Ch. 18

"Jess?" Will said her name for the third time as she stared ahead, finally he shook her gently by the shoulder. "Jess?"

Jessica Buchanan looked up at the man she loved and then lowered her eyes, not even trying to blink away the tear that ran down the side of her face. "What if I lose her?" The voice was barely more than a whisper, the words empty.

Will took in a deep breath. He'd been so busy trying to comfort Nik since Emily's disappearance that he had barely noticed Jess's anguish. "Oh, Jess." He reached over and she buried her head in his chest as he gently dropped a kiss on her forehead. "It's going to be okay. She's going to be okay."

"I know. I know. I believe that, I really do. It's just....ever since we met at camp that summer, she's always been there. Always. When my parents split. When my Aunt Megan died." Jess closed her eyes. "When our Megan died. I just can't ... I can't imagine her not being there when we get married or when this baby is born." Jessica half smiled. "I never told her, I never told you, but I've always had this fantasy that some day my child and her child would be best friends just like we are."

"Another Buchanan-Quartermaine connection? I don't think the world could handle it."

"Except it wouldn't be just a Buchanan-Quartermaine connection. It would be a Rappaport/Buchanan -Quartermaine/Cassadine connection. Can you image what it would be like if one of our children ended up dating Emily's?"

"Did you say 'one of our children'?"

Jess smiled shyly but before she could reply Kevin voice interrupted them.

"Anyone have any idea where we are?" The mini van made another turn down a winding street as Kevin followed Helena's car. "And I'd appreciate an answer other than somewhere near Port Charles."

Nik shook his head. "I haven't a clue." It had gotten dark as they followed the other car. They'd gone about thirty miles since leaving the marina and none of the scenery he saw was familiar.

"We're near the river," Jason replied pointing towards a nearby rise. "The bluffs are over that hill and the river just beyond that."

"Why are we slowing down?" Nik asked impatiently as the mini van began to lose ground on the other car.

"Simple kid," Kevin replied without hesitation. "Basic rule of following someone- don't let the person you are following spot you. With other cars to serve as camouflage, we could afford to get closer. Unfortunately the only cars on the road right now are your lunatic grandmother and us. Hence the distance."

Nikolas sat back subdued, his fist clenched. Powerlessness was not a feeling that he was familiar with. He'd faced few situations in his past that couldn't be solved with either money or charm or the Cassadine name. Emily was the most important thing in his life and he was forced to rely on someone else to help rescue her.

Of course the fact that that someone was Jason Morgan made him feel a little better.

He closed his eyes and leaned back, forcing himself to relax and focus as Stefan had taught him to. And in between silent chants and mantras, he also prayed.

The pain was blinding in its intensity and the force of the blow propelled her backwards as Juan's fist hammered Emily's cheek.

"Why?" Emily despised the weakness in her voice.

"Money of course," Juan advanced on Emily as she took a step backward and came up against a wall. "Money that was mine and would have been mine again if you hadn't screwed things up." He reached up and gently traced the outline of the angry red patch on her cheek. His voice softened. "Does it hurt?"

Emily shuddered at his touch. "No"

"Good," Juan smiled viciously as he grabbed Emily by the neck and twisted her around, throwing her viciously to the floor even as Emily screamed. She grabbed her ankle as white hot pain shot through it. "Why?"

He kicked her. "Because I can. Because you deserve it. Because you ruined everything."

She felt like throwing up. "I didn't do anything to hurt you. I cared about you."

"Of course you did. That was the plan after all."

"Plan?"

"What you didn't think I actually cared about you, did you? Sorry to disillusion you girlfriend," he bit the word out mockingly, "but this was always about getting back what belonged to me." Juan shrugged. "If playing nice with you helped me to get my revenge on Corinthos and your brother... Well everything has a price, doesn't it?"

Nikolas....Emily struggled for control...Nikolas please I need you. The tormented prayer echoed through her soul but she said nothing, instead gingerly coming to her feet, holding her arm against her painful ribs. She forced herself to look calmly at him, despite her spiraling terror. He was going to kill her. She knew it. Could read it in the line of his stance and the madness in his eyes. She was going to die.

