze. Looking over her shoulder, she found Bobby staring blatantly at the pregnant woman.
“Oh...uh...Elizabeth this—“ Brooke started, but was rudely interrupted.
“There you are Elizabeth, you know I hate it when you disappear like that.” The man cast his eyes upon Brooke. “I’m sorry, I’m Elizabeth’s husband, Ric Lansing. It’s nice to meet you.” In a daze, the young woman allowed him to shake her hand.
The attention was short lived as he followed his wife’s gaze. Tilting his head to the side, Ric observed the young man carefully.
“Darling, is this your brother Steven?” He inquired, his gaze flickering between the two. “He certainly does bear a close family resemblance.”
His wife seemed to wake from her revelry, momentarily tearing her eyes away from that of the young man’s. A smile crossed her face that had yet to reach her eyes.
“Oh no, Ric. Steven is still in Greece. This is just a—“ Elizabeth paused to catch Brooke’s eye for an explanation.
“A friend of mine.” Brooke supplied. Ric merely nodded his head, already apathetic with the issue.
“Elizabeth, darling, are you ready? We really should get back to picking out a crib for the nursery.” His wife nodded and said her goodbyes to Brooke before departing with him.
Bemused, Brooke made her way back to Bobby who’s eyes were trained solely on Elizabeth’s figure. Scrunching her nose, the young woman waved a hand in front of his face.
“You alright?”
Bobby remained silent until Elizabeth’s shadow had vanished around the corner with her. Swallowing the large lump in his throat, he bore his eyes into hers.
“I need to know everything about her. Everything.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re obsessed with Elizabeth Lansing.” Brooke commented before taking a sip of her water. She glanced briefly at Bobby across the table. Since their arrival at Kelly’s, he had done nothing, but bombard her with questions.
His own gaze was piercing through her body, as though willing the answers out of her. Bouncing her raised leg, she sighed.
“Don’t call her that.” Her brown eyes snapped up at his crisp tone. She watched in awe as the green halo in his eyes brightened.
“You know, Elizabeth is a good friend of the family. And I for one would hate to see anything happen to her.” His mouth formed a rigid line.
“I assure you. I’m here to make sure nothing does.”
An odd feeling came over Brooke as she found herself believing him. Clearing her throat, she reached for the check.
“I’ll be right back. I’m just going to pay for this.”
Bobby watched her figure slip through the doors of Kelly’s. His eyes floated to the green sign blowing in the gentle breeze. Funny how it was nothing he had pictured all these years.
He heard a twig snap behind him and immediately tensed. Hand hovering above his gun, he cautiously glanced over his shoulder. Ready to spring from his chair, the sound of a gun cocking caused a shiver to run up his spine.
“Put both hands on the table.” A male voice ordered and Bobby grimly complied. “Who do you work for?”
When he didn’t answer, the cold steel barrel pressed against his head.
“Who do you work for?” The voice repeated. “You’ve got three seconds left before I pull this trigger.”
Briefly closing his fire lit eyes, Bobby grit his teeth.
“Three.”
Bobby’s knuckles against the table faded to white.
“Two.”
Unable to control his fury, Bobby sprang from his chair and it fell to the ground. Reaching for the man’s arm, he locked it in place before wriggling the gun loose. Jolting the man back, he kicked him once in the chest; then swung back around to punch him square in the jaw.
Bobby glanced down at his attacker who was lying motionless on the ground. An amused smile playing across his lips, he gently nudged the figure. He would know Jason Morgan’s voice anywhere.
“Like I told you before...you put a gun against my head and I’ll kick your @#%$ ass to the ground. Next time I see you I might not be so accommodating.” He glanced back at the doors to make certain no one witnessed the interaction. “Especially since you sent me here.”
Chapter Three
Perched on the rooftop of the Port Charles Hotel, Bobby pulled the binoculars closer to his eyes. He took a closer look at the couple exiting the cab and then frowned, suddenly very tempted to cast the equipment on the ground.
He had been sitting on the roof for hours and midnight was fast approaching. Letting loose a curse, Bobby berated himself for not ditching Brooke earlier.
“But you needed the information…” He reminded himself. Catching sight of a silver Mercedes pulling up to the curb, he smiled. In his binoculars he watched the woman he had seen earlier, Elizabeth, exit the car.
Quickly shoving his equipment into a small black bag, Bobby made a dash for the door and the stairwell. With extreme efficiency, he made it to the twelfth floor, in time to observe the elevators carefully. A wicked smile claimed his lips as the second elevator chimed from its liftoff in the lobby.
Waiting as patiently as he could, Bobby glared at each number willing the elevator to speed up. But the elevator doors soon enough parted.
Elizabeth Lansing was not familiar with feeling at peace and in truth, since the day she discovered she was pregnant, only a sliver of calm fell upon her. Maybe it was because she had slept with her best friend’s ex-husband or maybe because she wasn’t carrying the child of the man she loved.
