The Compound

Two weeks later

Carly takes a breath as she reaches the other end of the pool and takes a quick flip pushing off toward the other end. The doctor had told her to take it easy but given her clearance for swimming. Actually getting back to physical normal is a hell of a lot quicker than if she'd had another C-section and had a major incision to worry about. The doctor is an idiot. But what else is new? She'd only needed the okay to get Lorenzo from pulling out some tuffet or something and feeding her curds and whey. Whatever the hell curds and whey are. Whatever it is... it sounds disgusting. On this lap, Carly doesn't add any kick other than the pushing off from the wall just pulls herself thru the water with overhand strokes.
On the next lap, she starts doing the backstroke. And it's from that vantage that she sees Alcazar approaching the pool. The WSB agent is behind him. And Simon is behind him. Carly breaks from the lap and swims to the ladder, going over to a bench where there are towels and a robe. She slides the robe on over the revealing t-shirt. "I wasn't expecting anyone." Carly belts the robe tightly.

Alcazar waves a hand at Simon to take Conner away from the courtyard. Simon assists in moving Conner along with a hand at the nape of his neck. Lorenzo walks over to where Carly is toweling dry her hair. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Swimming." Carly says tersely. "I like to swim remember? You think I like having three guys walking up on me? You were supposed to be away on business. Simon had errands in the village and what the hell is he doing here?"

"The Doctor said..."

"It's fine if I didn't over do. You can ask him yourself. I'm sure he was planning on snitching me off when he got back anyway." Carly interrupts. "I'm not planning on overdoing. Just getting back to... normal. But since everything I have here is maternity wear I kinda had to make do." Carly tugs at the neckline of the robe. Great-- wet t-shirt with pregnancy boobs. "What is he doing here?"

Alcazar shrugs. "The deal I made with the WSB. Young Conner's father wasn't pleased about his accommodations."

"And probably knew where it was by now." Carly sets the towel aside. Throwing it down on the bench. "Since Ric was there. Jason and I were there when we went looking for Brenda and Sonny that time. Too many people know about your island." Carly changes back to the original subject. "I don't see why I have to change my schedule for him."

Alcazar nods. "Tell me what time you wish to swim and I will make sure you are... undisturbed."

"I'm done for today. But about this time is good for me." Carly shrugs.

"I will be speaking to the doctor."

"Yeah, I figured." The nanny comes out of Carly's quarters holding Morlee but she doesn't say anything because the Jefe is there and she doesn't want to disturb him. Carly sees the nanny. "I have to go." Carly quickly picks up the towel and heads over to where the nanny is waiting.

Simon gets comfortable standing behind Conner. He's got his arms hanging easy by his side ready for anything and definitely not going to let the WSB agent be alone in the Jefe's study. The Jefe would be along soon enough after he had a chat with La Senora.

Alcazar strides into the office. He looks at the WSB agent almost in a fury. He has no business being there. No business looking at Carly. If he was a cockroach he'd squish him beneath his boot. "The pool area is off limits to you. You are not a guest here. You will not speak to La Senora, her children or her staff. If you do you will find your accommodations much more confining than a jail cell."

Simon leans in. "About the size of a pine box. Comprende?"

"I got it." Conner says grimly. The beating he'd gotten at the jail had been casual, professional. Just softening him up as one of the goons had indicated. It hadn't gotten personal until Alcazar had seen the picture of Carly and Michael in his computer. "I'm assuming I won't be here too long anyway."

"Don't get comfortable." Alcazar agrees. "The negotiation for your release is in it's final days. Of course I could break it off at any time if something unforeseen and tragic should happen to you." Alcazar looks at Simon. "Take him to his quarters. Inform him of the rules. Make sure that he is no bother."

Simon nods and then gives Conner a pat on the shoulder. "This way."

"Simon? Where is the doctor?"

"He is at the clinic, Jefe. And will be back this evening."

"Gracias." Lorenzo waits until the door of his study is closed by his second and then dials the number at the clinic. He is quickly transferred to the Doctor. "Did you give La Senora authorization to go swimming?!"

