The stable boy knew something was wrong the moment he heard the frantic pounding of hooves coming down the main horse trail. Having spent much of his life around horses and caring for them, the sounds had become a part of his everyday routine and on the rare occasion when something was out of place, he sensed it just as swiftly as the other horses in the stables nearby did. He moved quickly out of the stall he was cleaning and jogged towards the stables entrance just in time to catch a glimpse of Anais and Faucon rushing toward the main house. His eyes widened with alarm but he bit back the urge to shout her name, knowing his panic would only agitate the horses even further. With a grimace he ran after the young pair, giving a backwards glance and noting with surprise that her Father was not hot on her heels.
Up on the 2nd floor in his room, Nikolas had scrawled his name on the last contract when the open window brought sounds that made his hair stand on end. Jerking from his seat, he looked out and watched, his mouth agape, as Anais and her young colt rushed headlong for the villa. “Too hard, too fast,” he said absentmindedly, stunned at the sight before finding his feet and rushed for the door, nearly crashing into Dara. “Something’s wrong!” he said simply and ran for the stairs. Dara stood for a split second until she heard the terrible shriek of Faucon through the open window.
“Anais,” she whispered.
*~*~*~*~*~*
By some miracle, Anais managed to rein Faucon under control as they neared the villa doors, despite her shaking hands and Faucon’s skittish manner. Her mind reeling, she dismounted him, nearly tumbling to the ground, both exhausted and frightened. Clutching the reins, she stood, catching her breath, wondering if anyone had noticed her entrance. She got her answer a second later when voices and bodies came from every avenue, besieging her with questions and concern.
Nikolas was the first face she saw, his dark eyes centering on her and she shrank back, feeling a wave of the power of the Cassadine Prince overwhelm her. She stood wordlessly in front of him. The stable boy ran up, cross with Anais and moved to take the animal from her but she could not release her iron clad grip on the lead. Security in groups of three moved in, their weapons brandished and walkie talkies squawking loudly.
Nikolas surveyed the situation and with an impatient wave, motioned the guards to give the young girl room. “Anais? What happened?” he asked more gently, bending down to meet her wide eyed gaze. Dara burst onto the scene and Anais looked at her, blinking helplessly as her voice refused to come alive and allow the terrifying ordeal spill out.
Dara nearly gasped at the sight of her niece, the horror filled expression nearly identical to the haunting image of Christoph’s reaction to his wife’s death, long ago seared in her mind. “Take Faucon,” she said softly, taking Anais’s hand in hers and gently freeing the lead from the child’s grasp to hand off to the stable boy. Turning her attention to Anais, she cupped her hand to the pale cheek. “Tell me Anais, what happened?” she queried in the child’s native tongue.
Anais blinked several times, relaxing ever so slightly at her Aunt’s use of German, before letting out a pained breath. “Papa’s dead!” she cried, her eyes filling with tears. “Men are coming! Helena is coming!”
RJ and Stefan came from around the corner of the villa, their tour of the perimeter finished. Catching wind of the disturbance, they’d raced towards the gathering group just as Zander, carrying Kristina, Gia and Victoire emerged from the doorway. His heart in his throat, RJ cut through the group, exchanged a troubled look with Dara and without a word, swept up his niece in his arms and took her inside. “Victoire!” he gritted out and the older woman nodded, moving quickly towards the kitchen to find her special tea.
“I want the perimeter secure!” Dara thundered to the guards. “I’m on channel 3 and I want reports every 5 minutes.”
“What about Christoph?” Gia asked as Kristina wriggled from Zander’s grasp and he set her down but kept a firm eye on his little sister. “We need to go after him if Helena has him,” he added, wanting desperately to aid in any way he could. They were all here because of him, he wouldn’t just stand aside and do nothing.
Dara’s gazed hardened. “Inside, right now, all of you.” She was in no mood for debate.
“The stable boy?” Zander asked. If they were going to leave the villa, he didn’t want the quiet boy to become another of Helena’s victims.
“Calogero will be fine,” Dara sighed, moving into the house. A young guard approached and whispered into her ear. Dara nodded once and headed towards a laptop sitting on the kitchen table, which had been commandeered as an information centre. Zander ran a frustrated hand through his hair and stormed in after her as Nikolas pulled his young protesting cousin into his arms and followed after Zander.
