She remembers everything.
It's been nearly five years, still she remembers it all as if it
had
happened yesterday. Everything. The song that was playing, Marvin
Gaye's classic, "Let's Get It On." His smile. The taste
of his lips.
The curve of his back. The laughter in his eyes when he'd
marveled at
her response to him telling her he loved her. She'd waited to
hear
those words for what seemed like an eternity. God knows it felt
like
she'd been in love with him for that long and that it had taken
him
nearly twice that long to REALIZE she was.
She remembers everything.
How they made love, over, and over, and over again. It was the
first
time. They couldn't get enough of each other. Could it have been
that
on some subconscious level they knew that would be their one and
only
time? No. They thought they'd have all the time in the world--that
they'd have many more nights like that one. They were wrong. Dead
wrong.
She remembers everything.
The blinding light. Then, the intense heat as the room seemed to
be
engulfed in flames. It wasn't. But you couldn't convince either
of
them of that. For in the instant they were flung from the bed by
the
force of the blast, they knew that they were in Hell or at the
very
least, beginning their descent into Hell. From that moment on,
nothing
was ever the same for either of them--or BETWEEN them. So what if
she
loved him, and he felt the same about her?
That didn't do the woman downstairs any good. She was dead--blown
to
smithereens when she turned the key in the ignition. The coroner
said
she'd never felt a thing, that death had been instantaneous.
She'd been
lucky, one could say. She wasn't left behind to contend with the
anguish and guilt--like they'd been.
Yes. She remembers everything and wonders if he does, too?
~*~
"NOOOO!" Dara awakes with a start, clutching her hand
to her chest.
"Shh " Rinaldo replies, his voice as soothing as his
touch. He gently
pries Dara's hand away from her chest and finds her heart
pounding with
an almost frightening rhythm. "You had another nightmare,
didn't you?"
Kicking the covers off, Dara nods. "Only problem is, it
isn't a dream.
It really happened." Swinging her legs over the side of the
bed, she
pauses, forcing a smile as she looks back at Rinaldo. "I
really should
be sleeping in my own bed--not that I don't like being here in
yours,
mind you. It's just that--"
Rinaldo props himself, using his good arm. "What, you think
if you're
in your own bed, you'll rest easier?" He reaches and strokes
Dara's
bare back, which seconds later is clothed, as she dons a nearby
discarded designer of his. Placing a hand on Dara's shoulder, he
gently
draws her back to him. "I know for a fact you were having
the same
problem sleeping in your bed after everything went down with
Moreno at
the shooting range." Rinaldo feels Dara stiffen ever so
slightly upon
mention of Moreno's name. "You're still kind shook up over
everything
that's gone down, huh?" Dara nods. "But that's not the
only reason
you're having trouble sleeping is it?"
Dara sighs as Rinaldo draws her atop him. Running her fingers
through
his hair, she offers up a forlorn smile. "You're not gonna
let me dodge
this, are you?"
"Hey," as he turns up the corners of his mouth in lieu
of a shrug. "If
you wanna go on waking up in a cold sweat night after night, be
my
guest." He pauses. "But I don't think you want to."
Gently, he traces
the contours of Dara's face with his finger. "In fact, I
think you KNOW
the only way to put it all to rest IS to talk about it."
Burying her face against Rinaldo's neck, Dara gives a mirthless
laugh.
"Where do I begin?" as she allows her head to come to
rest on his taut
chest.
"The beginning's usually a good place." Absently, he
strokes the nape
of her neck, smiling as she wriggles appreciatively beneath his
touch.
"Or, you could start with the name you've called out in your
sleep for
the last two nights: Jerry."
Raising her head from his chest, Dara tries to read Rinaldo's
face--not
an easy feat, considering the only light in the room was supplied
via
slivers of moonlight which filtered through the partially drawn
curtains. But all that she needed to know regarding Rinaldo's
reaction
to her slip of the tongue she could gauge from his tone: He was
genuinely concerned about her. Their relationship - if you could
call
it as such, for neither Rinaldo nor Dara attempted to label what
it was
that was going on between them - was one of (great) no-strings
sex and a
somewhat twisted camaraderie with regards to their "line of
work." At
no time did emotions - other than fear (as with the incidents at
the
shooting range and warehouse) or ecstasy (as with the sex) - ever
come
into play.