Carly walks with Morlee up on the second floor balcony of the Compound. She'd been up there for awhile ever since she'd been able to send the Nanny away on an errand. It hadn't taken that long though to see Simon leave Lorenzo's office with Conner Donnelly. Carly watches rocking from one foot to the other to keep the baby happy while finding out which room the young WSB agent is in. That Sean Donnelly must be a good negotiator. It was really weird to have the agent back here. And she could tell that Lorenzo hated it. He'd been furious by the pool. Since the Alcazars Organization is world wide why didn't he dump the WSB agent on the yacht or in Europe? Why bring him here? Unless it's a set up of some kind?
Carly watches as the agent is escorted into quarters that are across the courtyard from hers. It's in the section where most of the live in staff have their quarters. Simon leaves Donnelly's room and then locks the door. Carly nods at that. So Simon and Lorenzo did think that the WSB agent would cause trouble, or try to escape. Good to know. Carly kisses the top of the sleeping baby's head. "Well Lil Miss, guess Mama really should take a shower and get dressed before your big brother gets home." Carly murmurs in a soft voice.

Carly eases Morlee into the bassinet close to her bed and then goes over to her closet to try to figure out something to wear. She has no idea what size she wears or if she is back to her pre Morlee weight and shape but she does know that the gear she has here is starting to fall off of her. Luckily some of the pants had adjustable waistbands-- actual sliders. The elastic of most maternity wear is useless. Once it got stretched to a certain point it never went back down again. She'd been here at the compound since about her sixth month. There are no skinny clothes here, not that she was really ready for those. Just ready to be out of the fat clothes. Even what she'd been able to trade with the Nanny is better than the maternity tents. But going swimming in a t-shirt and pair of undies would be giving Lorenzo ideas she didn't want him to have, or act on. Carly finally grabs a dress that ties in the back and some undies and goes to the shower.

The shops in Caracas are used to dealing with the Alcazars. Luis had spent most of his time and money in Europe but there had been a few occasions when there had been a grand spending spree for a diminutive model who liked to be on the cutting edge of fashion but didn't like to wait around for a tailor who could shorten sleeves. All it takes is a couple of phone calls from Lorenzo, a few details about La Senora, and a selection of clothes are being pulled from the shelves and backrooms of the boutiques. One of Alcazar's men goes from shop to shop picking up the clothing and taking it to the airport. The man also stops to pick up a photographer from his shop. Rather unfortunate that. The photographer hadn't planned on leaving his shop that day and ended up riding to the airport in the trunk rather than in the backseat.

The whole process is completed within hours. Before Michael even comes back to the compound from the parochial school in the village there is a selection of clothes on rolling racks filling Carly's living room. And it's a temptation. There are some gorgeous things there. And the sizes are assorted from one size below her pre-baby weight to two sizes above. Everything-- evening wear to swimwear, sport wear to lingerie-- feels like it's Christmas for a few years running all blending together. As soon as Carly sees the swimsuits she guesses what this one is about. The Doctor must have come thru and said that swimming was okay.
Carly bites her lip wondering if she hasn't created another problem for herself. She needs to get in shape. But she didn't want to get a full release from the doctor. She needed that six weeks. Unless she got out of here with Conner Donnelly. Carly goes thru the clothes picking out the bare minimum of what she needs, not getting caught up in the pretty things. It's not like she is going to be taking them with her anyway. A couple of the evening dresses she can't resist because they would be perfect if Alcazar has a business dinner meeting at the Compound but other than that it's all casual clothes and swimsuits-- just what she needs.

The jeans are a bit tight but there isn't a speck of elastic, not a bit of spandex on them anywhere. Carly looks over her shoulder and runs a hand over her butt. Oh yeah. Wearing these. Probably not taking them off. Maybe sleeping in them. They were a size bigger than what she normally wears. Same with the top. But it had only been a couple of weeks. It had taken her a lot longer to recover from having Michael. Maybe there really was something to that whole breast feeding thing helping you get your shape back.

"They look good. You look good." Alcazar says from the doorway.

