PART II
Ariadne
Andreas wore the black headphones tightly against his ears as his fingers worked the glow in the dark controls on the black box. His eyebrows lifted, and he called out, "Madam! I’ve got something."
Helena glided over to Andreas and placed a well-manicured hand on his shoulder. "What is it?" she asked curiously.
Andreas held up a hand for silence while he attempted to intercept the entire message off of the police scanner. Finally, he nodded with satisfaction. "There’s been a homicide at Deception tonight, and a young man has been brought to General Hospital, almost dead."
Helena’s laughter tinkled wickedly throughout the drawing room of her yacht. She smiled and placed an index finger over her richly polished lips. "Let the games begin!" she announced, looking remarkably like a feline waiting for the mouse to return.
~*~*~*~
Elton entered the door to his apartment, slammed it shut and locked all three deadbolts, then placed the chain on the door. He sighed deeply as he hung up his Brooks Brothers trenchcoat in the closet.
"Elviiiii-ra!" he called out in his high alto voice. "Come, my lady!" Elton frowned, placed his hands on his hips and harrumphed. Where is that cat of mine? he wondered. "Sugar! Baby?" Finally, he spotted her lurking by the sofa, staring hate at him with her evil yellow eyes, and he rushed to grab her, lifting her high into the air as she swatted at his face and hissed. "Butterflies, butterflies!" he sang as he whirled the cat around in circles, high up in the air.
"Daddy’s had the WORST night of his life," he explained in a baby talk voice with pursed smooching lips. "There’s death, murder and intrigue in the air tonight, sweetie." Elton placed the cat down on the floor, and she leaped onto the back of the sofa and proceeded to lick her behind as if to communicate a nonverbal message to her owner.
Elton slapped the side of his face with his onyx-ringed hand. "Miss Spencer! I was in such a tizzy I forgot to call her." Elton reached for the phone and rapidly dialed seven numbers. "Oh, Miss Spencer," he intoned. "I am SO sorry to disturb you. What? Oh, it’s Elton, sweetie. Anyway, there’s a small problem at the Deception office. Weeell, there’s been a murder and a beating. You must go to General Hospital immediately. Your poor son has been nearly beaten to DEATH. Oh, what a sight he was. Yes, hurry, dear, hurry!"
Elton placed the phone back on the end table and held a hand to his chin for serious reflection. I wonder if they’ll make a movie out of this? His smile brightened. Maybe they’ll ask me to play my own part!
~*~*~*~
Luke sat in the ER waiting room with his head in his hands. Felicia sat beside him, rubbing his back in a futile attempt to soothe his nerves and bring him comfort. "I should have been out looking for my boy instead of going home and spending the night smooching and massaging," he lamented. "I knew something was wrong with him. That’s not my Cowboy, I thought to myself when he pulled that blade on me. Where did he learn how to do that anyway? My Lucky never jumped people on the docks."
Luke stood up abruptly, knocking Felicia’s hand of off him. He walked over to the nurse’s station, seeking information about his son. Felicia watched him from her seat. She couldn’t tell what he was saying, but he turned red in the face and shouted, waving his arms around with a disgusted look. Luke walked back over to Felicia. "They won’t tell me anything," he said with clenched teeth. "All they say is that he’s been severely injured with possible internal injuries due to a beating." Luke’s voice caught and the tears welled up in his eyes. "He’s been in there for an hour, Felicia. What does that mean? He’s got to be okay. I don’t know what I’ll do if…if…" Luke’s voice trailed off as his face grew pale with fear and longing.
"Luke!!" Luke glanced up to see his ex-wife rush into the waiting room with Scott Baldwin following behind her at a slower pace. Tears were streaming down Laura’s face as she gulped for air and tried to compose herself enough so that she could speak.
"Luke, what’s happened? I got a phone call from Elton telling me that Lucky had been hurt at Deception. And there’s been a murder?" Laura’s eyes grew big with the possibilities.
Luke’s teary eyes met his ex-wife’s, and he held his arms out to her. Laura nestled in Luke’s strong arms, and he said softly, "Lucky’s in the ER. He’s been badly beaten. They’re not sure, but he probably has internal injuries. He’s being prepped for exploratory surgery." Luke stroked Laura’s soft, blond hair as she sobbed. Scott and Felicia exchanged glances that said "what have we gotten ourselves into with these two?"