Until now.
There was a long silence between Dara and Rinaldo, as if each
knew the
next words she spoke would somehow release a flood of memories
and
emotions she'd not dealt with in years--memories and emotions
that were
slowly eating away at her. After all, she DOES remember
everything
about that night that incredible, beautiful, fateful night.
Dara straddles Rinaldo, lightly resting on her heels. Lacing her
fingers in his, she gives an anguished sigh, and in a distant
voice
begins to tell him all that she'd refused to tell Jason when
she'd first
arrived at the Penthouse.
"Jerry Jacks is the name of the man you heard me call out in
my sleep.
He was my partner ."
V was finishing her rounds. She'd stopped to
check on Robin when she
hears the front door open. Shaking her head and smiling the
barest of
smiles at Carly's attempts to get up to her room quietly, V looks
at the
clock, "2am. Carly must really be ticked off to have stayed
out this
late." She thinks.
Just then V notices Robin stirring.
"Jason? Is that you?" she mumbles weakly.
V reached over and turned on a dim lamp, "Hey there Robin,
it's me, V.
How ya doing? Can I get you anything?"
Robin groans weakly as she struggles to prop herself up a little,
"Owwww. God, I am so stiff! And thirsty. Can I have some
water please?"
V gets up and gets her a cup of water from the carafe on the
dresser.
She hand it to Robin, "How are you feeling, Robin? Are you
still in
pain? I can give you some meds...."
"Ohmigosh! My protocol!"
V grabs her hand and gives it a squeeze to get her attention,
"Robin,
calm down. It's okay. Jason knows your whole regime and made sure
that
you got your proper dosages at the proper times while you were
out of
it. Dr. Harmon helped us out with all that. Everything is just
fine.
Jason saw to that."
Robin smiles. "Yeah, I should have known that Jason wouldn't
let
anything happen to me, especially missing my meds. Hey, where is
he? Can
I see him?"
"Sorry, not right now, he's upstairs. You'll see him
tomorrow."
Robin gives V a pleading look, "Please V? Will you get him
for me?
Please?"
V shakes her head, "Come on, Robin-- It's 2am. He's sleeping.
Tomorrow'll be soon enough okay?"
V crosses her fingers behind her back and prays Robin'll let it
go. From
the sound of things, Carly came in drunk and Jason'd have his
hands full
right now trying to get his posterior from the conflagration.
When Emily
filled her in how Jason stood Carly up to stay and read to Robin,
V
couldn't help but wonder just how much more clueless Jason was
than the
other guy. V refused to blame it on Jason being brain damaged, I
mean
if that were the case what was Jax's excuse for being so
oblivious to
her feelings?
Robin let out a sigh of frustration, "Fine, tomorrow then.
V, could you
do me another favor? I really need to go to the bathroom and want
to
brush my teeth, can you help me get to the washroom? I know that
I
should be better but this one armed stuff is for the birds. And I
still
feel like I was hit by a train rather than a car."
V's back is to Robin, relief written all over her face, V
composes
herself, grins, looks up and mouths the words 'Thank You'. She
turns
around, still smiling, "Sure thing! Glad you're feeling
strong enough to
try."
As V helps her out of bed Robin asks, "So V, why are you
here? I mean,
you said it was 2 in the morning. Shouldn't you be asleep too?"
"Well, we've all been a little worried about you, Robin; so
we've taken
turns in staying with you in case you woke up and needed anything.
This
is my shift"
"All this fuss over me? Why?"
"Do you really need to ask that, Robin?"
"No, I guess I don't...Jason set it up." As Robin walks
into the
washroom V thought she saw her smiling in a self-satisfied way.
V shakes her head and whispers softly to herself. "Better
fasten your
seatbelts folks, this is gonna be a bumpy ride!"