“So, that’s it? You don’t care about what happens to Christoph or that poor kid out there? We just leave them high and dry?”
Dara began tapping on the computer keys rapidly. “One second,” she murmured, her eyes fixed on the screen. Zander squared his shoulders, letting out an angry breath. Gia moved forward to calm him, but Nikolas beat her to the punch.
“Zander, you need to calm down and be patient. Dara knows what she is doing,” Nikolas stated as he stood by his irritated cousin. “Take Kristina upstairs to Alexis and wait there.” His tone was no nonsense and Gia winced. Zander never took direction well and certainly not from people he didn’t like.
Furious, Zander whirled around, momentarily distracted from his questioning. “Back off! I don’t take orders-,” he barked before catching sight of Kristina nestled within Nikolas’s firm grasp, his booming voice instantly cutting off. He adored Kristina and had always taken painstaking care in not raising his voice around her. Nikolas knew that and had used it against him. It was a dirty trick, but it worked. She smiled at him, unfazed, and he in turn felt the coils within him relax. “Nanner, see Mama,” she instructed, holding her arms out expectantly.
What could he do? Zander let out a breath, cooling himself before smiling easily at Kristina. “Alright Davy, let’s take Gia and go find Mama.”
“Thank you,” Nikolas replied.
“Later,” Zander bit out as he issued Nikolas a scathing glare before leaving with Gia and Kristina. Their encounter was far from over.
Stefan had watched the brief face off with great interest. He imagined that their rounds of verbal scrimmages would continue on in the years ahead much the way it had just moments ago. Nikolas, the elder and more even tempered of the two, the one who saw the chess board before him and knew exactly how to manipulate things accordingly. Zander, a quick, sharp mind that brought the unexpected, but often incredibly insightful opinion to the floor.
The Prince and the Pyr.
“What about Calogero?” Nikolas asked finally. Stefan bit back a smile. Nikolas had taken Zander’s fears seriously.
“He’s a Vizzini,” Stefan spoke up from across the room. “Named for his great grandfather. Helena won’t dare touch him.”
“Don Calogero Vizzini’s great grandson is tending to the stables?” Nikolas asked in disbelief. He hadn’t been told of this at the briefing. Somehow, he knew his Father was behind this gap of information.
“He’s good with horses,” Dara said. “Besides, Helena has an agreement with the Sicilians that goes way back.” She gave Stefan an unhappy look. He’d assured her that Nikolas was aware of everything and everyone at the villa. She could only imagine what else he’d kept to himself, from her and from Nikolas.
Nikolas furrowed his brow as he looked to Stefan expectantly for the history lesson, his eyes like flint. He would deal with his Father’s decision to remain silent, later. “One of the many reasons my Father, your Grandfather, agreed to marry Helena was because of her ‘friendship’ with the Vizzini family. The marriage of Mikkos and Helena bound together two powerful families and the business properties that came with it. Her Uncle Darius had long before established strong business ties with the Vizzini family. They’d frequented the same social circles and during the war, were able to aid each other in times of need. Unfortunately, my Father was short tempered and consumed with the sciences. He had little time or patience for proper social customs outside the family realm and of course, offended the Sicilians many times. The business partnership would have been devastated had Helena, then my Father’s fiancée, not stepped in and smoothed things over.”
“Helena was a smart girl, even then. She knew how to orchestrate events to her favour.” Dara closed her laptop. “They’ll send someone for him and the horses tomorrow.”
“So Helena re-established the business ties.”
“She came to an arrangement, privately, with the Don,” Stefan elaborated. “In exchange, he promised that no member of the Sicilian mafia would touch Cassadine Industries in Italy or America, even after his death.”
“That worked?”
Dara nodded. “Things were different back then. The Omerta and other codes actually meant something and when a Don gave his word, it was kept. Besides, it works to both ends to continue things this way.
“So if Helena were to carelessly kill a member of the family whom she made an oath to 60 years ago, they’d come after her,” Nikolas surmised.