Feeling like the odd man out, Scott motioned to Felicia, who joined him several feet away. "What’s up?" he asked bluntly. "What’s the kid done now?"
Felicia pursed her lips and replied, "We saw Lucky earlier tonight on the docks, and he tried to kill Luke – with a knife!" Felicia’s eyes grew larger. "Luke says it was like he was an insane killing machine."
Scott pulled a disgusted look on his face. "Are you sure you’re up for this, Felicia? With these Spencers, it’s always gonna be something. Never a dull moment." Felicia nodded sagely.
"Where’s my brother?!"
All heads turned toward the handsome young man with messed up black hair and dark, concerned eyes.
Nikolas’ face scrunched up to avoid the tears that threatened to fall down his cheeks. "Mom? There was a message on my answering machine. I ran right over here as soon as I heard. Lucky – he’s going to be okay, isn’t he?" Nikolas’ eyes continued to pool as he looked around the room from face to face.
No one said anything, they just looked at him. Nikolas’ shoulders shook, and he slapped his leg in anger. "Tell me! What is it?"
Laura walked over to Nikolas and stroked his hair gently. "Honey, your brother’s been beaten, and they’re taking him to surgery to check for and repair any internal injuries. We’re all waiting."
Nikolas looked from Laura to Luke. "Does Liz know?" he asked in a hushed voice. When they shook their heads, Nikolas declared, "I’m going to a phone. Lucky needs her. She should be here for him."
~*~*~*~
Half hour later…
Nikolas was seated in an overstuffed chair that had seen better days with its coffee stains and small rips and tears. He’d propped his feet up on a small table that contained well-thumbed magazines from years past and perused a 1996 Cosmopolitan article entitled, "How to Make Love Every Day of the Month."
Luke sidled up to Nikolas and lightly kicked his leg. When Nikolas looked up in annoyance, Luke said, "Hey there, Prince. Got a minute?"
Nikolas sniffed, "Unfortunately I do." He laid the magazine down on its front cover to avoid any silly comments from Luke concerning his reading tastes.
Luke looked around the room as if to check for lurking spies. "I may know who is responsible for Lucky’s problem," he said in a low voice. He grinned broadly and wagged a finger in Nikolas’ face. "Now I’ve got your attention," he smirked.
"What is it, Luke?" Nikolas sighed.
"I believe your bitch grandmother is behind this lock stock and barrel," Luke stated frankly. He glanced around him again and continued in a whisper. "I have a plan to save him. Interested?"
Nikolas hesitated, then straightened up in his chair. "Let’s hear it," he answered wearily.
~*~*~*~
"Lucky??" Liz looked around the waiting room like a small, lost elf stranded all alone in the world without her generous Deception make-up to perk her up. She looked to her right and cried, "Nikolas, where is he? Is he alright? You called and told me to come down here, but what’s going on?" Liz’s grandmother, Audrey Hardy, followed close behind her granddaughter.
"They took him to surgery," Nikolas explained. "We’ve been waiting for two hours to hear the news. I’m sorry, Liz, that’s all I know." Audrey’s face looked tense. "What happened?" she questioned sharply. "Were there any witnesses?"
Nikolas shrugged. "I haven’t heard."
Detective Garcia marched into the waiting area and announced, "Folks, there’s been a murder. I need to question each of you individually so we can piece this together. It’s real important that you answer my questions carefully. There’s a dangerous murderer on the loose in Port Charles. Ripples of shock ran through the men and women in the waiting room as they waited for Detective Garcia to reveal the name of the murder victim.
~*~*~*~
Laura held Nikolas’ head in her lap as he sobbed. "I can’t believe she’s dead. Who could want to kill her? She never hurt anybody. She was a bit abrasive, but that was her nature. How did this happen. Oh, Gia, oh my god, Gia! What am I going to do without her? She was always there for me. She let me talk, and she listened." Nikolas’ breaths came faster as he tried to breathe in between his sobs.
