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Post by madelinehawaii on Feb 20, 2007 19:58:21 GMT -5
He could feel the instant sense of riveted awareness and her disbelief all the way over where he was standing. “Tell me I didn’t hear that correctly.”
“No, I’d say your faculties are in satisfactory working order.” And he waited for an argument to erupt, but it didn’t, at least not the way it would have if he’d been having this conversation with Anna.
“Why?” she asked him after sitting in the ringing silence for several moments as they looked at each other.
“After everything that has happened, you can ask me that?”
“I know why we’d both like to kill him, but Tony…”
Her voiced trailed off and he couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “If you’re trying to tell me that you have concerns for my soul,” he told her, an air of sarcasm buried ever so neatly beneath the irony, “you needn’t bother.”
“This is not some da...I’m not joking.” The aggravation was seething in her now. “Whatever kind of monster he’s become, he’s still your father…he gave you life,” she finished and though it should have sounded as tiresome as most cliques he’d ever heard, she managed to breathe into it a poignancy that stabbed at him.
“So I ought to just stand by as he takes it away from everyone unlucky enough to get caught in his orbit, is that it?’
“No, but can’t you at least make an effort to hand him over to the authorities?”
“This isn’t Salem, Marlena. We’re not back in the States.”
She didn’t answer but he could see her shake her head, and so he tried again, this time with more patience.
“You’ve traveled past the edge of the world my dear…out to the place where,” and he raised an eyebrow, “there are only dragons. My god, how long have you been stuck here?”
He figured it was probably the last question that got to her because she sat still, her hand jammed up to her mouth, holding back her fear. She didn’t say anything but she did give him a nod.
“When I came back, I tried to get past everything he’d done but it’s too late for that now…” his voice cracked and he turned back to the velvety blackness shining in the open window.
“You could leave.”
It was said in such a soft, seductively optimistic tone that his fingers gripped the edge of the masonry just to keep venting the full measure of his frustration at her. As though he didn’t dream constantly of running away. Just listening to her tell him that was okay to ditch his responsibilities and the people who needed him simply because he could, because the woman he adored was out there, eager to welcome him with open arms and make him forget this nightmare hit a nerve deep within him because, of course that was what he wanted to do more than anything at this point. When he finally turned to face her, he’d calmed himself some but his face was still grim. “You and I both know that would never be acceptable, especially in my world.”
“Tony…”
“No,” he snapped, narrowing his eyes. “Don’t do this to me.”
“But why? You think Anna wouldn’t…”
“Stop it.” The words echoed in his ears along with the sound of his blood pumping at an alarming rate. “Please…” he added after a few moments, lowering his tone. “I know you’re trying to help me, but asking me to pretend that none of this exists won’t do that.”
“How do you know?”
And her insistence about this struck him suddenly as something he’d never expected out of her and he shook his head, confused. “You of all people…”
“Yes because you’re talking about throwing everything away that means anything to you because of him. He’s not worth it Tony.”
“Is that your experience talking?” he asked with only a hint of irony he knew they both recognized in the situation.
“No…” but she didn’t continue with the thought she’d been deliberating.
“Tell me,“ he said after a minute, and he locked eyes with her, “when Roman was lost on the island, it devastated you, I know but would you have been able to live with him ignoring it altogether? He didn’t have to come and help us.”
“Bo was there,” she reminded him.
“But not you and not his children.”
“No, but you knew Roman, family means everything to him.”
Standing quietly, he allowed her words to sink in until she lowered her eyes.
“I see.”
“If I do nothing Marlena, what happened to Renee and my mother, and to you will happen to others…people I care about, just as it did this time, and that includes our children. Is that the consequence you’d expect me to walk away from?”
“No,” she said miserably, “no, I wouldn’t.”