“They would destroy everything that Helena had and because of it, no member of this family would shelter her, not even Mikhail,” Stefan stated, referring to the member of the Cassadine family who believed he’d been cheated from inheriting the Empire after the fiasco of Nikolas’s true parentage had been revealed. Wild, violent and usually out of control, Mikhail had been Helena’s strongest supporter and financial backer in taking back the Empire after the remainder of the family agreed that Nikolas should retain control, but even he had his limits. “Helena doesn’t want the Empire in ruins so she knows well to leave certain stones unturned.”
Nikolas sat down on a stool, absorbing the influx of information. “Why am I only learning this sliver of information now? I know there is far more to his being here than what you’re saying, so I would appreciate a little insight on that,” he inquired, slightly peeved.
Stefan gave a small shrug. “Nikolas, this is our way of life. As head of the family, it is your business, your lifeblood to know every detail within your reach, from the head, to the stable boy in a far off villa. I introduced you to the boy’s Father no less than three years ago.” It was the closest thing to a slap in the face as his sharp tone bit out the words.
The room crackled with tension and an awful silence hung over the room before Nikolas finally broke through, his gaze firmly centered on his Father.
“I remember,” Nikolas stated evenly. “I know what I have been taught my entire life but I also know the traditions in our family and how knowledge is passed down from Father to son long after a son’s 25th birthday. The Father becomes a counsel, but if he is unable to, a suitable replacement is found,” Nikolas allowed the words to come out slowly for full effect. “If you have pertinent information, I won’t tolerate your decision to remain silent.” He searched his Father’s eyes and relented slightly. “I know you’re angry with me but I will decide this family’s course. I will not apologize for my decisions and I will not abide by any attempt to circumvent my authority.
Stefan seemed unmoved by Nikolas’s words, although they tore at him deeply and the younger man gave no indication of the frustration he felt at the distance between them. The tension lingered until a clatter of footfalls neared. Robert pulsed into the room, wild with energy. “Bloody hell!” he growled, slicing through the invisible wall etched between Nikolas and Stefan, taking no notice of their stand off.
Nikolas gave a small head shake and turned to Dara. “Make no decisions without me.” With that, he left the room to go deal with the other family issue named Zander.
“Nobody finds me until it’s all done with!” Robert flung open the refrigerator with such vigor, the items tucked inside the door clattered loudly. He yanked a bottle of fruit drink out and unsealed it with a loud crack, downing nearly a third of the citrus liquid in one gulp.
“It was handled in less than thirty seconds,” Dara said, sitting at the table and moving back to the laptop with interest. Staying focused on the matter at hand, rather than Anais’s stricken face and Christoph’s disappearance, was where she needed to keep her mind. “We need to think about getting the others away from here. Our location is compromised.”
Stefan leaned against a counter and crossed his arms in front of him as Robert thumped into a chair adjacent to Dara. “Alexis won’t budge if she thinks movement puts anyone at greater risk,” he stated. “We could insist it’s in Kristina’s best interest to move to another safe house,” she suggested before Stefan shook his head impatiently.
“The only person who decides what is in Kristina’s best interest is Alexis. Do not make the mistake of attempting to challenge that.” Robert nodded his head in agreement, albeit reluctantly.
“What about Zander? I know he’s feeling guilt over all this. If we persuade him to leave, he’ll take everyone, Alexis, Kristina, Gia and Anais. He’s highly protective of the women in his life.”
Stefan shook his head again. “Zander will not leave as long as Nikolas remains. He may go as far as the new safehouse, but I would assume he’d do nothing less than slip out one night and return here.”
Dara gave a frustrated sigh and leaned back in the chair, stretching her arms high above her head as her back arched. Her shirt rose ever so slightly, allowing a sliver of coffee coloured skin to peek out. Stefan stilled and watched with greedy eyes. It was not so long ago that his fingers had danced along the smooth flesh in the sanctuary of his majestic bedroom. He broke his gaze, remembering their words from earlier. “Later.”
“So we stay.” Robert’s voice was resigned. “The villa’s a good stronghold. It’s not as though we’re without options.” His voice trailed off as he looked down at his hands. Kristina and Zander were here, in the place where he and Alexis had their souls viciously torn out. Helena was once again bearing down on them and the parallels of that night over 20 years ago and present day left an eerie ache in the pit of his stomach. He looked up and Dara met his eyes. She gave him an encouraged smile but it did little to temper his anxiety.