Nikolas sat up abruptly and tried to wipe his tear-stained cheeks with the back of his hand when the doctor’s rich Irish voice intoned, "He’s out of surgery. We have some news for you."
Luke walked over to Ian quickly and asked nervously, "How is he? How’s my boy?"
Ian Thornhart looked concerned and sighed as he briefly looked to the floor to compose himself before speaking.
"Yeah, I’d like to hear how that no-good son of a bitch Lucky Spencer is doing after he killed my baby sister!"
Everyone turned in surprise to look at a very enraged Lt. Taggert.
~*~*~*~
Angeloltye
"Taggert!" Luke said in dangerous tone. "I’m sorry about your loss, but watch your mouth. My son is fighting for his life. What nonsense are you talking about?" Taggert didn’t mince words. He was filled with the impotent rage of loss, the loss of his own sister. He felt as though he were treading in quicksand as he spoke, his words harsh, unrelenting.
"Lucky killed Gia. She fought but he killed her just the same."
"No!" Laura cried. "My son wouldn’t hurt anyone. Not Lucky."
"We have irrefutable evidence," Taggert snapped angrily. "As sure as I’m standing here, that no good brat choked my sister to death."
"Not before she beat him to a pulp," Luke replied. "Maybe it was self defense?" In his heart of hearts, Luke knew Taggert was correct, but he had to defend his Cowboy.
"Oh sure," Taggert said sarcastically. "Lucky had to choke Gia in self defense. I don’t think so, Spencer. He even bit her."
"He bit her?" Elizabeth cried in horror. She shook her head in disbelief, falling into Nikolas’ arms. Nikolas stared from Luke to Taggert, remembering his conversation with Luke. His own heart froze in that instant. If Lucky did kill Gia, it wasn’t him. It wasn’t the Lucky he knew. Helena. Helena was the one pulling the strings. What had she done to set him off?
"We’ve already got a positive dental match, thanks to the records we had from the fire," Taggert informed them. We’ve got his prints around her neck. If he lives, I’ll happily give him a lethal injection."
"Taggert, one more word out of you, and…" Luke threatened. Ian quickly stepped in between the two men.
"Look," Ian interrupted. "There’s a time and place, and this isn’t it. Luke? You want to know about your son or not?"
"Of course I do!" Luke yelled. Laura squeezed his hand. Nearby Felicia and Scott still stood, wondering what else was going to enfold in this chaotic scene. Ian took a deep breath. He spoke to Luke and Laura, occasionally letting his gaze go to Nikolas and Liz. Liz appeared to be almost in shock while Nikolas’ face was pale with his mixed emotions, fear for Lucky, grief for Gia, and hatred for Helena.
"Lucky sustained severe blood loss. We had to transfuse eight units of blood to replenish his blood volume. He has several broken ribs, a lacerated stomach, a ruptured spleen and a lacerated liver. We’ve corrected all the damage. Now it’s up to him to heal. We’re already weaning him off the respirator. He’ll be in post op at least until he’s off the respirator. That’s about another hour." Ian sighed. The group could tell he wasn’t finished.
"What? What is it, Ian?" Luke asked for them all. "What aren’t you telling us?" Now Ian looked at Laura and Elizabeth, knowing that women would look to the boy’s face first to see how he felt. This time it wasn’t going to happen.
"Lucky sustained a head injury as well. It appears to just be a concussion, but it’s possible he will have some memory loss or slight damage due to the injuries. We can only wait and see. In the long haul, I think Lucky will be just fine."
"Great,’ Taggert said. "Then he can be given the death sentence for his heinous deeds." Taggert stepped back as Luke headed towards him. "Touch me Spencer and I’ll arrest you for assault. What will you do for your precious son then?" Luke froze, his fists clenched in fury. "I’ll post a guard outside Lucky’s room. He’s officially under arrest for…" Taggert could barely get the word out. Nikolas had tears in his eyes. "Murder. Now if you don’t mind, I have to go tell my mother that my sister is dead." Taggert left the waiting area while Laura turned and buried her face in Luke’s chest. He gripped her arms hard. She looked up at him.
"It wasn’t Lucky," Luke intoned. "I know it wasn’t him. Nikolas?"