Carly pulls the blouse down over the jeans and turns around to face Alcazar. "They fit. Thanks."

"What else did you select?" Lorenzo looks at a chair where there are a few garments hanging over the arm. "You're sending those back?"

"No, those are what I'm keeping."

Alcazar shakes his head. He goes over to the chair and makes a note of the sizes of the garments Carly had kept and then starts going thru the racks himself tossing item after item onto the chair. He leaves behind any color that he thinks wouldn't suit Carly. By the time he is down with the racks there are approximately the same number of garments left on the rack as Carly had originally selected. Then he holds a pair of lace undies. "Shall I continue?"

Carly grabs the panties from Alcazar. "I get it. Fine. Anything that fits I'll set aside. It's your dime and I didn't ask for anything!"

Alcazar picks a chair that isn't covered with clothes and makes himself comfortable. He watches as Carly picks thru the lingerie, and undergarments. There are no maternity bras so Carly just picks out the bras that hook in the front. "I arranged for a photographer to come out from Caracas as well."

"A photographer?" Carly asks absently wondering what that is about.

"For a passport. It'll take a couple of weeks to get one back even expedited. I was thinking of Christmas in Florence."

"A couple of weeks?!" Carly rolls her eyes. "Back in Port Charles I could get a passport, driver's license and credit card within 48 hours. And I don't drive."

"You don't?" That distracts Alcazar momentarily.

"Okay, slight exaggeration but the first and last time I solo'd driving I drove into a lake. I'm much better at hailing a cab."

"Ah. The documentation you are talking about are forgeries. This passport will not be. There will be nothing to question where ever in the world we choose to go. Michael should be fine in his school uniform. I'm sure you can find something suitable." Alcazar waves a hand at the chair loaded down now with clothes. "I would prefer to have the picture completed as soon as possible. The photographer would as well I'm sure. He wasn't planning on being late for dinner." Lorenzo says wryly.

The windows of his room face the courtyard. All the windows face the courtyard. There is nothing to the exterior of the building. Conner observes yet again how impossible it would be to take this building without collateral casualties. One door in. All lines of sight controlled by Alcazar's men. Could always do it the old fashioned way. "I wonder if Alcazar's guy will be counting the silverware." One spoonful at a time dug out from the walls. Eventually if he didn't get caught he could tunnel out. Hopefully Dad will come thru long before that. But how to get Carly and the kids out too. He'd seen her watching him being escorted to his room. He knows what rooms she is in. If they couldn't go out the front door maybe they could go out over the wall. If not now, then after he was released. Just long enough to get the security to relax.

Conner eases to the side of the window and pulls a small span clear of curtain to watch the rush of activity in the courtyard. A man is setting up a camera and backdrop. The backdrop appears to be a sheet. The bench that Carly had thrown a towel on earlier is the seating area. Carly sits down and holds the baby. Michael stands next to her in front of the bench. Alcazar stands behind her. The photographer gives directions in Spanish to his subjects. Alcazar leans in to translate for Carly and Michael. Everyone looks very seriously at the camera. The photographer takes extra shots just in case. He doesn't want to be hijacked for another trip to the Compound, no matter what the compensation.

Simon gives the photographer a lift to the runway. If they weren't in such a hurry to get the passport the photographer could make his own way back to Caracas. But as is, the photographer would be accompanied by one of Alcazar's men to make sure that not only the photographs but the negatives made it back to the Compound promptly. Meanwhile Carly, Lorenzo and Michael have an early dinner out in the courtyard.

Between Maria and Courtney, the villa on the island has taken on a totally different look. Courtney had the list of items needed. Maria knew everyone on the island that could get things done. There are ramps to the front and rear of the villa. There are railings along the side of all walls and corridors. The bathroom had been the time consumer, with walls knocked out and all facilities replaced. The room off the back lanai had been converted and the lanai itself turned into a work out room. Courtney has a picture in her head of how things should be. She hadn't spent much time in the Quartermaine mansion but she'd seen the adjustments, amendments made to allow for Lila's chair. Now with Sonny in mind, her frame of reference had changed.