Stefan’s somber tone broke the silence. “We should then begin our preparations for the inevitable.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
RJ sat silently as he watched the bathroom door, waiting for his shaken niece to emerge. He’d brought her up to his room and sat her on the bed, saying nothing. Moments later Victoire had swept in, a mug of her special tea in hand. She’d sat next to the young girl and pressed the warm cup into Anais’s hands, murmuring comforting words and urging the child to drink while RJ moved across the hall to Anais’s room where he pulled clean clothes from her dresser and brought them into his ensuite bathroom. He then drew a hot bath, dropping in cleansing crystals that he’d picked up months earlier in Bangladesh. Placing the clean clothes on top of the clothes hamper he then took fresh maroon coloured towels and placed them near the clawfoot bathtub. Then, without any fanfare, Victoire had brought Anais into the bathroom and RJ left, shutting the door behind him. A few minutes later, Victoire also emerged, nodding gently to RJ before leaving the room.
Now he would wait. He’d always been a patient man and had worked well in trauma cases in the past. Some found his methods to be time wasting, but he had discovered over the years that a traumatized mind often needed a few moments of genuine tranquility, especially a child.
Inside the bathroom, Anais floated in the murky water, completely submerged in the warmth. She'd been that way for nearly 15 minutes, with only her lips breaking the surface to take in a breath every minute or so. The same images floated in and out of frame in her mind. The masked man, the gun, her Father's steely command for her to flee to safety.
Did he suffer?
Was he dead?
Who was the man behind the mask?
How close was Helena?
Her eyes opened underwater. Helena. A woman she'd never met but who'd successfully killed both of her parents. Slowly she sat up and pulled the plug to let the water drain. She'd had enough of hiding. 10 minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, clean and dry, to see RJ waiting. He had a look on his face she'd never seen before and her stomach jumped with anxiety. She moved to his bed and crawled on top of it, flopping her head on the pillow. Turning away from him, she blinked a few tears back. "I don't want to talk right now," she said softly in her native tongue.
RJ simply sat. He was fine with waiting.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Well, she's had enough excitement right now," Alexis indicated to Kristina, who now lay curled in a ball, clutching her stuffed lamb tightly in her fist as she let out a soft snore, deep in sleep.
Zander nodded and the two exited the room, Alexis shutting the door gently behind her. She looked at her son, knowing full well that he'd had another run in with Nikolas, not to mention being rattled by Christoph's disapearance and Anais's trauma. Those troubled brown eyes were no mystery to her. He held her gaze for a moment before dropping his to the floor and instinctively, she pulled him to her in a warm hug.
"It's my fault. All of this," he said brokenly. "All these people risking their lives for me."
"Everyone is here FOR you, but each other as well." she corrected. "Helena is the cause of all the problems. I blamed Robert for so much and it wasn't right or fair. Put the blame where it belongs."
Zander pulled back. "He should have protected you from her." There was a gruffness in his tone that didn't entirely surprise Alexis. In fact, she anticipated his protective stance. "It was a horrible night, so many agents died and we got separated. He protected me as best he could. He wasn't much older than you are now."
Zander gave her a doubtful look. "He shouldn't have brought you here. If he really loved you, he would never have let you get hurt."
"He loved me." Her sincere words didn't do much to assuage Zander, but he couldn't simply ignore what she believed. Alexis arched a brow at him. "Zander, he has been looking for you for so long. He loves you so much. Losing you was the worst thing to happen and it tore us apart. That is Helena's doing, but your Father did everything in his power to keep you and I safe."
Zander bit his lower lip uncertainly and Alexis gave him a watery smile. "People love you Zander. People who have loved you from the moment you existed. When we lost you, I wanted to die. I couldn't handle going on with my life and it was only Stefan who kept me sane. Robert was alone in all of it. Reprimanded and punished for dereliction of duty, I was gone and he had no one. He lived with so much guilt. We all did and now you're alive and there is so much hope!" Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she cupped his face in her hands. "You give our families so much hope."