"I’m here," Nikolas said miserably. Luke looked down at Laura. She let his arms hold her tight. It wasn’t enough her son had almost died. Now he was going to go to jail as a murderer?
"We’ve got work to do," Luke reminded him. "If we don’t do it now, she’ll have a lead on us." Nikolas nodded. Laura was askance as Luke released her from his protective grasp.
"Where are you going, Luke?" She demanded. "Lucky needs you."
"He needs me to find the real killer," Luke retorted, "Or at least a reason for this insanity. If I don’t he won’t need anything at all, including his family." He bent down and told Laura something no one else heard, then left. Nikolas spoke a few comforting words to Elizabeth, then followed Luke. Felicia hurried after them while Scott came over and took over Luke’s role, comforting Laura as she collapsed, stunned into a hard chair. Her tears ripped at Scott’s heart. Elizabeth went to stand by the surgery doors. Lucky was there. Her Lucky. He wasn’t a murderer. He wasn’t. Not even Lucky would murder Gia, even though the witch probably deserved it. Lucky wouldn’t. Elizabeth knew. She could never love a killer.
"Liz, darling, it’s going to be fine," came the kind, gentle voice of Audrey Hardy who had been waiting in the wings. Elizabeth turned to her grandmother who held out her arms. With a puzzled cry, Elizabeth let her grandmother hold her close. She didn’t see the look on Audrey’s face, only knew that her grandmother was close by for once and that was good enough for her.
~*~*~*~
Luke saw the limousine sitting in the parking lot at the hospital. He had no doubt that Helena had Andreas skulking around somewhere in the hospital itself, but it didn’t matter. No one was going to get past the family, especially Laura. Luke knew his wife. She wouldn’t leave Lucky until Luke came back. That was what Luke told her to do when he left. In the car with Nikolas at his side, Luke watched the young Prince. His face was hard to read, not like Luke’s which was drawn into a determined look of revenge.
"Prince, you up to this?" Luke asked as he drove through the city. In the dark of night, he was careful not to speed. The last thing he needed was the PCPD pulling him in on a speeding ticket.
"You really think Helena set Lucky off?"
"I’m telling you, Nikolas, The Cowboy was out of control. He would happily have stabbed me to death if I hadn’t knocked that knife from his hands. Helena’s controlling him." Luke replied with absolute certainty.
"You think he killed Gia?" Nikolas asked, the vulnerability and fear in his voice evident.
"Maybe," Luke acquiesced sadly. "But not because he wanted to. You know him. Tell me, Nikolas. You don’t believe Lucky is capable…"
"No!" Nikolas spat out. "Lucky would never…" The words sat in the air between them. Nikolas was thinking of the Lucky who had shared that last dinner with him and Emily and Liz the night of the fire. His brother, his confident, cocky brother, the boy he had yet to see since Lucky’s return. Nikolas shook his head.
"He’s been so different since he got back," Nikolas mused out loud.
"He’s still Lucky!’ Luke snapped. He was, Luke argued to himself. The boy was his son, his Cowboy!
The car arrived at the docks. Luke got out. He stood at the door of the car while Nikolas walked over to him. Without a word, they walked together down the docks, very softly and quietly. Luke knew where he thought Helena and Andreas were, but he didn’t want to raise suspicion as they approached the old Bat’s yacht. Helena’s man walked on the second deck. As he looked towards Luke and Nikolas, the two men knelt down, hoping to be out of his line of vision as they hid behind a smaller boat. When the man started his stroll again, they quickly walked the rest of the way and got on the yacht. From there, it was only minutes to sneak into Helena’s boudoir. Luke knew exactly what he was looking for, and he knew exactly where to look for it.
"Watch the door," Luke ordered softly, yet sharply. Nikolas nodded. Luke walked over to the picture that hung over an ornate glass table with gold filigree around the glass. He moved the table, then lifted the picture off the wall. Nikolas stared at the picture of a beautiful young Helena. It was hard to compare the old woman he knew now to the young lady she had been. The eyes caught his attention, the icy cold eyes that had been captured by the artist. Nikolas shivered. His grandmother was pure evil. He knew that. He turned his attention to Luke who was now working to crack the safe behind the picture. He used a special little Doppler that he had brought, hidden in his jacket. The little robbery tool allowed him to hear the click of the correct combination. It took only minutes to get the safe open. Luke’s hand pulled out documents, money, and jewelry. He put it all back. In the very back of the safe, his hand clasped around what he was looking for. In one swoosh of a motion, he placed the object in his jacket pocket, and closed the safe.