A short time later V gets Robin back into bed. When she's sure
Robin
has fallen back asleep, V heads to the secret room. Much to her
delight,
she'd found the computer fully operational with the surveillance
system
intact. One of the cameras had been stuck but V fixed that a few
days
ago. She makes herself comfortable and turns on the computer,
"Well now,
both penthouses are secure, time to check on the periphery."
After
about half an hour, V notices movement on the roof. She zooms in
on the
lone figure who lights up a cigarette. "Hmmm, wonder what
Brenda's doing
up?" Another couple minutes pass she starts to yawn and V is
about to
call it night when something catches her eye.
"Damn!" V's instantly alert. She zooms in to see one
man carrying a box
enter a Janitor's closet on the floor below them. There's another
man
standing guard outside the doorway. "This is textbook covert
WSB." V
thinks. "If they are going by the playbook that means I have
about 15
minutes tops." Looking to the screens again, she sees Brenda
is still
up on the roof. "Well now Brenda, you've always wanted a
little spice in
your life..."
V hightails it to the roof. Just before going out she composes
herself.
"No need to scare her and have her scream." V thinks.
She opens the door
slowly, "Hey Bren? It's me, V. Listen, I need your help. I'm
about to
tell you something but you have to swear to me to keep quiet and
don't
panic okay?"
Brenda nods, "Sure V, something wrong?"
V gives her roommate a wry smile, "Well, some might think so.
A couple
of guys a floor below us are setting a bomb to blow Jason's
Penthouse
to Kingdom Come."
Brenda's eyes open wide, "Okay, I'll wake everyone up; how
long do we
have?"
V shakes her head, "No Brenda, I don't want to wake ANYONE
up. We're
going to take care of this."
Brenda laughs, "Right. You're joking. Right? V? OH MY GOD!
You're
serious! How?"
V fills Brenda in on her plan, "Brenda, you've really
improved with the
hand to hand training. You're gonna use it for real okay? I need
you
to..."
About two precious minutes later, Brenda, dressed only in a man's
white
dress shirt haphazardly buttoned and her panties slips down the
back
hallway and heads down one flight of stairs, She looks back at V
who
gives her a thumbs up for encouragement. Brenda turns and bursts
through
the door running and screaming "Help! She's after me! HELP!"
The lookout turns to see what the commotion is and spies a
stunning
brunette with a bod that just won't quit running toward him
screaming
for help.
Brenda spots the lookout and runs up to him, "Oh my God! You
have to
help me! She's after me! I swear I didn't know he was married!
Please
hide me!" Brenda sees him giving her the once over and takes
a deep
breaths to give off that heaving chest thing that no guy has ever
been
able to resist. Just then V comes running up yelling "You
little tramp!
Wait 'til I get my hands on you!"
"EEEK! Help me! Brenda yells just as V grabs her arm. V
gives signals
her with a curt nod and Brenda whips around and nails the guard
with a
strong and very accurately placed Roundhouse kick to the head
while V
whips out a tranquilizer gun and shoots. The lookout goes down
like a
ton of bricks. The door to the Janitor's closet opens, "Lionel,
what the
hell is going on out here?" *Thhhhpt" "What the.."
the man pulls a
tranq dart out from neck and collapses.
V gives Brenda the gun "Watch them! I need to diffuse this!"
Looking at
the timer, V sees that there's 5 minutes left. "Phew! Glad
it wasn't one
of those down to the second deals." She thinks. V disarms
the bomb
immediately. There was nothing fancy about it. No one had
suspected that
it would ever be found so there was no need to booby trap it or
anything.
V steps out of the closet and give Brenda a quick hug, "You
were great,
Bren! Thanks!"
Brenda grins ear to ear, "What a rush! Was I really okay, V?"
V nods, "Better than okay, Brenda. Believe me, there isn't
anyone else
that could have been more of a distraction than you are."
Why don't you
run upstairs, throw some clothes on and send Johnny down here. I
need
his help getting these guys upstairs. Jason's gonna want to talk
to
them."
"Sure thing V!" Brenda takes off.
The next morning
Dara has showered and dressed. When she came back into Rinaldo's
bedroom Dr. Harmon had just finished with Rinaldo's follow up.
"How is he?"