Zander sucked in a ragged breath, sudden tears springing forth. No one had ever spoken of him like that before. All his life he'd been an outsider and now he was smack in the middle of two large and complicated families. He felt a swelling of love wash over him and he nearly broke. Reaching for Alexis, he let out a small sob of relief, the tension in his chest easing.
From down the hall, Gia watched the scene, her own tears freely falling. Maybe now, Zander would start to believe that his life had meaning again. A shadow behind her gave her pause and she wiped them away quickly. "Give it a rest for now, okay?"
Nikolas reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently and left as quietly as he came.
*~*~*~*~*~*
As dusk approached, the residents of the villa moved about quietly, still somber over Christoph's fate and the impending threat. Anais had turned down dinner and Alexis took hers in her room with Zander and Kristina. Stefan, Nikolas, Robert and Dara discussed strategy in the kitchen while Gia gave RJ a break and watched over Christoph's daughter. Still, the evening meal proved filling and after ensuring Anais was fast asleep, Gia dozed off in her chair as well. Victoire left the windows open and the smell of warm jasmine filled the corridors and rooms.
The unexpected tranquility did not last.
"You're all mad!" Robert declared, angrily pushing his chair back. "This is MY family we're talking about!"
Stefan and Nikolas bristled at his words. "They are my responsibility and my family," Nikolas interrupted in annoyance. "You can either be part of the equation or not. Decide now but stop wasting time with your incessant yelling and hand waving."
Dara sighed. Men. "10 minute break. Everyone clear out."
Nikolas rose and headed back up to his room. No doubt he had a few more e-mails to send off and faxes to read. Robert stormed up the stairs to Alexis's room, hoping to catch Zander, who'd elected not to sit in on the meeting. He'd declared it pointless and Robert couldn't help but agree. In an hour's time, they'd not made any decisions or distance on the plan of action. He gave a short knock before entering and his heart immediately lifted upon the sight before him. Alexis putting Kristina down for the night, humming gently under her breath. "How are things going?" she whispered to him.
"Pointless."
She smiled at him. "That's what Zander said," she replied knowingly.
"Good head on his shoulders, that one."
She swatted his arm playfully as she joined him in the hall. "He seemed tired, so he turned in." Robert couldn't hide his disapointment from her. "I was hoping we could talk for a few moments."
"He's not avoiding you."
Robert gave her a skeptical look. "Alexis."
"Alright, he's a little withdrawn. You're a mystery to him and he doesn't know if he should trust you. Trust is not an easy thing for Zander."
"Sounds like someone I know," Robert said softly, looking pointedly at Alexis.
"He's more like you."
"Doubtful. He found his way to you, not me."
Alexis placed her hand on Robert's forearm. "He's brave and devoted to the people he loves. He carries the burdens that aren't his. He's used to feeling alone."
Robert stood silently, saying nothing. Alexis moved in closer, her hand now resting on his chest. She felt the rhythm of his heart beat and gave a small smile. The years hadn't changed Robert much. Harder and wiser, yes, but his heart was still strong. "Same heart."
A shout from below interrupted them and they turned as Dara charged towards them.
"What is it?" Robert asked.
"Zander is missing!"
Alexis sucked in her breath and dug her nails into Robert. "What?" she demanded in horror.
"Search the grounds now!" Robert yelled to two guards.
Gia burst from RJ's room and ran out with a cry. "Anais is gone!"
*~*~*~*~*~*
Lucky slung a rucksack over his shoulder and gave a wink to the customs officer. She bit back a smile and stamped his passport. "Bienvenue a Paris, Monsieur Laurent."
"Merci," he replied and headed for the doors. Traveling light was a Spencer gene and he quickly navigated his way through the crowd of business passengers. Names on signs held by various people and drivers waved in front of him. Normally, he ignored them but one sign in particular stopped him dead in his tracks.
SPENCER.
"Dammit," Lucky muttered. Bright blue eyes sparkled back at him.
"What can I say, my family is full of spies and cops."
Lucky wasn't sure what irritated him more, the fact that she was there or the fact that she had beaten him to Paris. "You're Uncle is going to kill me."
Maxie smiled bravely. He spoke the truth. "Then we should get going."
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