Sighing, the young woman leaned her body against the cool glass wall of the elevator. She absently began to stroke her swollen stomach.
Life never seemed to grant her a moment without drama; not from her childhood and certainly not now. The last cataclysmic event happened five months ago in February; the night the father of her unborn child burned alive in the basement of this very hotel.
“Zander always did bring things upon himself.” She muttered to herself. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, the elevator dinged and the doors parted.
And for the second time that day, she cast her eyes upon the young man. He stood there for a moment, eyeing her carefully with a black bag slung over his shoulder. Clearing his throat, he gave her a quick nod and then moved to stand beside her.
For an odd reason, Elizabeth felt at ease with this stranger; her blood pressure lowering with every second his presence claimed. Peering up at him, she managed a polite smile, and her curiosity got the better of her.
“You’re a friend of Brooke Lynn Ashton’s, aren’t you?” Her soft voice sent a shiver down his spine.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Unable to remove her eyes from his, she observed their perfect shade of ocean blue. Tilting her head to the side slightly, Elizabeth also noted the distinctive jade green edges glimmering back at her.
“I’m sorry. Brooke didn’t get a chance to introduce us. I’m Elizabeth Lansing. It’s nice to meet you….” She trailed as her hand hung in the air.
“Bobby, Ma’am.” His voice was hoarse and cracked. And as Elizabeth shook his hand, a smile lit in her eyes.
“I see your mother taught you some very good manners.”
Forcing himself to look away from her with his last ounce of control, he stared at the blank wall.
“Yes, she did.”
“It’s such a rarity to find manners these days.” She looked back up at Bobby to find his gaze elsewhere. “Tell her I think she did a wonderful job.”
He momentarily closed his eyes, clenching his jaw and fists. Taking a deep breath he found his mouth extremely dry.
“My mother.” He looked down at her face then. “She died.”
Elizabeth’s face immediately fell; her delicate fingers gently rubbing back and forth across her stomach.
“I’m so sorry.” Bobby shook his head and shrugged; his heart fought off intending a double meaning of her words.
“It was along time ago.”
Further discussion on the issue ended the moment the elevator doors parted. Bobby glanced down at Elizabeth as she gracefully walked away. Once in the corridor, she looked over her shoulder; a sad smile on her beautiful face.
“Goodnight, Bobby.” Barely able to breathe, he forced a nod as the doors began to close.
With a heavy heart, he leaned his head against the cool wall. Releasing a very deep breath, he pushed himself away from the wall as the doors opened again on the next floor.
And he froze.
“You.” Bobby visibly gulped and watched helplessly as Jason Morgan withdrew his gun. Without saying another word, the mob enforcer motioned for Bobby to join him in the hall.
Observing the enforcer, Bobby noted how the years had been kind on Morgan; yet the icy blue eyes were more lethal than ever. Absently, he watched the elevator doors close and then switched his gaze to the man with the gun.
“I should kill you for that stunt you pulled outside Kelly’s.” Bobby eyed him carefully.
“But you’re not?”
“Not quite yet.” Jason cocked the gun. “For the last time, who do you work fo—?”
A door opened behind Morgan, who, in turn, quickly tucked his weapon back in the waist of his blue jeans. Both men turned to see Brooke hovering in the doorway. Her brown eyes narrowing as she raised a perfectly tweezed eyebrow.
“I see you’ve met Jason.” She prompted.
“Brooke Lynn.” Morgan nodded once in her direction. Shifting, he sent a silent message to Bobby that this wasn’t over.
The younger man glanced over his shoulder to watch the enforcer walking away. Raking a hand through his spiky hair, Bobby moved to Brooke.
“I see we’re even.” Barely looking at her, he entered the suite. Rolling her eyes, Brooke slammed the door shut, earning his attention. “You haven’t been here 24 hours and yet you’ve managed to piss off my cousin.”
“Second cousin.” He reminded her walking around the room.
“Don’t patronize me.” Grudgingly, Bobby looked over his shoulder. For the first time he noticed the slinky black dress she wore; he turned away from her beauty.
“What are you doing here, princess?” He picked up an abstract decoration from the table.
“It’s my grandfather’s hotel. I can be here if I want.”
“Even in my room?”
“I paid for it.”
The edges of his mouth twisted upward, but only briefly. Slowly turning around, he admired her stance; the way her hands rested on her hips; the way her lip pouted.
“I think I have a right to know what the hell is going on.” Looking her dead in the eye, he gave an apathetic shrug.
“What is there to discuss?”
“You!” Brooke exclaimed throwing her arms into the air. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” She began to pace the floor. “Why are you asking me questions about Elizabeth? Why is my cousin anxious to kill you?” She halted her movements to glare at him. “Pick one.”