Dr. Harmon turns to see Dara watching Rinaldo with more than just
the
normal amount of concern in her eyes. He knows that look. She's
feeling responsible. Dr. Harmon motions for Dara to have a seat.
"Look, I'll be straight with you. He lost a lot of blood and
it's a
pretty nasty wound. However, he's strong and in great shape. He's
going
to be just fine in time. The key is to keep him from getting back
to
work too soon AND for him to not overexert himself. Do you think
you can
do that?"
Dara nods letting out a heavy sigh. She hadn't even realized that
she'd
been holding her breath.
"Dara, it's time for you to be checked out now. I'm going to
see if
there is any signs of infection that might mess up the stitches
on that
ear and I want to check your ribs."
"I'm fine, Dr. Harmon"
"No. You're not fine. The way you're holding your side and
from the
difficulty you're having breathing you may have over exerted on
that
cracked rib. You and Rinaldo seem to have the same problem trying
to do
too much too soon. Now, let's get you checked out."
"Good idea." V said as she walked up, "You're far
from out of the woods,
Dara. We've a bigger task ahead of us than Moreno was. Let the
Doctor
check you out. You need to be in top condition for the next round."
Dara smiles ruefully, "You're right as usual, V. Fine. Let's
just get
this over with"
V smiles and gives Dara a curt nod before going in search of
Jason. She
spots him coming down the stairs with Carly who is wearing
sunglasses
despite being indoors. V catches him before he can get involved
in
something else.
"Mr. Morgan, may I have a minute?" V asked.
"Is it important, V? I'd like to go check on Rinaldo and
Robin"
"I'm afraid it is important, sir. Can we go to your office?"
Once they
reach his office, Jason turns to V and asks impatiently, "V,
what is
it?"
"Yeah V, When I got in last night, this morning actually
there were no
signs of trouble."
"Good. If you believe that then I did my job. There were two
men, sir.
NOT Moreno's." V gave Jason a significant look. "One
setting the bombs
with a lookout. They've been neutralized as have the bombs but I
think
we need to set up sweeps for a couple days."
Carly's bloodshot eyes open wide as she whips off the sunglasses
, "Why
didn't you tell me, V? GOD! My baby could have blown to
smithereens!
Who were they? How do you know that they're not Moreno's men?"
"Ms Roberts, Brenda and I took care of both the situation
and the men.
There was no reason for you to know. If you'd have been there
you'd
have taken off with Michael for his safety which would have
actually
made the situation worse. You'd only have been a bigger target
that
way. I've had a LOT of training with explosives. Trust me, the
bombs
they set were child's play. The last one was diffused with over
five
minutes to spare on the timers."
Jason looks sharply at V, "So, that's how Dara managed it."
"Yes sir," V smiles "The Ardanowski Special, sir.
I've got lots of
other tricks up my sleeve as well whatever you might think of the
WSB,
they give excellent training if you want to get a little extra
credit.
"
Jason nods and paces the room for a minute. "Tell me V, how
were you
able to find these guys? This is a huge building."
V's eyes sparkle with excitement "Remember that secret room
I was
telling you about? Well, the computer is still fully functional
as is
the monitoring system. Mr. Scorpio was nothing if not careful. He
had
all the ducts, utility areas and basically every nook and cranny
set up
with security cameras. I just kept an eye on things that way."
Carly looks at V curiously, "I've been wondering where
you've been for
the last few days! A secret room hmmm?"
Jason brings the heel of his hand to his forehead and squeezes
his eyes
shut, an action reminiscent of his predecessor and mentor Sonny
Corinthos.
"Exactly HOW did you dispose of them, V?"
"You're assuming I killed them, sir. I said I neutralized
them-- not
that I took them out. I've got them stashed in the secret room.
Shall I
go get them, sir? They should be coming to in just a few minutes."
V
smiles mischeviously, "My guess is that Dara would love to
have a chat
with them."
The slightest of smiles shows on Jason's face. "Man, this V
is quite a
piece of work!" he thinks.
"Ya know, V, I bet you're right; maybe you should show me
this secret
room. Carly, do you know where Mike is?"
