The Compound

Late at night, Jason walks with the baby on the balcony outside of Carly's room. He'd made sure that Carly was only awake long enough to feed the baby and then took over, wanting Carly to get her strength back as soon as possible. No matter what Alcazar said tomorrow Carly was going to go outside of the Compound. Even if it was just a step. It might be worth it to have Morlee baptized down here in the local village if it meant that Carly had to leave the compound. If there was a legitimate reason maybe that would force Carly out. She'd hate it but she'd do it for her kids. That's if it hadn't gotten too bad yet. Alcazar was playing right into Carly's anxiety with all the reminders of how dangerous it was out there. "There are big things out there, Morlee. All for you. There are pyramids that were built thousands of years ago and when you're old enough, Michael and I will sneak you past the guards and take you to the very top so you can look over the desert at night."

"Or the jungle." Alcazar comes out of the darkness. "There are pyramids here in South America built by the early peoples that have been swallowed by the jungle."

"Peru." Jason nods. "I did read about those but I'm not quite finished yet with Africa. Got a few more things to see over there. Although, I do seem to spend a lot of my time in Venezuela between you and your brother." Jason says wryly.

"The baby is awake?"

"Don't know yet if she's got the Spencer night owl gene or not." Jason looks down at the baby who is looking back up at him and getting used to his voice. "Michael has it big time. Takes a lot to settle him down and Carly's no help cause when she's not pregnant she's the last one to go to bed."

"The doctor will be staying an additional six weeks. He will commute to his clinic from here. When Carly has her... clean bill of health only then will he return to his own residence. If there are any signs of post partum depression he will address them." Alcazar points out feeling unsettled seeing the other man hold Carly's child and walk the floor with her. He had been the one there when Carly had the premature labor scare. He had been the first person to hold the child, to place her in her mother's arms. He had been the one there when Carly had named the child. But Jason Morgan was the one Carly felt easy enough to sleep while he tended the child. "The baby has a nanny."

"The nanny has to sleep too." Jason shrugs. "Morlee, Michael, Carly... hell with laundry alone the nanny will be busy enough. There is a nanny waiting back in Port Charles too. Leticia. She was Michael's nanny pretty much from the time he was born. She's been waiting on this one for as long as Carly's known she was pregnant. Michael doesn't take up all of her time now that he's school age." Jason puts the emphasis on school. "I know the Quartermaines were pushing for boarding school and that's how Carly convinced Sonny to leave Michael here... but Michael is too smart to be missing school. If this kidnapping thing were going to be over soon... great. But you have no intention of letting Carly go." Jason makes sure that he is angled to have a clear view of Alcazar's face. He is still better at detecting the physical signs of lying in others although the skill had diminished since the accident. As his ability to lie had increased his ability to detect it in others had decreased as well.

"So you know you have to deal with me rather than Sonny if you have any hope at all of continuing your contact with Carly."

"Carly is Sonny's wife."

"He can't protect her. He doesn't respect her. Where is he now?!" The hint of fury comes thru in Alcazar's voice before he can control it.

Jason slides from foot to foot rocking the baby in an easy motion. "Sonny is like a brother to me."

"He may be like a brother to you but you are no brother to him!" Alcazar counters trying to push a wedge between the two men. "Carly was your woman, Michael your son. Now he calls another man daddy."

"You've been doing your research." It wasn't anything that Jason hadn't heard over the years from every opponent that came along: Moreno, Sorel and even Roscoe as he had pled for his life. They all tried to play that card. It is the obvious choice.

"Carly mentioned shooting her son's kidnapper and being locked up for six months. There was no mention of Sonny Corinthos-- Only Carly Roberts and Jason Morgan. You were running the territory. You were sitting next to her in the courtroom when this Tony Jones was freed."

"I turned my head for just a second." Jason says regretfully. He should have known that Carly would react badly to the verdict. She had still believed in the justice system back then in one tiny piece of her soul. Belief in the system had been extinguished that day although the Spencer belief in Justice had continued on. Justice any way you could get it. "She took the firearm off a cop. Damn good shot if you consider that she doesn't even remember doing it. Carly didn't even know she had the gun in her hands."
Jason shakes off the memory and focuses back on Alcazar. "Yeah, Sonny left me the territory. And I couldn't have pulled it off if Carly hadn't been backing me. Doing the same kind of thing she is doing with you making everything smooth and nice so I could get business done. She did it for AJ Quartermaine when she was married to him and he was making a run at ELQ. Hell she even does it for Sonny when it's about coffee business. You've seen what she can do and you like it. I understand that. But Carly loves Sonny."