All right. She could accept that. But if she was going to die, she would die like a Quartermaine. And Quartermaines don't beg or plead.

Or at least not outside the family, they didn't.

"It was all so simple, so foolproof." Juan laughed harshly. "The perfect plan to get back what belonged to me, the Rivera territories. Rivera was my grandfather. My blood. His money, his power, his organization should have come to me, not the man who killed his daughter and drove him to suicide. Without my grandfather's legacy Sonny Corinthos would be nothing more than a two bit hood and Jason Morgan a glorified delivery boy."

"Sonny loved Lila."

"Bullshit. He used her. First marrying her out of convenience knowing full well that he was still in love with someone else. He cheated on her you know, all of his talk about how much he loved Lila and he treated her like dirt." A dark look crossed Juan's face. "Then he killed her."

"It was an accident."

"That he could have prevented. Should have prevented. Poor Lily, all she ever did was love him and he destroyed her."

"He wanted to help you."

"Help me? Do you know how much it galled to take his hand outs, his help, knowing that everything he has belongs to me?" Juan grinned. "When I realized who my mother was and learned about the birthright I had been denied, I wanted what was mine back. I also knew that there was no way that I could get it back legally or morally, so I began to plan and I found Sonny and Jason's weak link...you."

"It was all a set up wasn't it? Even in the beginning...."

"All of it. And it was so easy...you were so pathetic, so desperate. You were my opening to get closer to Jason and Sonny. I knew that Sonny wasn't stable enough after he returned to hold the organization. Morgan may have been number two in title, but in every other way he was in charge. And if I was dating his sister, married to his sister, I would be his second and then some day the whole organization would be mine."

"You're crazy! Jason doesn't even like you."

"No but he loves you. He would do anything to keep you safe and happy."

"You're sick."

"It would have worked to if you hadn't taken that damned vacation to Llanview. I knew something was wrong so I went after you. But you know well that went. I was so sure that Nikolas could never be a threat. I mean who would go from Katherine to Liz to you?" His jaw tightened. "Still I never expected him to stay with you and when he did, I knew I had to do something to break you up for good."

"You sent the pictures." Emily stared at him horrified.

"It's amazing what you can do with digital cameras and the right software."

"I trusted you."

"I tolerated you." Juan smiled. "Now I'm going to kill you. It's almost as good as getting the organization back from Corinthos. I kill you and Morgan and Corinthos suffer from guilt for the next few decades. Hell, this way I even get to hurt your precious Prince." Juan came closer again. "Imagine how Cassadine will feel when they find your torn, mutilated, and raped body. He'll know that it was his fault, his sleeping with Liz that drove you into danger. I imagine he'll be so full of guilt. You know the world might even get lucky and Cassadine will kill himself rather than live with the knowledge of what he did to you."

"You and Liz planned this..."

"Actually Liz planned it, I just helped. Not that she knew I was planning to kidnap you, although I don't think she would much care. Kind of off her rocker is our darling Elizabeth."

"What did you do to Nikolas?"

"Nothing that a few hours of sleep wouldn't cure."

"You drugged him."

"You would know wouldn't you." Juan smirked. "After all, you are the one whose so familiar with drugs."

The crack of Emily's hand across Juan's cheek echoed violently. "You bastard."

Anger burned in Juan's eyes as he grabbed Emily's shirt and slammed her hard against the wall." You little bitch. I think I'm going to enjoy this." One hand closed bruisingly around her throat as the other pulled at her shirt. Emily struggled hard to kick him off, but her the pain in her side and the pounding in her head left her weakened.

This was it, she realized. This was it.

I wish Nikolas had been first.

She could feel the darkness growing as it became harder to breath and to think. Just as it seemed that oblivion would win, Juan let her loose and she sank to the floor.

"Damn it." Juan let out a string of violent curses. "Come on, we're getting out of here." He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to her feet.