Bobby nodded, taking the opportunity to half sit on the desk. Folding his arms across his chest, he studied her though deep in his own thoughts.
“Do you trust me?”
His question hung in the air; neither one tearing their eyes from the other.
“I don’t even know your last name.” Closing his eyes, he rubbed the back of his neck desperately trying to ease the tension in his muscles. “Without one it’s like you’re one of those flighty air heads. The hi I’m Kimberly or hi I’m Susie.” Brooke rolled her eyes. “It’s like an entire generation of cocktail waitresses.”
Bobby snapped his eyes open.
“I’m not a cocktail waitress.” He growled. “And if you don’t trust me than why are you still here?”
“I never said I didn’t trust you.” Marching forward, Brooke poked a finger into his chest, pushing him back against the desk. “It would just be a little easier if you offered a little insight into who you are. This whole strong silent routine is getting old.”
“Who I am doesn’t matter. I don’t plan on staying here long.”
Brooke’s eyes dimmed, her mouth tightened. Realizing there were only a few inches separating them, she quickly moved away.
On impulse, Bobby reached out, gently grabbing a hold of her arm. She instinctively tensed, but her backbone softened as he let go. Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, she could feel herself falling into his shadow.
“I hate broccoli.”
Powerless to stop the smile from touching her lips, Brooke peered up at him.
“Everybody hates broccoli.” She wrinkled her nose.
“Yeah, but I really hate it. That counts as something, right?” And for the first time since they met, Brooke and Bobby shared a laugh.
Elizabeth was restless. And fidgety. And with entirely too much on her mind. Her pale pink maternity dress swished and swayed as she walked about the room.
Windemere.
Ever since Emily had moved in with Nikolas on the godforsaken Spoon Island, the place had a more inviting feel to it. Gone were the dark medieval artifacts collected by the Cassadines over the centuries.
She ran her slender fingers along the picture frame on Nikolas’ desk. A desk that was no longer cluttered with papers marking the decline of the Cassadine Empire. Amazingly enough, Nikolas had found a way to bring the fortune to anew height.
Hearing the large wooden door creak, Elizabeth turned; her naturally curly brown locks following suit.
“Hi.”
Dressed in his atypical jeans and tee shirt, Jason Morgan still had a way of making Elizabeth’s heart flutter; even after all these years.
Their friendship, though recently strained due to their relationship debacle, was now stronger than ever. The awkwardness and hostility were gone. Much to the chagrin of her husband.
“Hi.” Elizabeth smiled back at the man who was quite arguably, her best friend.
He scanned the room briefly, noticing for the first time they were the only occupants in Nikolas’ study. Jason’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Where are they?”
“I don’t know. Nik left me a message an hour ago. Said he wanted me to meet them here.”
Jason took a few steps into the room, periodically glancing around at various knickknacks his sister had chosen.
“Em called a few minutes ago. She said it was urgent.”
He cast Elizabeth a knowing look and she bit her lip.
“Don’t look at me like that. I have no idea what’s going on.”
“I didn’t say you did.” He stated, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “It’s just, you know Em.” He raked a hand through his hair. “An emergency to her could mean she needed me to fix a light bulb.” Jason slid Elizabeth a side ways glance. “Or maybe she ran out of hot coco mix---“
Her eyes widening, her mouth agape, Elizabeth closed the distance between them and playfully slapping his against the arm.
“I can’t believe you brought that up! It was one time!”
“I went out in the middle of a blizzard---“
“Oh please, there were a couple of snowflakes on the ground---“
“When they call it a Noreaster, it’s more than a few snowflakes.”
Elizabeth grinned sheepishly at him, absently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Jason’s piercing blue eyes were full of mirth and a crooked smile donned his face.
“Have I thanked you for staying with me that weekend?”
“Only twice every day.” He looked up at the high vaulted ceiling. “Three if you have another one of those cravings.”
Biting back the laugh as best he could, Elizabeth again lightheartedly slapped his arm.
“Liz, how many times do I have to tell you…stop hitting Jason.” Emily commented bouncing into the room and closing the distance between them. She mischievously punched his shoulder. “That’s my job.”
“Em.” Jason looked down at his sister was the most disapproving glare he could muster. “What is this all about?”
“Patience Obi Wan.”
Emily caught Elizabeth’s eye and winked. The two brunettes shared a laugh at her brother’s confused expression. He, in turn, cast a glance at Elizabeth.
“Star Wars.” She supplied. He just shook his head in annoyance. “Where’s Nik?” Elizabeth inquired, turning the attention back to Emily.
“He’s at the airport.” Eyeing her brother from head to foot, the young brunette frowned. “I should have known you would be wearing that.” Sighing, she side stepped around him towards the liquor cart. “Thank God I have something waiting on the plane.”
Exchanging perplexed expressions, Jason and Elizabeth dared the other to take the
bait.
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