"I think we're ready." Courtney tells Maria.

"The staff is on board." Maria agrees. "Nurse, physical therapist, speech therapist-- all of them from off island, they have already done their walkthroughs to see if anything is missing."

"So now it's just getting Sonny out of the hospital in New York and down here to the island with nobody being the wiser. That's going to be the trick. The guy who has Sonny's wife is keeping everyone under surveillance. Has there been any sign of anyone hanging around the casino? Asking questions about Sonny?"

"No. I have been keeping an eye on things. And only people I trust have been involved in the modifications. There are cameras everywhere in the Casino. Each tape is reviewed. You know this."

Courtney nods. Having been held hostage by Alcazar on his yacht she'd been the one to review the security tapes of the casino. The easiest access to the island is by yacht. And if Alcazar hadn't gotten rid of all of them for blowing her kidnapping then there might be a familiar face. She'd taken to working a few shifts at the casino. Her mother wouldn't be thrilled. But it got her out of the villa and kept her mind off of missing Jason. Contact with him has been extremely limited, intentionally so. She'd known from the beginning that Jason wouldn't be able to keep in close contact. That would lead his enemies here and that's just what they don't want.

"I'm making changes. It's time to Re-evaluate. Focus on what I really want. And there is something that I want. Something, someone, that belongs to Corinthos."

It's just a little voice in the back of his head as Lorenzo Alcazar looks at the file of forgeries on his desk. The documentation of Morlee's baptism is real enough. But it is the only thing that is, the rest are the best that money can buy. The passport would be real, and pass muster in any country in the world. The Alcazars would soon be returning to Europe- as a family. The last piece needed was the picture and that had been taken care of this afternoon. He'd set out to undermine Corinthos to push him to his very limits. Sonny Corinthos is no longer a factor: his health broken, his territory taken by another. Corinthos couldn't protect Carly; he couldn't keep her safe. Things were better this way. Carly would realize that.

Simon comes into the study after knocking on the door. "The film has been developed and the negatives confiscated." Simon grins. "He even got double prints."

"Good." Alcazar hands the file to Simon. "Have him hand deliver one set of pictures and this to..." Alcazar names his man that works in the government in Caracas. He didn't need a sledge hammer on this but a wedge. A low level clerk who handled paperwork, a bureaucrat who for a few extra dollars made sure that everything went smoothly with no questions asked.

Simon takes the file. "Rushing everything thru should get the passport back in a week or so." Simon hands Alcazar some of the business folders that would need to be reviewed for the day. "Did you want to rush business too and have the time cleared for Europe or were you planning on getting some business done while you're there?"

Alcazar winces and then sighs. He shakes his head. "How quickly can we get the WSB out of here?"

Simon shrugs philosophically.

"Sonny, it's me." Max hisses in a low voice. The boss knew that tonight was the night. They were busting Sonny out of GH. Jason was out and about making sure he was seen. Bobbie was doing the same... with the express purpose of keeping Alcazar's local boys busy and out of GH. The staffing was arranged with people that would be doing something else and making sure they were observed doing it.

Max rolls the wheelchair over to the side of the bed and helps Sonny into the wheelchair. Sonny of course had known this was coming as well. They'd been working together to make the transfer smooth and easy. Since Max is the burliest of the personal body guards and the guy who'd fucked up to start he'd volunteered. Nobody would be surprised if he disappeared. "Max." Sonny mutters. He wraps his good arm around Max's shoulders to facilitate the transfer.

"Time to roll. You got a plane waiting."

"Carly."

"Mrs. Spencer still isn't talking to me." Max says in a low voice as he eases Sonny into the chair and makes sure that Sonny's feet are on the supports. "But Carly's calling there all the time to check on you and what's going on. Alcazar seems to be kewl with that since he's talking to that WSB agent that Bobbie's got livin' with her now. Carly's the one that told Bobbie what you needed for your rehab so we could get you out of here."

"Go."

"You got it." Max checks the corridor to make sure that everyone is still busy with something else and then pushes Sonny out to the corridor, down the elevator and into the waiting van straight to the airport.