"Hurry," Nikolas cried, suddenly anxious. "I think I hear someone coming."
"Announce it why don’t you?" Luke retorted. He hung the picture securely, then pulled the table back, thinking how much Felicia or Laura would like a table like that.
"They’re coming," Nikolas warned. "Let’s go out the side entrance." Luke followed Nikolas now, through the boudoir and into the next room, just as Helena and Andreas arrived behind them. Luke pulled Nikolas back, and the two listened to Helena and Andreas as they entered the room triumphantly.
~*~*~*~
He woke slowly, the pain from his stomach and head making him groan miserably. A soft angelic hand held his. The warmth of that grasp made his heart quicken. He moved his lips, finding his mouth to be dry, his mind sluggish. Where was he? What had happened? He opened his eyes, fluttering his eyelids as he tried to focus on the light. A bleeping from an IV machine reached his ears. The first thing he saw was a heart monitor keeping track of his vitals, his blood pressure, his heart rate, and respirations. Blood dripped, drop by drop by drop into an IV in his arm. He turned to see IV fluids dropping into another line in his arm. By his side, Elizabeth’s head rested on the mattress. He squeezed her hand in his, a weak, but tangible squeeze.
"Lucky?" Elizabeth cried, her head shooting up. Lucky was gratified to see Elizabeth’s lovely face light up at the sight of him. A lone tear fell down her cheek.
"What?" he cried. "What happened? Elizabeth?"
"You don’t remember?" Elizabeth asked in shock. "Anything?"
"No," Lucky replied. "Everything hurts," He moaned. "Was it a car accident?"
"No, Lucky, no!" Elizabeth cried, emotionally distraught that he didn’t remember. "You were attacked."
"What?" Lucky snapped to attention. Attacked? Flashes of reality crossed his mind. The iceberg shape, the coldness of his heart, his fury. Gia! Dear, God, Gia! He had to be careful. He clenched his fists to his side as he felt Gia’s slender neck in his hands, heard her pleading voice, and felt her knee kicking his groin. Her feet stomped him, kicking him, beating him senseless.
"Lucky, do you remember anything at all?" Liz asked tearfully. "Do you know who did this to you?"
"No," Lucky lied, denying himself the truth. "Where, where did it happen? When?"
"Tonight. At Deception. You were with Gia."
"Gia?" Lucky’s voice sounded amazed. All he wanted to hear was that he hadn’t really hurt her. Truly, he couldn’t have. She had stopped him, hadn’t she? Oh, God hadn’t she?
"She’s okay? Elizabeth. They didn’t hurt her did they?" The tears fell down Elizabeth’s face, not so much for Gia. She could have cared less about Gia. But seeing the innocence in Lucky’s face, the complete fear that Gia might have been hurt ate at her. She took his hands in hers, and held them tightly.
"Lucky, Gia died. She was killed," Elizabeth informed him softly.
"No! Oh my God. Who would do this to us?" came the stunned reply. Elizabeth was convinced Lucky was telling the truth. Lucky didn’t kill Gia. She knew it. She held his hand to her heart. He took deep breaths from his pounding chest. The oxygen that he was being given by the nasal cannula wasn’t enough. He felt as though he were going to suffocate. Did Elizabeth believe him? He waited anxiously.
"Lucky," Elizabeth assured the young man. "I don’t know who did this, but we’ll find out, okay? I promise. We’ll find out who did this to you and Gia." Lucky nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes, trying to sleep again. A picture of Gia crossed his mind, Gia. Her brown eyes begging, her long braids swinging back and forth, her slender body making him froth at the lips. His breathing came in short pants as he gave into unconsciousness. Gia was gone, but the fury, the dementia, the rage remained. He hadn’t exorcised it. He hadn’t gotten rid of it…yet.
END OF PART TWO