"What? Why?" Emily realized that she could hear a car approaching. "It's Jason, he's coming for me."

"Sorry babe, that ain't Jason that's Helena. She wouldn't be coming up here unless...... She's going to renege on our deal and want me to deliver you back to her precious grandson, the old witch. Hell, I slept with her and she's still trying to pull one over on me. I guess you can't trust a Cassadine, but then you know all about that don't you?"

"I trust Nikolas with my life."

"Which doesn't say much when you consider you have about ten minutes to live." He pulled her towards the door and then peered out. "Coast clear. Helena's goons must be greeting their mistress. We'll make it to the back door with no problem."

"Where are we going?"

"I have this sudden desire to throw a rock into the river, but I'll settle for throwing you off a cliff instead."

Emily planted her feet. "I'm not leaving here."

"Fine, have it your way," Juan pulled out a gun from his jacket and aimed it at her head. "I can kill you here just as easily."

"Wait." Emily prayed hard. As long as she was alive someone.....Nikolas, Jason, Will, someone could rescue her. There was still hope. "I'll go with you."

By the time Helena entered the house a few minutes later there was no sign of either of them.

She'd lost track of how far they had come or even in what direction they had been moving. Her hands were scratched and bleeding from being pulled roughly through bush. She'd just about decided that she would prefer to be shot through the head when they hit a clearing and Emily could hear the roar of the river below. Juan dragged her to the edge of the cliff where they could both see the white water below.

Oh God, he was really going to do it, wasn't he. He was going to throw her over the ledge.

"Don't worry. I hear the fall's painless although the landing is pretty painful."

"You can't do this. Jason will kill you. Nikolas will kill you."

"They have to catch me first. I'm not an idiot like they are. I have a back up plan. A little bit of embezzling here and there and I manage to tuck a nice tidy sum away. Not nearly what I deserve, but enough to get me to Canada and then stake me there."

"They'll find you."

"They won't know where to look."

"No, but I will."

Both turned to see Liz approaching them, her voice cold and hard edged.

Emily wasn't sure what scared her the most, that look of desperation in her eyes or the gun in her hands.

"Liz. How nice of you to join us. I've been meaning to congratulate you on the little scene with Nikolas you set up nice work." Juan smiled at her.

"It would have been better if that stupid Johnny hadn't figured it out. I barely got out the window before he came in." A frown crossed her face. "Nikolas wasn't supposed to know what I did. He must hate me now."

"Hate you? Of course not," Juan replied smoothly. "Nikolas loves you. He's always loved you. Just like Lucky promised."

Emily stared at Juan in disgust but still felt a sense of relief when the gun lowered slightly.

"Liz you have to help me. He's going to kill me." Emily pleaded.

"Don't worry Em, I'm here to help." Emily breathed a relieved sigh. "Him, of course. Do you know how hard you were to track down Santiago?"

"Liz what are you doing?"

"I didn't want to do this. I was just going to make sure that Nikolas never went near you again. I thought he would come back to me on his own. Or when you broke up with him because of those pictures. But he never did. As long as you're alive, Nikolas will be in love with you. So the answer to that is to kill you just like I tried to kill your friend the other night."

"You? You pushed Jess in the river?"

"She was snooping around. She blamed me for those pictures and she was real close to getting the proof she would need to go to Nikolas. I couldn't let that happen. Nikolas can't hate me. Nikolas is going to love me and take care of me, just like Lucky promised he would."

"Liz you're not well. You don't know what you're saying. You don't want to kill me."

"Of course I do." Liz smiled, a truly evil smile that made Emily feel sick even as Emily saw Liz raise the gun again. "It's all I've ever wanted to do. You've always been in the way. Now you won't be."

What happened next happened simultaneously and fast, although Emily could have sworn that it all happened in slow motion and took hours.

Liz aimed her gun straight where Juan and Emily stood and fired.

Emily took a step back and felt Juan do the same.

The ground along the edge of the cliff began to crumble and Emily screamed as the mountain slid out from under her and she felt herself falling towards the raging river below.

To Be Continued.