A part of him hated doing this to her and that clicked off a warning in the back of his mind but he refused to listen. It was immaterial. He was not getting attached and if he had to shove the truth in her face in such a cruel manner to keep her from doing the same, he would. This would never work, even with what he’d learned only a matter of days ago. Until he’d accomplished his goal, the last thing he needed was anymore emotional attachments for Stefano to use in this dirty little war of his. Just the existence of the twins was bad enough.
“You discovered more information, didn’t you? Something else…”
He’d let his eyes drift shut but as soon as her question was out, hanging between them, she was faced with his dark gaze and a steady expression that simply waited.
“Well, didn’t you?” she prodded.
Regarding her cautiously, he had to wonder if she could read him this well, of if it was merely a guess. He nodded his head but didn’t elaborate.
“Oh, come on Tony,” she said in a way that made it obvious that avoiding the subject would not work, “please don’t make me dig it out of you.”
He ran his fingers up along his temple, and then rubbed his eyes that ached from too much salt water and too little sleep. “I was hoping it could wait until tomorrow.”
“Why?”
Her directness could be unnerving at times. Despite her soft air and gentle nature, she was tenacious beyond belief and even if he’d not been sure of it before, the fact she’d survived her imprisonment this long with her spirit intact was enough of a warning. “Because it concerns you.”
The tone of his voice had been carefully unemotional and flat but still her eyes widened, and her apprehension was apparent even in the dim light. “I don’t want to wait until tomorrow.”
“No, of course not,” he sighed. “In that case....” With a deep breath, he climbed back onto the bed and sat cross-legged in front of her, reaching out to grasp her hand. It felt clammy, wet from perspiration. “There’s no easy way to put this…” he began but already his emotions threatened to swallow him and ruin any chance of getting this out before her reaction got to him but how could he turn away? If she had to face this, he couldn’t let her do it alone. For a second, he stared down at her hand in his and focused his mind until he could breath evenly again. Quickly, he raised his eyes. “The man back in Salem, the one you believe to be Roman is not…he’s an…imposter.”
Her hand yanked itself away from him. “No, you’re wrong.” The brightness in her own eyes still mirrored what little light actually made it into the room and belied the fervor in her words. “That man is definitely Roman Brady. He remembered things that only my husband could know.”
“And have you learned nothing from spending this much time around Rolf?” It was said in a calm, if somewhat wry manner but she couldn’t mistake the implication he was making and she shook her head in denial.
“You don’t understand…he is Roman…he remembered…he told me things under hypnosis…he wasn’t making it up for god’s sake, he knew…” but her resolve faltered as she stared into his eyes and realized that he would never have come to her with such a horrendous piece of information unless he had proof. He watched her breathing become more pronounced and labored as she searched for anything that would contradict what he’d told her. It wasn’t true. She didn’t want it to be true, wouldn’t allow it to be. He was out there waiting for her, she could feel it but he’d not come looking for her, not sensed she was alive and trapped and so very desperate. A trembling hand covered her mouth and still shaking her head, her eyes implored him to take it back.
“I’m sorry Marlena. God, how I wish…” but he couldn’t continue and had to bite his lip to keep control of himself.
“But how did…” He could see her mind racing as quickly as her breathing. “If he knew those things…” and gradually, in the midst of the despair pinching the skin around her mouth and her eyes, the tiniest spark of hope gleamed out at him.
“Then yes, it would seem Roman survived, but if he did, I’ve been unable to locate him,” Tony explained gently, “or even come up a clue of where to begin.”
For a infinite second, all he could see was the anguish that burned with a terrible brilliance in her eyes but before he could react, she buried her head in her hands, wanting still to deny it, to hide from it, and Tony’s insides churned as he watched her, only a couple feet away but alone in her grief. Untouchable.
She’d always done that. It worked because she had so many people she could turn to; the Hortons, Roman and his family, even Gene and Abe and Don. They all shared the same trials, the same pain and though they’d reached out to him as well, he’d never allowed the barrier to come down completely, especially after the island. The guilt haunted him and when he’d failed to prevent Stefano from hurting them all over again, the only thing left to do was try and move on, bury it, and being the honorable people they were, they’d understood. They’d allowed him to make amends in his own way and let him be.
