Emily stood uneasily among the throng of tourists, visitors, and sunworshipers. She was wearing a long sleeve white peasant blouse that bared her midriff and a pair of denim shorts. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail.

“You should have followed my advice and gotten something skimpier,” Celia said gesturing to her own skin tight red tube dress.

Emily shook her head. She had spent two days at the apartment everyone referred to as Sanctuary and for those two days, the girl Celia had been on her case every minute. She couldn’t figure out why Celia hated her so much. Celia was older and beautiful, it was obvious to Emily that she and Juan were lovers. Not that Juan was interested in her in that way, Emily thought. He had been kind and helped her through her illness, given her a place to stay, and he had come up with a way for her to earn money and contribute. There was something about him that made her feel safe. The same way that Lucky made her feel safe. She spots a pay phone down the block. She can’t call home or Jason. but maybe she can call Lucky?

“Do I have time to make a phone call?” Emily asks.

“What do you have to call the palace and let them know you’re going to be late for supper with the Queen?”

Emily flinched but stood her ground and was about to reply when Juan showed up. “Shut up Celia,” He said almost automatically before he turned to Emily. “You ready Querida?”

Emily looks into his dark eyes and smiles. “I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be,” Juan puts his arm around her and draws her off for a private conversation. “You are beautiful and you sing beautifully. Zane will play (he motioned to the brown haired youth who now held a guitar), you will sing, and the people will be so enchanted by your voice that they will will place money as a sign of gratitude in the guitar case.”

Emily giggles. “Maybe they will do it as a way of getting me to shut up.”

Juan smiles at her. Zane strums a few chords and then looks up at Emily.

Emily looks around her. You can do this, she tells herself as her eyes meet Juans. Think of the rule. Everyone contributes. This is your contribution. Do you want to go back to sleeping in doorways? Just imagine that you’re at the Nurses Ball?

Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high,
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.


Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.

She begins to sing, and the river of people going by at first slows down and then stops completely as a crowd gathers around to hear the young woman sing.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly,
Birds fly over the rainbow,
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow,
Why oh why can't I?

Someday I'll wake and rub my eyes,
and in that land beyond the skies you'll find me.
I'll be a laughing daffodil
and leave the silly cares that fill
my mind behind me.
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow,
why oh why can't I?

Juan Santiago smiled, his instincts were right. Emily’s voice combined with her innocent beauty has caught the attention of everyone around them. He looks at the crowd and immediately spots his first target, an gentlemen dressed in an Armani suit.

From his vantage point, about twenty or so yards away, Lucky watches as the teen steals the man’s wallet and then moves on to another man’s wallet and then another. He stops after the fourth one, apparently not wanting to push his luck. The kid is good, between the expertise of the pickpocketing and the distraction that Emily is providing, the men aren’t even aware that their wallets are gone.

Lucky’s eyes narrow as he looks at Emily. She is thinner and a little paler, but otherwise she looks good and he lets her sweet voice surround him as he allows himself a moment of pure relief that she is okay. The moment disappears when he feels the edge of a knife against his throat, he looks up to see the blonde Emily was talking too earlier and the boy Juan staring at him. . He allows himself to be dragged into an alley, before he breaks lose and turns the table, quickly getting the blonde in his grip and her knife in his hands.

“You have no idea who you are messing with,” He says evenly as he pushes the knife so that it jabs against her skin. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to play with fire?”

“Why don’t you tell us who you are?” There’s no ID in the backpack

“In my line of work, ID’s are just pieces of paper.” Lucky quips. “What matters is not who you are but who do you know?”

“And who do you know?” Juan says. “And why were you following me?”

“Wasn’t. Why would I follow a street punk like you around?” Lucky said easily releasing the blonde and pushing her away. “ You want to play some two bit con game and steal a few wallets, don’t let me stop you. Now that little girl you have singing, her I like. Her I could use. I don’t suppose she’s available?”

Juan pinned him against the wall. “You leave her out of this. She’s mine.”

Lucky smiled to hide his growing anger at the other kid’s arrogance. “What about the blonde? She belong to you too.?”

“Celia belongs to whoever can pay the price.” Juan says bluntly.

Lucky grins. “Of course.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t do well with interrrogations. They bring out the worse in me. Ask the police. Or my lawyers.”

“I’m asking you. Who are you and who do you work for?”

“My name is Spence.” Lucky says coolly. “And I don’t work for anybody. I’m not anyone’s lackey. I leave those kinds of jobs for lowlifes like you.”

“I heard you talking about Corinthos back at the cafe. Was that Sonny Corinthos?”

“Is there another?”

“How do you know him?”

Lucky looks at the blonde pointedly and waits until Juan gives her the order to leave. “Let’s just say that my family has close ties with his family.”

Juan stared at the older boy. “You’re just a kid.”

Lucky smiled. “It’s not how old you are, it’s how many years you have in. I’ve been working for Corinthos since he and my dad became partners...since I was ten. Before that my dad was associated with Frank Smith. Knew the son too.”

“It’s a lot of talk. Prove it.”

Lucky reaches into his backpack and pulls out his cell phone. He dials a number and hands the phone to Juan. “See who answers.”

The phone rings once before its answered.

“Corinthos.” The smooth Italian voice answers and Juan disconnects the call.