Jason looks down at his watch. Sonny should be on the plane by now heading to the island and Courtney. He's at the Grill having a drink and keeping an eye on the late night crowd. Normally he'd be at the No Name but tonight he needed to be seen. The last two weeks had been... interesting. Kept him busy enough to not worry about missing Courtney, or Carly. He'd seen evidence of Alcazar's goons around town but they weren't moving product-- just being little flies on the wall. Alcazar had his eyes and ears all around. But they weren't being subtle.
He'd been able to dodge them when he really needed to get something done. And there had been stuff to get done. Faith had just been the beginning and the only one that he'd told Sonny about. Sammy the Bull's Lieutenant was a lot smarter than poor unlamented Sammy. Sammy had come down on Faith's side one too many times in the past for him to stick around. The Lieutenant makes all the right sounds-- basically the big smacking sound of his lips on Jason's ass.

"All clear." Stan climbs onto the barstool next to Jason's. "Just got the call."

"Good. And no tails?"

"Clean as a whistle." Stan had been offended by Alcazar finding his bug in the money and made his mission in life to make sure that it didn't happen again. He'd kept his opinions to himself while Mrs. C had been out of the country and under Alcazar's thumb. Sonny hadn't been in any condition to hear anything. But as soon as Jason had taken over... "Starting to get results on the search on Baldwin. He's not just a crappy lawyer. He's got money he can't explain coming out of every orifice."

Jason snorts. "Why am I not surprised."

"Cause you knew he shook down Alcazar for a bunch of money on that first... um import/export deal. I got the start right here." Stan pats the front pocket of his Hawaiian style shirt. He might be a geek but he didn't have to look like one. "So... how much you figure it's good for... taking a reasonable percentage... should clear a million within a year... keep the payments small. I could set up a company. It could make campaign posters--that would be a good cover."

"Ruin him. Send it to the Herald, the Mayor, and the NY State Bar. I want to be reading about it in my Sunday paper."

"He's a whore. You already know his price. Why are you getting rid of him?" Stan shakes his head in disbelief.

Normally Jason doesn't like to explain himself but Stan's got a point. "It's personal, not business." Jason admits to the security expert. Stan'd taken on the advisory position that Benny used to hold and deserved an explanation. "He messed with Courtney, when Ric kidnapped her and shoved her down a mine shaft. He didn't do dick when Carly was kidnapped. And that was to get over on Sonny. Scott Baldwin is going to pay. I think SingSing is in his proximate future, don't you?"

Stan grins. "Yeah, I think that can be arranged."

"Take care of that. And then make sure that Alcazar's men see Sonny being brought into the Harborview Towers."

"The security upgrades are in place. The parking floors are a problem but I've got the elevators set so they have to be keyed to the penthouse floor. No more opening the door to a little surprise."

"Carly will know by the next phone call with Bobbie that Sonny is out of the hospital. She'll be making a move soon."

Stan shakes his head. "I don't like it. She's got no backup. What kind of plan could she have?"

Jason winces. "Did you have to say plan? Just make sure that there is never a busy signal on any of the phones. She's got to be able to get thru."

Timing is everything. She had only been waiting long enough for her tail to get comfortable a bit down the street and in plain view of her side mirror. They made no effort to hide. They always seemed eager to be seen and quick to offer assistance. Bobbie sees the van pull up behind her SUV. She climbs out of the vehicle and walks quickly to the side sliding door of the van. She stands aside as the door opens and the automatic lift lowers an occupied wheelchair to the sidewalk. Bobbie leans over to make sure the occupant is bundled up against the late November chill. Bobbie waves off the driver and pushes the wheelchair toward the Harborview Towers. The doorman is quick to open the doors and strains to see the occupant of the chair but between the hat, coat and scarf has no luck.

"Evening, Mr. Corinthos." The door man keeps up on the news and gossip. And Mr. Corinthos' situation fits everything he sees: Mrs. Corinthos' mother, the bundled figure, the chair. The doorman gives a pitting look to Bobbie.