But now she was alone with no one except him. If he opened up to her, or allowed her to do the same, he feared the consequences for both of them He’d learned the hard way that controlling one’s emotions was not always possible and her ability to do so was already about to be tested. How could he add to her confusion? Uncertainty raged inside but outwardly he sat, waiting patiently and without warning, her head snapped up to stare at him.
“So, who is he?”
Her voice had suddenly taken on the strangest quality. The words slipped out in such a quiet fashion he almost missed the icy touch of fury accenting the last one, though he was hardly surprised. Being used was something he was well acquainted with, after all. “Other than a name, I don’t know, and to tell you the truth, I’m not all that certain the name I have is truly his. It could be one that Stefano invented.”
She nodded, looking up at him in a way that far too calm and then, “Tell me.”
“John Stevens.”
“John.” And she looked at him quizzically as though she didn’t believe him.
“Yes…Marlena, what’s the matter?”
“When Ro…when he first came to town, that’s the name he used.”
He blinked in surprise. “John Stevens?”
“No, John Black, but he told me later that it was a name he’d just picked at random, off a wall and also, at the time he had no idea of who he was, or his real name. Nothing.”
“Strange coincidence.” Tony didn’t do that good a job of covering his sarcasm and she threw him a spark look.
“You dug up nothing else about him?”
He shrugged. “It appears he worked for Stefano but I’ve been unable to confirm that with a single person I trust so...”
“And you never met him or heard of him?” Her voice was growing almost insistent and he had to consciously swallow his irritation though at the same time he found his curiosity aroused. She seemed far more concerned with this imposter than with Roman’s whereabouts.
“The part of my father’s business he conducted is one I’ve gone to great pains to avoid getting involved in.”
“What do you mean exactly…conducted?”
“Marlena look, I don’t know that any of this is real or…”
But she wasn’t about to let him get around her with this evasion. “He’s been raising my children Tony…he’s been raising Carrie…” and now the desperation in her tone and in her eyes pleaded with him, “so I don’t care if this is a wild guess on your part or unsubstantiated or whatever…I’ve got to know what you found out.”
Carrie. This stranger sent to Salem by his father lived in the same house, took care of her, pretended to be her father, lied to her everyday. “Lets just say he’s never operated within the parameters of the law.”
“That covers an awful lot of territory,” she replied carefully though her fear was still plainly evident.
“Marlena…”
“Just say it,” she whispered at him fiercely.
Swallowing a grimace, he said, “I believe the term used in the states would be a soldier of fortune.”
“Sounds like a polite way of saying he…is a…hired killer.”
“He did whatever Stefano needed him to do,” Tony clarified, “and since I think we both know my father better than we’d like, murder, I’m afraid would certainly be part of his resume.”
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Post by madelinehawaii on Feb 20, 2007 19:59:18 GMT -5
“Why?” It seared through him, a cry of pure agony begging for any reason to explain this insanity. Unfortunately he had no answers. He had not the slightest idea why his father sent this man to take Roman’s place, or where he’d come from and the few things he suspected made his blood run cold. She was shaking her head again and now it came out in a whisper. “Why is he doing this to me?”
“That’s simple enough,” Tony snarled with such bitterness that she reached to find his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “He’s obsessed, crazy. What more of an explanation do you need?”
“Tony… you know how I feel about your father but I’m…” he could see it almost choked her to say the word, “sorry…”
“Don’t be,” he interrupted before she could get any further, wondering not for the first time how she managed to do that, where on earth she found the strength to deal with another’s pain in the midst of her own troubles. He’d never considered before that it might be therapeutic. “Whatever drove him over the edge is consuming him now. It’s a disease.” Despite the anger, he felt his eyes begin to burn. “Perhaps if I didn’t have quite so many memories of what he was before…” he shook his head slowly, “I don’t know… “
Marlena remained silent but he could tell she was holding back and letting go of her hand, he drew a lock of hair aside and brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek.