Lucky smiles. “If I wasn’t telling the truth, how would I know Corinthos private line?”

“All right.” Juan nods. “So why are you watching me?”

“Told you. I was listening to the angel with the voice. I hope you’ll at least introduce me. Though, after thinking it over, maybe I should be watching you. You’re smart. You think on your feet. Sonny and Jason are always looking for new talent.”

“Jason?”

“Morgan. Sonny’s partner. I told you. I know everyone in Corinthos organization personally. I could probably get you in if you did me a favor.” Lucky paused. “Or at least arrange a meeting.”

“What kind of favor?”

“It’s a little too hot in Miami for me if you know what I mean. I have some merchandise that I need to get to Corinthos and I need a place to lay low until the drop can be arranged. Maybe you know a place?”

“What kind of merchandise? There ain’t nothing in your backpack.”

“Do I look like an idiot?” Lucky says. “What I’ve got you don’t carry around in a backpack. It’s stashed some place safe. This particular merchandise is really important to Morgan and Corinthos. You help me get it to them safely, and they’ll be grateful.”

Juan pause and then sticks out his hand. “Welcome to santcuary.”

Lucky smiles. He’s in, now how does he get himself and Emily out?

Emily finishes her last song and looks at the pile of money in the guitar case with shining eyes.

“There has to be at least twenty or thirty dollars in here” she says to Zane who smiles.

Juan comes up from behind her . “See Querida, I told you that they would like you.” He smiles at her knowing, that the money in the guitar case is nothing next to the hundreds of dollars in the wallets he stole with her help. He touches her cheek tenderly. “I want you to meet a new friend of mine, someone who is going to be staying at Sanctuary with us.” He motions behind him.

“Emily this is Spence.”

Emily smiles before she looks up. “It’s nice to meet you...” she pales almost impercitbly. “Spence.”

Lucky’s blue eyes blaze back at her as he grins. “It’s nice to meet you too Emily. I guess we are going to be roommates for a few days. I hope we will get to know each other really well.”

Emily moves closer to Juan who slips an arm around her.

“Querida?” He asks softly his voice full of concern.

“I’m tired,” she says plaintively hating to sound weak. “Can we go back to the apartment?”

Juan hesitates as his eyes meet Zane’s. They need to use the credit cards and ATM cards before their victims know that they are missing.

Lucky smiles. “I can take her back, if the two of you have business to conduct.”

“Is that okay with you Querida?”

Emily nods in defeat. She’d have to have this confrontation with Lucky one way or the other. At least this way the others wouldn’t be around. She didn’t want Juan or anyone else to know who she was.

Seeing the smirk on Lucky’s face, Emily impulsively reaches up and gives Juan a kiss. After a startled second, he returns the kiss for one dizzying moment.

Anger burns in Lucky’s eyes for a moment, anger mingled with something else that he is not ready to define or name.

Emily smiles tentatively at Juan after she breaks off the kiss and then leads Lucky down the street.

From across the street, Celia watches in a jealous rage as Emily kisses Juan and she sees the dazed look on Juan’s face as Emily takes off.

Her heart burning, Celia takes off in the opposite direction.

She stops when she catches her probation officer heading down in her direction with a blonde woman and two other people.

“Thank you for helping us search for Emily, Mike,” The blonde says with a smile.

“Anything for the girl who stood me up when we were in the tenth grade.”

“Did I?” Carly looks at the tall, good looking probation officer and smiles. “I was a foolish teenager, but I’ve grown up since then.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” his blue eyes ran over her beautiful form and Carly found herself blushing.

“Excuse me,” Sonny interupted. “But we have to find Emily before anyone realizes that not only is she a Quartermaine but she’s also Jason Morgan’s sister.”

Mike nodded. “That would put her in a lot of danger in this town.” They continue down the block and after they are gone, Celia comes out from her hiding place. “So the princess has a secret.” Celia grinned. “I know exactly what to do and by the time I’m through, the lost little princess will be lying on a slab in the morgue and Juan will be mine again.”

Two blocks down the street, Sonny, Jason, and Carly are listening as Mike describes what life is like for the vast majority of street kids.

“Most of the kids make their money begging from tourists or as street performers. Of course many make it selling the only thing they possess- their bodies. The kids who work this neighborhood run as a gang. They hang out in an apartment they call Sanctuary and they run as a gang pretty much. It rotates but they’ve probably got about ten kids in this one bedroom apartment. They all contribute to the group. The police have picked up members of Santcuary for prositutaion, shoplifting, pickpocketing, mostly minor crimes. Their leader though, Juan Santiago, he has his eyes on the big time. I imagine he wants to be you some day.” He says to Sonny.

“Not if he’s smart,” Sonny begins and then stops. “Did you say Juan Santiago?”

“Yeah. He arrived from Puerto Rico about a year ago. Smart kid, has potential, but he’s more interested in stealing money than earning it.”

“What does he look like?”

“Dark hair, dark eyes. I’ve got pictures of him back in the office. The police picked him up for credit card theft six months ago so technically he’s on probation. He checks in with me about once a week.”

“Sonny, do you know him?” Carly asks.

Sonny nods. “Juan Santiago is my stepson.” Coming Soon
Part Three of the Runaway Trilogy: Sacrifice