"Yeah Jase, he drove over with Dr Harmon as a cover but then
he went to
sit with Robin while Dr. Harmon checks everyone else out. Want me
to go
get him?"
"Do it. V and I will wait here. And if the doctor is done
with Dara,
send her in too"
"You got it" Carly leaves.
"Mr. Morgan, there's something I want to talk to you about
since we're
alone. I have to call Mac. He's worried sick about Robin. It's
been a
week since Moreno went down now that mopping up operation is
complete.
I want to get in touch with him-- let him know she's okay. I'll
use a
scrambled phone, but I have to let him know what the deal is. He
loves
her, sir. Just as much as you do."
Jason's head snaps towards V as she says those words. His eyes
are
steely and he's clenching his jaw so tight you can see the
muscles
twitch.
"What I feel for Robin is NONE of your business you got
that?"
"Mr. Morgan, I don't have a problem with that. What I DO
have a problem
with is that there is a very good man, who's cut you a lot of
slack
because of his niece's feelings toward you, going insane because
he
still doesn't know who snatched her from the hospital. He doesn't
know
that she's safe. All he knows is what happened at Moreno's
compound and
that was from the press and police. What you're doing is wrong
and
Robin would be the first one to tell you so!" V responds
defiantly.
Her eyes every bit as icy as Jason's and jaw, while not clenched,
set in
a determined fashion. This was one battle she has no intention of
retreating from. "Mr. Morgan, out of respect for you, I've
waited on
this. I could've gotten in touch with him right away-- but I
didn't.
I'm not here to screw things up. Listen, what if I email him? You
can
stand over my shoulder and dictate what you want me to say even
but --
Geeze Louise! Give the poor guy a break! Let him know she's alive
and
being well taken care of! Let him know she 's safe! If you don't
then
you're doing to Mac what Dr. Jones did to you when he kidnapped
Michael."
"DON'T YOU EVER COMPARE ME TO HIM!" Jason rages.
"Then don't give me a reason, sir." V responds with a
quiet deadliness
telling Jason she wouldn't be so easily intimidated. She
continues, "I
know you run the show here. I also know you're doing what you
think is
right. I can respect that. You've my word I won't disclose her
location. You have my word that there will be no repercussions.
Mr.
Morgan...Jason. Mac has a right to know that she's okay. Please.
Let
me contact him."
"Jason, she's right you know, and Sonny'd tell you the same
thing."
"Mike, stay out of this..."
"No, Jason, I won't. As a father who has no idea where his
son is or if
he's even alive, I can't condone you're willingly putting anyone
else
through it. It's wrong, Jase. It's just wrong"
Jason paces the room thinking. "Okay. Go ahead. But V...do
NOT tell
him where she is yet. Only that she's okay. For your sake, you
better
hope that he doesn't try to come after her or that the PCPD
doesn't try
anything."
V nods, "Thank you Jason. You have my word. You won't be
sorry."
There's a knock on the doorway, "You want to see me, Jason?"
"Dara, good. What's the word on Rinaldo?"
"The doctor said he's be fine but needs R&R for the next
few weeks.
Carly thought it would be a good idea for Dr. Harmon to check out
Robin
as well while he's here. When he's done, he'll come to see you."
"Okay, good. Listen...."
Dara and Mike are brought up to speed on V's escapades and they
go to
get the two "prisoners" from the secret room.
James Connery squints as he enters the darkened establishment
which has
the audacity to call itself a pub.
As he looks about, surveying the motley crew of characters which
inhabit
the joint, he silently curses himself for not following up on
this
tidbit of information when he'd first received it. As his eyes
come to
rest upon the man in question who'd supplied him with the info,
he
wonders what are the chances of them both getting out of the
establishment without coming to blows either with each other or
the
occupants--who seem to grow more unruly by the minute.
"If the mountain won't go to Mohammed ," he mutters, as
he crosses the
room. Finally reaching the bar, he takes a seat and orders a gin
and
tonic. The bartender proceeds to look at him as if he's just
landed
from outer space. "The closest thing you've got to it, then,"
he
shrugs. Turning his attention to the man on his left, he dabs at
his
sweat-soaked brow. "You're a hard man to find, you know."