“What is it?”
Her hesitation stretched for another moment and then, “You probably already knew this but Renee’s mother, Lee…”
“Yes?”
“Well, she and I had a number of conversations.”
And he nodded.
“About Stefano…about the family,” and her eyes connected with his, “about the history involved. Why she was so adamant about not telling Renee the truth because she feared what could happen in the end.”
Tony could easily guess which images were running through her mind as she told him this. He’d learned she was one of the few people who attended that wretched party to see Renee’s body and how Lee’s words must have resurfaced like a prophecy fulfilled. “Lee was right. He’s always been dangerous, and utterly ruthless when it came to anyone who challenged him but…and I know it must be difficult for you to imagine, he could also be very loving, even compassionate and gentle.”
“Are you sure we’re talking about the same man?”
Tony’s smile was sad. “As a child, I remember a man so different, one who was whole and at least displayed principals, if only to be an example but somewhere along the way he tossed them aside. It’s like he’s on some mad crusade and I don’t even know what its about, expect that it rips apart everyone who strays too near, including the people he professes to love.”
“Yes,” and now it was her voice that lashed out in bitterness, “those he claims to respect as well.”
He raised an eyebrow at her comment, and she looked down.
“He’s told me on more than one occasion how much he respected Roman…what a worthy opponent he was, how he honored him.” The last few words were spit out with loathing but when her head came up, her confusion was obvious. “Except that I could swear he truly regretted what happened to Roman on the island…”
“You mean having to face the consequences of his actions.”
“No.” And she was shaking her head without hesitation. “I think it was one of the reasons I convinced myself this man was Roman, even when he didn’t regain all of his memories, I knew…” her voice shut down abruptly, as though she were afraid she’d said too much and Tony didn’t press. If she wished to share any of this, he’d listen but acknowledged silently his hope that she wouldn’t. How many times had he lived through all of this so that it followed him around like a weight that only grew heavier year after year and he wanted nothing more than to be rid of it. “I…oh god, I should have known.” It slipped out in a frantic whisper and he could see that she was close to breaking down.
With some difficulty, he ignored the alarm blaring in his head. Pulling her into his arms, he tried to soothe away the noiseless sobs wracking her body and she clung to him, gripping onto the fabric of his robe, afraid perhaps that he’d let go. He had no idea how long they stayed that way. The side of her head was on his shoulder so that strands hair tickled his face and he breathed in but then shut his eyes tightly to stop himself from the automatic comparison that popped into his mind and the longing, wishing it was Anna curled up here beside him. The sensation never failed to hit him at the most inconvenient moments. Finally, she relaxed some and lay quietly against him, though her breathing was still too fast.
“The first few months he was in town, he did things…said things that should have alerted me.”
Her voice was calm, but had a rushed breathless quality that made him realize just what an incredible strain this was for her. “What things?”
Sitting up suddenly, she looked straight at him. “The man has a phoenix tattooed on back of one shoulder.”
“He what?”
She nodded at him. “When I saw it, I was so certain he was Stefano, but then the photographs we’d recovered…” she was gulping air now, “it was Roman’s face and I didn’t even question them or...”
Reaching out his hand, he stroked her face with a gentleness that produced even more tears. “Marlena, stop…” but she was fighting him now, pushing away his hand and he raised his voice to try and calm her, “listen to me, you had no way to know.”
“You don’t understand.” She tried to squeeze her eyes shut to hold back the flood but it burst through anyway, dripping off her lashes and streaming down her cheeks. “You couldn’t…” The words held so much pain that just listening to her do this to herself dredged up memories he never wanted to experience again. “You don’t know…it’s all wrong….utterly, completely wrong,” she cried out, shaking her head.
But he did know. With an awful sinking in his heart, he saw it all so plainly. She loved this man. He wasn’t Roman but she loved him.