"She's made the best of a bad situation. That isn't love."

Jason nods in agreement. "Yeah, Carly is the best at making the most of a bad situation. Kinda like now. And it isn't love." He looks down at the baby who has dropped off to sleep. "Morlee is asleep." Figuring that is enough announcement of his intentions, Jason goes back into Carly's quarters leaving Alcazar on the balcony.

They trained for situations like this. He'd even been close a couple of times but this was the first time he'd actually been caught. I'd be looking at death if I didn't have this pillowcase over my head. Time grows elastic. Conner Donnelly has no idea how much time has passed since he'd been taken from his hotel room in Caracas. He'd regained consciousness in the trunk of a car, been awake for the trip onto the boat which he could tell the action from the sounds of the waves lapping against the hull of the boat. Must have been a small boat and mostly used for fishing if the smell was any indication. Then at the other end of the trip another ride in a car, a walk down a hallway with a cement floor and locked in a room with a heavy door. The slamming of the door had sent a shudder thru him that he couldn't hide but at least because of the pillow case they couldn't see the expression he couldn't cover. Small blessings.
Time passed. It could have been ten minutes; it could have been an hour or longer. Someone came in and stripped him down to his boxer briefs and left him sitting in a metal chair in the middle of a concrete room. There was one window. It was in the door and that was covered from the outside. The last thing before the person left was put the pillow case back over his head. They have to be waiting on somebody. If they wanted me dead I would have been overboard on the boat with a weight tied around my ankles. Wouldn't have even needed to spend money on a bullet.

The door opens and then shuts. Conner eyes automatically squint when the pillow case is pulled off of his head. The lighting in the cell isn't that bright and his eyes return to normal. "There has been some kind of mistake..."

"No mistake." The burly man says as he adjusts the gloves that would protect his hands. And its the only thing he says as he begins to work over the WSB agent making him bruised from shoulders to feet. The beating is professional and comprehensive. But it's careful too. No broken bones. No ruptured internal organs. Nothing to the face. Even if he accidently took it too far which would annoy him and his employer greatly, the WSB agent could have an open casket funeral with not a mark on his pretty face.

By the time the man is finished there isn't a spot on Conner that doesn't hurt. But the man doesn't ask any questions. "What do you want?!" Conner protests. "Just tell me what you want?! There has been some kind of misunderstanding. You've got me confused with someone else." Conner gasps out the last.

The man completes the beating and puts the pillowcase back over Conner's head and then leaves the room. He walks past the line of cells. The room the WSB agent is in isn't soundproof. That would defeat the collateral benefit of cowing the prisoners that had gone against The Jefe and ended up here. Each one of them knew they could be in the new prisoner's place. Many of them had been-- all under the orders of Luis Alcazar. This one was a first. The first by the order of Lorenzo Alcazar. The man strips off his gloves and slides them into his back pocket not wanting to misplace them and walks into the Captain's office of the jail. "I've got him softened up. He's still denying anything which is fine since I didn't ask him any questions."

Simon looks over at the computer hacker who is going thru Conner's laptop computer. "Anything yet?"

"It's mostly encrypted. That's going to take me some time. Something here though."

"What's that?"

"I pulled up the history of the last few sites he'd been to on the internet." The hacker grins. "See what kind of porn he's into. Sometimes that's a way in."

"And?" Simon says impatiently.

The hacker straightens and his cheerful grin falls away as he gets back to business. "Star charts for the southern hemisphere and specs on the Gulf IV and this..." The hacker turns the laptop around so that it is facing Simon. On the computer is an attachment from an email-- a picture of Carly and Michael.

"La Senora." Simon says on an exhale. This is unexpected. Why is the WSB interested in La Senora? "Find out who the email is from."

"That is going to take some time."

"Just find out." Simon goes outside the jail to call El Jefe. He hates the smell of the jail: the smell of fear and ammonia. He hits a speed dial number and waits for the boss to pick up.

"Alcazar."

"Jefe, the package is secure. The General has been notified of the breech in his organization and will deal with the person who recommended his advisor."

"Bueno."

"There is something else."

"What?"

"It appears that the location of the compound was the main interest. There are efforts made to narrow down the location using the specs of the jet and the night sky."

"That is not unexpected."

"And there is a picture of La Senora and Michael." The pause on the other end of the line is long and Simon begins to wonder if they've been disconnected. "Jefe?"

"I'm on my way."

"What about Morgan?"