The man in the chair lifts his gloved right hand in an abbreviated wave of acknowledgement.

Bobbie keeps moving blocking the view of the chair as she hits the elevator up button. Luckily it's right there and the doors open. Bobbie keys the floor quickly tapping her foot impatiently. As soon as the the door closes the man in the chair start to get up. Bobbie presses him back into the chair. "Not Yet."

"Stan fixed the elevator so there shouldn't be any surprises."

"Yeah, well since you already performed one miracle tonight lets not push it." Bobbie says wryly. When the man looks up at Bobbie she continues. "Sonny's paralyzed on the right side-- remember?!"

"Shit." The young man realizes his error. "The wave to the doorman."

"Stick to whatever else you do for Jason. The tail was too far away." Bobbie says hopefully. "It was just to buy time anyway." Bobbie tries to convince herself. The elevator doors open. Bobbie cautiously checks the landing before going to Sonny's penthouse. Only once they are inside the penthouse and the door locked does Bobbie breath easy. "Okay. Figure it would take about half an hour to get Sonny/you settled. "Bobbie glances at her watch. "Guess I'm killing time."

Alcazar sees the light on in Carly's quarters and softly raps on the door not wanting to wake her if she's fallen asleep on the couch again.

"Yes?"

Lorenzo comes in and hesitates before sitting down on the couch next to Carly. He passes along the information he doesn't know how she is going to handle. "Someone took Sonny out of GH tonight." He studies her face and see the quick smirk before Carly looks down at the magazine in her lap. "You aren't surprised."

"Only that it took this long." Carly shrugs. She keeps her voice low as both of the kids are asleep upstairs. "Jason doesn't like hospitals. Hates them with a passion in fact. As soon as Sonny said he wanted out: spoken, written, signed or smoke signaled, he'd have moved Sonny. Especially after what that bitch did."

Lorenzo nods. "I was actually notified when my men saw your mother meet the van outside of the Harborview building."

Thank you, Mama. Carly flips the page on the magazine. "Next time I talk to Mama, I'll thank her. I know she probably hated the idea of sneaking Sonny out AMA."

Alcazar turns on the couch so that his body is more angled toward Carly. He is careful to leave an appropriate but not far distance between the two of them. "How soon after you had Michael did Jason get you out of the hospital?"

"Two days?"

"You'd just had a caesarian-- major surgery! Morgan is insane."

"Okay so it was two days after I woke up." Carly corrects herself. "I wasn't doing anyone any good there anyway. Every person who hated my guts seemed to be on my visiting list and laying there and listening to what an awful person I am isn't my cup of tea. I told Jason I wanted out and that I'd be back when I was better and he got me out."

"You could have bleed to death."

"I wanted out." Carly says simply. "Jase knew I was leaving even if I had to crawl. So he got me on a plane heading to Florida." Carly angles herself so that she is looking at Alcazar. She rests her head against her hand along the back of the couch. "I knew that Jason would take care of Michael. Michael would have been better off if I was dead."

"That isn't true." Lorenzo insists.

Carly shrugs. "Felt true and there were plenty of people telling me that: The Quartermaines, Tony Jones. One hit after another. I still don't remember most of that first month. I got to a hotel by the airport down in Florida and I don't think I left my room. After about a month, I took a bus back to Port Charles. I should have called Jase. He would have made sure I had a plane ticket. I went to the penthouse but nobody was there.
 

I think the doorman told me that Michael was being baptized. There are only a couple of Catholic Churches in Port Charles. I got lucky. I was not ready for that. The Church was full. Business associates of Jason's. Moreno and other enemies of Jason's. The Quartermaines. Jason's girlfriend. Everyone. I sat in the back and just watched. Then there was the party at the penthouse after. It was just too much, you know? I ended up sitting out on the landing just trying to hold it together. Things have been a lot different with Morlee."

Carly starts to get up but Alcazar places a hand on her arm so that she remains seated. "You are a very good mother."

Carly snorts. "When the going got tough with Michael... I got going. Leaving hasn't exactly been an option with this pregnancy.

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