"Not hard ENOUGH, obviously." Jerry Jacks slams back
the last of his
whiskey, then eyes his former boss. "I was wondering when
you'd show
up, Director Connery."
"Nice to see you, too, Jacks," he replies, in an
equally dry tone.
Connery downs his drink, then turns to Jerry, whose expression
matches
that of his dour tone. "I never got the chance to thank you
for the tip
about Jensen's call to you."
"You're welcome--not that it helped any."
"Any more info from your source?"
"No." Jerry shoots Connery a heated look. "Look, I
know you think
Dara's dead, but I don't care WHAT those reports said. C'mon,
Director! There was NO BODY, for cryin' out loud. 'Sides, I have
it on
good authority she's alive."
"An 'authority' you're not willing to identify?"
"Got it."
Connery rubs his temples, a futile attempt to ward off an
oncoming
headache. There's no reasoning with Jerry when his like this, the
Bureau Director surmises. "Okay, let's say your 'source' is
right. She
IS alive. Then why hasn't she contacted you yet?" he
inquires softly.
Jerry is silent on that one. True, V had been supplying him with
tidbits here and there, even going so far to say she'd had visual
contact. But it had been over 24 hours since he'd heard from her.
And
that was plenty of time for something to have happened to Dara.
For
someone to have MADE something happen to her. "Okay. I don't
have that
one figured out yet. I'm thinking she hasn't 'cause she can't.
Hell, I
dunno. All I know is I'm not giving her up for dead."
"Believe me, no one wants Dara to be alive more than me. How
do you
think *I* feel? I'm the one who assigned her to Port Charles."
"We both know why you did that," Jerry says quietly.
"If I had any
sense, I'd have gotten out with her."
"You ARE out, Jerry," Connery replies, referring to
Jerry's self-imposed
exile from the Bureau--a situation he was hoping to remedy, thus
the
purpose of his visit.
"You know what I mean," replies somberly, motioning for
another drink.
The drink arrives, but before Jerry can reach for it, Connery
slams his
hand over the top of the glass. Jerry shoots his friend and
former boss
a look that would cause lesser men to run for cover. Connery in
unfazed. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he shakes his head in
frustration, as he eyes his hardheaded friend. "How many
times to I
have to say it before you get it through that stubborn Aussie
skull of
yours, man?" Connery hisses. "I do not, I repeat, DO
NOT, hold either
you or Dara responsible for what happened."
Jerry holds Connery's gaze for a few seconds. His boss manages to
speak
of the incident as if he were giving directions to the local pub.
Then
again, Jerry muses, Connery WAS always one to keep his emotions
in
check--both professionally and personally. Jerry envies Connery
regarding the latter. After all this time, the memories still act
as a
grate against his soul. "I know you don't, James," he
replies, wincing
as he downs the fiery liquid. As he slams the glass down on the
counter, he turns to the face the father of the woman whose death
he'll
always feel responsible for. "But *I* do."
~*~
"Look, Jerry. We can go 'round and 'round on this 'til the
Second
Coming. What am I talking about? We HAVE discussed this ad
nauseum.
Despite what you believe, it didn't happen "on your watch."
Yes, I know
you and Dara volunteered to hang back in the shadows as a
precautionary
measure."
"*I* volunteered," Jerry corrected him, his voice
bitter, laced with
self-loathing. "Dara only came along for the ride 'cause I
twisted her
arm."
"And if you'll recall, after a 48 hour stakeout, I told you
both your
services were no longer required. In fact, I recall telling you
two to
go off and have a good time breaking the Bureau Rules regarding
extracurricular activities between Agents," Connery chided,
trying to
lighten the mood. When he saw Jerry's face cloud over, he
realized he'd
done just the opposite. "Look, Jerry. This is getting us
nowhere. My
daughter's dead. And the fact is there's nothing you, Dara, or
even *I*
could've done to prevent it." He pauses, giving a furtive
glance about
the pub before continuing. "What I'm about to tell you, I've
never told
a soul. NO ONE." Jerry shoots Connery a questioning look,
then
narrows his eyes. He can tell by his tone that something serious
is
about to follow. "There's no way we could've saved her,"
Connery states
mater-of-factly, in a hushed voice.