"He isn't going anywhere." Alcazar ends the call.

Simon goes back inside. "El Jefe is on his way. You have until morning to get him the information he needs."

"Better put on another pot of coffee."

At General Hospital, half a world away but in the same general time zone. "Sonny Corinthos is supposed to be released today after he has a consult with Cameron Lewis." One nurse says to the other on the night shift.

"Oh that will go over peachy." The other nurse makes a note of it. "When is the poor guy going to get a break? His wife has been missing for how long? They ought to cut him some slack. I'm sure that it was an accident."

The first nurse rolls her eyes. "Right like that drug overdose a few years ago. Wake up. He might have the best dimples in America but the guy has problems."

"I thought they proved that someone else shot him up?"

"And I bet you believe everything that you read in the papers." The nurse puts back one of the dozen charts she has in front of her. "I'm just glad that Max guy finally left. Even if it was only to get Mr. Corinthos some clothes for when we release him today."

Faith slides back in the shadows. This is perfect. Not only did she find out what room Sonny was in but also that Max was nowhere around... for awhile. If Johnny is there he might still let her in but that would be risky. Sonofabitch dumping her out into the freezing cold with nothing but a thin little lap robe. Making her hide like some kind of little scurry thing. Well he was going to pay. Him and Morgan both. Couldn't use the ring. Thanks to little Lizziebitch and Ric being such a sap for his insipid little twit the police knew about the heart attack inducing poison.
But there was more than one way around this. There is a prep area on the hallway and she slides into it grabbing a syringe and keeps moving until she gets to Sonny's room. She looks both ways before entering the room as silently as possible. Sweet. Sonny still has an IV hanging. It would have been a bitch to try to find a vein and that would have left questions about a needle mark but this would work. Just a little air in the vein.
If she's really lucky it will kill him. And if Sonny is really unlucky maybe it will just give a massive stoke so he can lay there waiting for death- weak and helpless. And still nothing leading back to her. Faith pumps a syringe full of air into the IV and then dumps the needle into the sharps container and eases out of the room careful to look both ways but not seeing the person who watched her go in and out of the room and hadn't done anything to stop her.

Carly wakes up for no reason at all and frowns. She looks into the shadows. There is a different texture to the night. "Lorenzo?" Carly reaches over and turns on the light by her bed. She keeps her voice low not wanting to wake anyone. "How long have you been there?"

"Not long. I have to leave... business. I'm sure you'll barely miss me with Jason here." He adds wryly.

Carly stiffens at that and sits up. There was no way that Alcazar would leave right now. Not with Jason here. Not unless something really big had happened. It was too perfect an opportunity for them all to escape. "You're leaving. But Jason is staying, you aren't making him leave too? What happened?"

"That is not your concern."

"Oh great. That means there is something that is." Carly sighs. "Fine. What? Just spit it out."

Lorenzo comes over and sits on the bed next to Carly. He takes her hand in his. "While I'm gone feel free to go to the village. To the church to check on baptizing Morlee if you like. Show Mr. Morgan around. But remember this-- the world is a very small place. Both you and Mr. Morgan are really quite predictable. There is one place you will always go. Even if you decide to go against doctor's advice and haul your children thru the mountains to safety with Morgan as your guide. Even if the little adventure doesn't kill you, the children, or Morgan. Don't make me go looking for you. Because I will find you. And Mr. Morgan endangering you in such a fashion would not be conducive to his continuing good health."

"One. Jason would never do anything that would endanger me or my children. And two. I really don't appreciate your threats."

Lorenzo tucks a lock of Carly's hair behind her ear. "And you know me well enough to know that I don't make threats. You aren't the hostage anymore. Not you nor your children. Not really." I am. From the day you took my hand and pled for your unborn child's life "Jason Morgan is or your husband. Remember that."

Carly's not happy and not trying to hide it either. "Fine. I'll go down to the parish and find out about getting Marlee baptized. But Sonny needs to be here for that. He should be fine by now."

"I'll have the plane go to Port Charles after it drops me off." Alcazar caresses the back of Carly's hand with his thumb. "If there is any delay I will have word sent. I'm sure that the priest could arrange something for... a week from today? And after your daughter is baptized Mr. Morgan and your husband will return to Port Charles where they belong." He gets up from the bed and walks to the door that leads to the balcony.

"Lorenzo." Carly calls out softly. He turns back to look at her. Her voice is little more than a whisper but he hears her clearly and her words cut sharply. "When you look in the mirror now... do you see yourself? Or Luis?" With that she leans over and turns off the bedside light.