When she raised her head and faced him, she saw immediately the awareness reflected as he stared back at her. Her eyes darted away but only for a moment, remembering perhaps the same day replaying itself in his mind, the day she and Roman arrived at the cabin with that letter for Renee, and as her gaze returned, it no longer held anything back or tried to disguise the total sense of bewilderment she felt. “Tell me something.”
Not all that certain he was ready for this, he waited.
“Renee…you got over her…moved past the…”
But he shook his head and had to grit his teeth to keep the familiar rage at bay.
She swallowed carefully, looking unsure of herself for the first time. “Then how?”
“Are you searching for a cure, Marlena?” There was just the slightest hint of irony lurking in his tone once again. “You know better than that.”
But she was not in the mood for any of his morose, sarcastic humor. “I didn’t ask for this,” she yelled at him, and there was hysteria hovering at the edge of her voice. “I didn’t want it, I didn’t want him…I just want my husband back…I want…my life back. The one I had before this whole nightmare began.”
“I know.”
The longing in his voice startled her and covering her face with her hand, she sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. “Tony, I’m sorry...it’s just that I’m floundering here and you’ve been there…you handled it.”
“No, I didn’t,” he told her in such a cold manner that he could see she was alarmed for a moment.
“Alright, you put on quite a good show then.”
“Yes,” he agreed, “we excel at that all right.”
Her eyes narrowed at him but desperation or frustration wouldn’t let her quit. “You did something, dealt with the impossible. How?”
“Don’t ask me that Marlena,” he warned her. There wasn’t enough light for her to witness the shame he could feel burning his face but he knew that would hardly impede her other senses. She’d feel how suddenly he stiffened up. She’d hear the harshness in his voice too and so he wasn’t at all surprised when she got up and stood with her back to him.
The answer she was seeking didn’t exist but he knew she didn’t want to hear that, anymore than she’d want to hear the atrocious mess he’d made of things in the past. She was already terrified of her feelings. At least she wasn’t in denial but it wasn’t a situation with clear choices. Before it was over it would get ugly, and that she already knew deep down.
When she finally turned around, her anger still smoldered and her voice matched his for coldness “You want to help but only as long as I don’t try to tear down that wall you’ve built to protect all those d**ned secrets.”
He tried not to notice how desirable she looked, standing near the end of the bed in the starlight. She was a vision, naked and royally pissed off. “Funny, but the Marlena I remember would never think to push someone for information they felt uncomfortable about sharing.”
“Oh yes?” Though he didn’t think it possible, her eyes blazed even brighter and she glared at him with indignation. “Well, the old Marlena has been pushed to the breaking point, by your father and considering you’ve had to deal with that situation yourself, I thought you might give me a few pointers.”
“If I had them to give, I would.”
“Is it because it has something to do with Liz or Anna?” she pressed.
“Marlena, drop it,” he said, only just managing not to snap at her as his temper kicked in.
“I can’t…I can’t do this…” her voice had fallen to a whisper. “How the hell do I do this? “ She’d been hanging onto the bedpost and now laid her head up against it. “My god, what if he helped Stefano hurt Roman? What if…if he killed Roman?”
It was a possibility that Tony had already considered but there was no proof. “You lived with him for quite some time as I understand, surely you’d know if he were…”
“Capable of murder?”
Tony nodded.
“Like I knew what Jake was capable of,” she pointed out, “and Richard Cates.”
“I’d say that’s a little different.”
“I wouldn’t.”
An involuntary chuckle escaped Tony’s lips. “Now you’re just being stubborn.”
He saw her knuckles tighten around the bedpost, as though to keep herself from lashing out. “I’m a psychiatrist Tony, I’m supposed to be able to recognize the signs, recognize this kind of behavior in people, so I can help them.”
“Well my dear, there is a difference between being a doctor and being God.”
Her eyes lit up again, “This is not…”
“A joke,” he interrupted without ceremony. “And you know that I’m the last person who would suggest such a thing.” That actually got a look of embarrassment out of her, and he relented. “I did learn one important lesson from my experience.”