"Why?" as Jerry takes a swig of the whiskey.
"Because there was a leak Upstairs in the Bureau."
Jerry nearly drops
his drink. "One of the top dogs turned out to be a double
agent. He
was DVX all along."
"MotherofMaryJesusandJoseph!" Jerry mutters. "You
serious on this?
You're not just trying to make an old bloke like me feel better,
are
ya', mate?" A grave shake of Connery's head tells Jerry he's
telling
the gospel truth. The two comrades are silent as both finish off
their
drinks. When done, Jerry turns to face his brother in arms,
eyeing him
with scrutiny. "Wait a minute! You've known this for YEARS,
and you're
just telling me this now?! Do you know what the last five years
have
been like for me, mate? Do you know what that night cost me. WHAT
I
GAVE UP?!"
"You didn't give her up," Connery intones softly.
"You pushed her
away." Ignoring Jerry's surprise, he continues. "Yes. I
know
everything, Jerry. Dara told me. Don't act surprised. You know
I've
always had a soft spot for her Venus and Anna, too--God rest her
soul.
Those three were like daughters to me--you and Robert? Like my
sons."
As Connery places a hand on Jerry's shoulder, giving it a
squeeze,
inwardly, Jerry feels something stir. It's the very same act he'd
seen
his own father perform towards his baby brother Jax, but hardly
ever to
him. Quickly burying his emotions, Jerry, returns his attention
to
Connery. "I've taken many Agents under my wing, Jerry. But
to this
day, the entire time I've been with the Bureau - 25 years - you
five are
the ONLY Agents I've ever taken to my heart."
On the verge of choking up, Jerry is thankful he didn't have a
mouthful
of whiskey during Connery's confession. Looking away to quickly
compose
himself, he then turns to face Connery. "All right, 'Da,'
" Jerry
grumbles. "Is this the part where we embrace or does that
come later?"
he cracks. Although he offers up his trademark smirk, secretly,
he's
touched. He feels the same way about his boss, often feeling
closer to
him than his own father, John. Maybe it has something to do with
the
fact that Connery never made him feel like he was second best,
that
there was no Good Son for him to play Bad Seed to in his eyes .
Jerry
stops the train of thought and focuses on the situation at hand.
"Okay,
so I can't blame you for what happened between me and Dara,"
he replies
sullenly. "But I bloody hell CAN hold you responsible for
not putting
me out of my misery sooner!" Before Connery can respond,
Jerry connects
with a devastating right hook, squarely across his jaw.
"Feel better now?" Connery mumbles, stroking his jaw as
he looks up at
his assailant.
"Yep!" Jerry smiles, extending his hand to help him up.
"Okay. Now
that we've gotten THAT out of the way, spill. I get the feeling
that
not only was your little confession for a reason, but that it
gets
worse."
Connery can't help but smile. He may have been out of the field
for
over five years, but Jerry's instincts are still as sharp as
ever, he
reasons. "What do you want first--the good news, bad news,
or the
really bad news?"
"I'll be a sucker. Gimme the good."
"Okay. I really did tell you this to ease your conscience.
I'd have
told you sooner, but " as he shakes his head. "Emotionally,
you'd just
shut down after the explosion. Add to that, it seemed like every
day a
new crisis was springing up somewhere around the globe ."
"And you needed an Agent who was willing to go in and risk
his neck, not
caring if he came back," Jerry finished, his tone rueful.
"The DVX was on the rampage, Jerry. With Robert and Anna
dead, you were
the ideal choice. And don't forget, no one MADE you go. You
volunteered. You said you wanted to keep busy. I couldn't send
Dara.
Besides, by that time, she'd tired of waiting for you to snap out
of
your self-loathing, and had gone into a self-destructive mode
herself."
"What do you mean, "self-destructive"?" he
inquires, his voice tinged
with worry. "Did something happen to her when we split, when
the
partnership dissolved?"
"Let's just say it was a bad scene for everyone involved,
all around,
and leave it at that, Jerry," Connery replies, effectively
dodging the
issue. "Anyway, Jerry. Back to the reason for my "confession."