Maybe she'd been too hard on him. Bobbie thinks to herself as she walks down the hallway to Sonny's room before the start of her shift. Maybe she's in a better mood now that she's heard from Sean and knows that there is some effort to find out what is going on with Carly. The man is the father of her grandchildren and she really didn't have to like him but she did have to try to get along with him for Carly's sake. Bobbie smiles at Max who is standing at his post on the door. The guy was starting to look tired. He must never get any breaks. Bobbie pushes her way in and says in a cheerful voice. "I thought you'd already be awake, Sonny, since you're getting out today. And have I got some good news for you!"

Sonny doesn't respond.

Bobbie frowns and moves to Sonny's side. She does a quick assessment and realizes that Sonny is nonresponsive. She pushes the button over his head board to alert the nurses station. "Page the on call to Sonny Corinthos room. He's breathing but non responsive to stimuli-- pupils unequal. I think he's had a stroke." Bobbie flips off the switch. "Damn it, Sonny! Don't do this!"

Carly wasn't really able to get back to sleep after Lorenzo left so she goes down stairs and just watches Jason asleep on the couch. Luckily the couch is long enough. But knowing Jason, he would have crashed on the floor rather than having his own quarters. And this is the proof. Morlee is asleep on his chest. She really wishes that she had a camera. Although a flash would probably set Jason into the mood to come out guns ablazing. Jason slept like the dead but woke up fully alert. It's interesting to watch.

"How long you going to just sit there?" Jason says in a low rumble not opening his eyes.

"Until you woke up. Guess you fooled me." Carly says wryly. Should have figured that one.

"Morlee is fine. I would have brought her up if she was hungry."

"I know." Carly curls up in the chair. "I think I've already proven I know who to leave my kid with, Jase."

Jason gingerly manages to sit up but not disturb the baby. "You're not planning on..."

"No. I'm not going anywhere. If I want to spend a month by the pool, I can just step outside the door."

"Carly..."

Carly interrupts. "Lorenzo had to leave on business."

"That's great."

"That doesn't matter. I'm not going anywhere."

"Look, Carly, I know it'll be tough. I saw a truck. I could hotwire it. We could head to the nearest real town and be back in Port Charles by nightfall."

Carly smiles at Jason and agrees. "Oh I know. I know we could. And Lorenzo knows we could too. He knows exactly where he would find me if I left here. Exactly. He knows where you are. Where Sonny is. We've already had the warehouse blown up once by an Alcazar brother. It would be one thing if I were willing to kiss off everything, everybody, I have in Port Charles--you, mama... Sonny. Then I could drop under his radar, go anyplace in the world. But I'm not. And you both know it. Eventually I'd come back to Port Charles."

"Carly..."

"If I could have left Port Charles, really left Port Charles, Jason, don't you think I would have after I walked in on Sonny in my bed with Alexis?! I nearly killed myself and still went back for more."

"Once I get you and the kids away from Alcazar and to a temporary safe house, I'll take him out, Carly. You don't have to worry about him. Or any of us."

Carly shakes her head. "I'm not going to risk it, Jase. I'll work this my own way."

"Your way isn't working!" Jase explodes and then glances down at Morlee to see if his raised voice had woke her up. The baby is making a little frowny face but then relaxes again. Jason's voice falls to a low rough whisper. "All you are doing is hooking the guy, Carly. I don't know what it is about you. I really don't. And it's not the sex-- although that is great. There must be a pheromone or something you give off when you're pregnant that drives guys absolutely insane and they don't get over it."

"Damn Jase. That's about the sweetest thing you've ever said to me." Carly gives him a grin. Jason growls. Carly gets up and comes over to sit next to Jason on the couch cuddling up next to his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. She reaches up to brush her hand over Morlee's head and back. "Lorenzo is sending the plane for Sonny. We should go into town today and make arrangements for the baptism. I know Sonny will want you to be her Godfather."

"Carly."

"And after the baptism, you and Sonny will go back to Port Charles. You don't want to be away too long. Might give the wrong people ideas. Faith is probably still being a pain in the ass."

"Carly. Stop it. Don't do this."

"It's my choice, Jason." Carly says firmly. "It's better this way."

The policemen come to attention. Everyone stands a little straighter when Alcazar comes into the room. The Captain whose office is being used by Simon and the men rises from his Sergeants desk and goes over to greet El Jefe. "Senor Alcazar, this way please." The captain leads Lorenzo to his office. "If there is anything you need, sir, please to let my men know."