“Which was?” she asked, with both hope and a certain amount of fear.
“Trying to control the situation didn’t work.”
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Post by REW on Mar 14, 2007 2:15:30 GMT -5
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Post by madelinehawaii on Mar 14, 2007 21:17:05 GMT -5
“You look like hell,” said Sebastian, setting the tray with Tony’s breakfast on the table near the window seat. Sunlight poured into the room. Tony had spent the hour and a half since the sun had risen watching the vast blue expanse of ocean shining beyond the cliffs. It appeared serene but there were whitecaps further out. “Thanks,” he murmured, rubbing the stubble on his jaw. “You’re not going diving in that condition.” It wasn’t a suggestion Tony noted but he was too tired to argue and since he’d planned on making his excuses anyway, decided it was time to spring the rest of his news. “No, you might as well mention it to Rolf and while you’re at it, why don’t you tell him that I’m not feeling well, and that I’m leaving early.” “Today?” Sebastian eyed him suspiciously. “If you take off now, after only being here a few days, he’s going to imagine something is going on.” “Yes well, that’s why Rolf and Father make such a good team,” said Tony with extreme sarcasm. “I see.” Tony was certain that he did and knew he could count on Sebastian to feed Rolf’s paranoia in increments sufficient to bait the hook and lead Stefano where Tony wanted him to be, and at the right time as they’d already discussed. “I’d appreciate you doing something else for me too.” “If you’re expecting me to give the same message to Marlena…” “I would like you to find a safe place for your family, until this is all over.” Sebastian had turned around in order to pour Tony’s coffee but now he stopped. He still had the carafe in his hand but was gazing out the window, probably debating on the easiest way to tell Tony to butt out of his private life, though in the end all he said was, “I’ll think about it.” “Okay,” said Tony as patiently as he could manage after the previous night, “I’ll ask politely. Please do this, even if you feel its completely unnecessary, humor me.” But Sebastian shook his head as he turned to face Tony. “Your father’s sense of honor would never allow him to use my family in that way.” “My father has no honor,” Tony informed him coldly. “And he’ll use any means at his disposal to achieve his goal. He’ll use my children if necessary and he’d have no compunction about using your son as well, and your wife.” Doubt settled into Sebastian’s eyes and Tony knew that he was fighting a lifetime of experience and tradition, one that Sebastian’s own father had drilled into him. “I know you don’t want to believe it,” Tony argued in earnest now. “Neither did I. Hell, I even let him sweet talk me back here with one incredible line of bull after everything that happened but there isn’t a day that goes by when I haven’t discovered new reasons convincing me that I should have done this years ago.” Sebastian nodded but didn’t say anything and Tony’s lips pursed together tightly in frustration. “You know, he won’t surrender without using every means at his disposal and if that means taking prisoners, he will.” Still Sebastian remained silent. “That could be your wife downstairs,” said Tony, jabbing his finger towards the floor. “I knew Marlena’s husband. His only crime was having the audacity to put Stefano where he belonged and now, how many years later, it is quite possible that he is still paying for it.” “So is she,” murmured Sebastian. “Yes. Do you truly want to take that risk?” “What about the risk we’ll be running if we make my family disappear all of the sudden? After all, your father won’t waste his energy finding proof, he’ll need only his perceptions which he already has plenty of after everything Rolf has probably conveyed to this point and then, off go my family for safekeeping.” Far more agitated then he was letting on, his eyes bored into Tony’s “Stefano doesn’t believe in coincidences, and you know that better than anyone.” “Let me worry about my father’s perceptions,” Tony answered him, a steady, rather disturbing expression gleaming in his eyes. Sebastian frowned, not looking apprehensive really as much as he seemed to be realizing, not for the first time Tony was sure, just how dire the consequences might get, and Tony’s guilt surfaced again. “Sebastian, look, I’m sorry. I realize you had no idea what you