That's
the bad news."
"Let's hear it," Jerry groans.
"We have a problem."
"And what type of "problem" is it that you have,
exactly?"
"Not what, but WHO. Ever hear of a man by the name of Jason
Morgan?"
"Don't know him personally," Jerry replies in a bored
voice. "I just
know he took over that slime Corinthos' empire when he tucked
tail and
left town. Something about him leaving that midget model at the
altar." Jerry gave a hearty laugh. "Hell, that act
alone is almost
enough to make me wanna shake his hand. Almost."
"Yeah," as Connery suppresses a laugh. "Well, it
seems this Morgan
character has taken over Moreno's Territory. It seems Mr. Moreno
has
been "neutralized"; he's no longer a problem for the
WSB. In a way, we
actually are indebted to this Morgan character. It seems HE took
him
out. Now what little I've been able to gather on him, and it's
not
much, tells me this Morgan guy runs the Empire way different than
his
predecessor. Not just in terms of having acquired more legitimate
strongholds, but that folks in his line of business know him to
be swift
and exacting in his methods, if you follow my lead. He's a very
powerful man in the city of Port Charles. And power and greed go
hand
in hand. So I don't think I need to draw you a map to show you
where
this all could be headed ."
"Meaning that now that Morgan's offed Moreno and has his
Territory, it's
only a matter of time before he starts trying to play hardball
with the
WSB."
"Exactly. Normally, I wouldn't be concerned. But as you can
attest by
the recent rash of leaks to the news agencies, he may have
already
tapped into Moreno's history with the Bureau. The stuff that's
being
made public is stuff that ONLY someone in the Bureau would know
about."
"Yeah, you're right. You DO have a problem!" Again,
Jerry narrows his
eyes. "And WHY are you looking at me like that?"
Connery takes a deep breath, then slowly rises from the barstool,
making
sure he's far out of Jerry's reach. "That's the REALLY bad
news and the
reason I've kept the knowledge about the DVX's involvement in my
daughter's death under wraps for so long. Remember the vow you
made to
me at her graveside?" Jerry nods. "You said that if I
ever needed
anything of you, EVER, there was no favor too great of me to ask
of
you. All I'd need do is call it in."
"No! Uh-uh. NO WAY!" as Jerry rose from his seat,
shaking his head
vehemently.
"You gave your word, Jerry," Connery replies, backing
up slowly. "We
even shook on it. And besides," he reasons, "you can't
tell me that
even in light of all I've told you about the DVX being involved,
that
somewhere, deep down inside in a tiny corner of your soul, you
STILL
don't harbor even the slightest bit of guilt. Here's your chance
to
assuage that guilt. Over my daughter, and Dara," he said
softly. "I
need you to contact this Morgan, make him an offer to work WITH
us
instead of against us. If we don't do something soon, there's
gonna be
"skeletons" falling out of the closets left, right, and
center! C'mon,
Jerry. You KNOW I wouldn't ask if it weren't important. You're
the
only one I trust on this."
His hand curled into a fist, Jerry is silent as he ponders
whether or
not to once again punch the infuriatingly devious man before him.
Realizing it's a scene he's been guilty of orchestrating far too
many
times himself, his anger at being played subsides. Thrusting his
hand
forth for a shake, he marvels, "You played me like a violin,
Connery! I
can't BELIEVE I didn't see this coming."
"That's why I'M the Director, Jerry, and you're not,"
Connery gloats,
laughing as he returns the hearty handshake. The two men embrace,
patting each other soundly on the back. "Good to have you
back, Jerry,"
Connery smiles. "Damn good!"
"Yeah, you say that now. You know what a loose cannon I can
be," Jerry
reminds his boss/friend.
"Why do I suddenly get the feeling that the city of Port
Charles isn't
QUITE big enough for both you and this Jason Morgan?"
Connery inquires
warily.
"Maybe 'cause it ain't, mate!" Jerry winks.
As they step out into the late afternoon sun, Connery sends up a
silent
prayer. God help the city of Port Charles. Hurricane Jerry is
headed
your way!