"Thank you, Captain. I appreciate your cooperation."

"And I your patronage, Jefe." The Captain salutes and then leaves.

Lorenzo rolls his eyes and looks at his people. The computer geek is still hard at it and doesn't appear to know that the guy who signs the paychecks has entered the room. The Muscle comes to his feet but doesn't say anything just gives the boss a nod.

Simon goes over to Lorenzo to start filling him in. "He hasn't had more than a few minutes sleep since arriving." Simon shrugs. "Other than when he was unconscious he's probably been awake for... 24 hours. Maybe more. He's been softened up but nobody has spoken to him."

"Any additional information?" Lorenzo looks in the geeks direction.

"Almost there. Almost there." The geek mutters and then exclaims. "Got it." He pushes print. "It's the last reports that were written on the computer." The geek looks up and frowns. "When did you get here, Boss?"

Lorenzo just shakes his head and holds out his hand for the report. He flips thru it quickly. The reports are all about the General and then there is one on him but there is no mention of Carly or Michael. Lorenzo frowns. "Why was there a picture of La Senora and Michael? She is not mentioned in this. And from what you told me the picture predates Carly's pregnancy. The picture wasn't taken in association with me. But these reports are about me or the General."

"The answers are in the next room." The muscle interjects with a rumble. "Be happy to get them for you."

Lorenzo gives him a look that has him shutting his yap and turns back to Simon. "The plane is waiting. Mr. Corinthos is getting another chance. If he blows this one." Lorenzo shrugs. "Be back to pick me up at this time tomorrow."

"Por supuesto, Jefe." Simon nods and leaves for the airport getting a lift from one of the officers.

Lorenzo makes a motion with one hand to the muscle to accompany him and goes back to the interrogation cell. The agent straightens in the hard chair when he hears the sound of the door. Lorenzo pulls up a chair and nods in the direction of the Muscle who comes up behind the agent and rests a heavy hand on the man's shoulder and pulls off the pillow case with the other. The first thing that Conner sees is Alcazar sitting across from him. Lorenzo cross his leg over the other and with an almost prim motion straightens the crease before looking over at the battered agent dressed only in his briefs. "Lets first start with your name."

"You know who I am. Conrad Donner." Con answers.

Lorenzo nods and the muscle starts picking his spot pressing on the bruises that he'd inflicted combining the bruise with a pressure point for maximum effect. Lorenzo waits until it's clear that the agent is in extreme pain. "Please don't be confused. While I am more familiar with European history, I am not unfamiliar with American history or popular culture. Donner is a rather ill fated name from the American west. It would be a shame if you shared their fate. And if you are waiting for the good... cop to appear. Don't."

The muscle eases up on the pressure allowing Conner to draw a breath.

"I don't care that you are WSB. I don't particularly care that you have lied about your name. I don't care that you lied to the General. Although you should know that the General is less than amused and the person who recommended you to him will soon be dead. If the WSB wants to know anything about me they can just ask. My brother worked with them on a number of occasions."

"If that is all true then why am I here?" Conner retorts. "If you don't care so much."

"Why does a WSB agent have a picture of my woman?" Lorenzo's voice comes out in a furious hiss.

Conner starts laughing. "That's what this is about?"

The muscle gives Conner a solid punch to the kidneys which stops the laughter on a gasp. "Answer The Jefe's question." The muscle jerks Conner's head back by the hair.

"You should ask the Senora instead when was the last time she called her mother."

"Her mother." Lorenzo says blankly. This was unexpected and he shakes his head in disbelief. He repeats. "Her mother."

Conner nods as much as he is able. "Carly's little brother, Lucas, is my... cousin."

"This can all be verified." Lorenzo demands and waves off the muscle.

Conner gives him a crooked grin as he is allowed to slump into the chair. "Not that easily. Lucas is adopted. That's how he is related to Carly and Bobbie. My stepmother's sister was his birth mother. The adoption ended up being very ... open... eventually. Bobbie contacted my father when she found out about Carly being with you probably after she already tried the local police and the FBI. And my father contacted me when he found out that the General was dealing with you."

"Wrong time, wrong place for you." The muscle hisses in Conner's ear.

"Have the police hold him." Lorenzo stands up. "If all you said is true, you may yet walk out of here. If it cannot be verified..." Lorenzo shrugs.

"Bobbie knows me as Conner Donnelly but it's been a very long time. Carly might even recognize the name Donnelly but Dad took another job before Carly ever hit town."

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