were getting into when you contacted me and told me she was here.” “Yes, well…” he turned to finish pouring Tony’s coffee and brought it over to the bed, handing it to him with a knowing grin. “Refusing Marlena isn’t easy and so I expected you’d help her, but instigating a coup…” he shook his head in amazement, “that I didn’t bargain on.” “There’s still time to get out of this mess, if you’d rather. I’ll find you a haven where Stefano will never find you or be able to touch you…” “And if I’d known you were going to be insulting me now, I’d have asked Rolf to bring you up your breakfast.” Tony chuckled appreciatively and raised his coffee cup. “And as for the other…” Sebastian continued, turning back to the table and setting the rest of Tony’s breakfast out. “I’ll organize something but I’m not going to send them anywhere until we’re ready and Stefano is on his way here, otherwise you might as well just tell him what you’ve got planned right now.” Stifling his objections, Tony kept silent, telling himself it was more than he’d expected in the first place. Sebastian had a sharp, incisive mind, but he could also be obstinate to an extreme, a trait Tony had been thankful for on more than one occasion so it would hardly be fair to complain about it now. Once he finished laying out Tony’s meal, one they both knew Tony hadn’t the appetite for, he picked up the tray and asked, “Anything else?” “Just one thing, I need to see her again, before I take off.” “You’ll be needing another diversion then,” said Sebastian and he eyed Tony curiously. “I thought you might be leaving after breakfast.” “If I’m not in a condition to dive, I doubt I’m in any condition to fly that plane either, at least not until I get some sleep.” Sebastian nodded and headed to the door. “Of course.” His tone was carefully controlled but Tony knew him too well and wasn’t surprised to see a grin when his profile came into view just as he pulled Tony’s door shut. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ He’d been dreaming. He couldn’t remember what it was about except that it wasn’t good because his heart was already pounding when he woke with a start to find Sebastian’s hand on his shoulder, shaking him. His friend’s other hand hovered at his lips, warning Tony to keep his voice low. “What?” he asked, feeling the blood beating in his ears. “It’s the twins,” Sebastian told him grimly, “they’re gone.” Wide-awake now, he didn’t bother to grab his robe as he jumped up and headed into the bathroom, furious with himself for not anticipating this move. He’d purposely begun to slip information to people, knowing it would get back to Stefano, though not enough to bring this on, or lead his father here just yet…but it had and if Stefano felt the need to move the twins, Tony knew Marlena would be next. In fact, he might have only a matter of days. When he came out, he found his clothes already laid out on the bed and Sebastian collecting the remnants of his breakfast and setting them one by one onto a tray. “Marlena, does she know yet?” Sebastian nodded, but continued what he was doing without any further comment, leaving Tony fearing the worst. “That bad?” Sebastian turned and faced him with a strange glint in his eye. “She had to be sedated.” “ Had to be?” Tony’s anger must have shown because Sebastian checked his urge to laugh. “I’m not quite sure how as yet, but she managed to break out of the laboratory upstairs and she followed Rolf and Gaston down to the boat.” Tony’s eyes widened, and his smile curved sideways. “And?” “Too bad I didn’t have a camera,” Sebastian smirked. “Rolf has a couple of scratches down the side of his face that were a breathtaking sight to behold.” Tony had to bite his lip to hold back his laughter and then another thought hit him. “They didn’t hurt her, did they?” “No, I pulled her off…” “And lived to tell about it…” drawled Tony as his eyebrows shot up. “I’m impressed.” Sebastian’s own smile grew wry. “Yeah, so am I. That woman has got a mean right hook.” “What comes from having a cop for a husband, I guess.” “A what?” “Her husband. He was a policeman.” “Ah yes, she told me about him, and about the rest of your…” but he stopped and quickly turned around to busy himself with wiping off the table. For a moment Tony was tempted to ask just what Marlena had told Sebastian of Salem but reminded himself this was hardly the time for such a conversation. “So, Rolf didn’t use the plane?” “No, there was a boat docked, the Renee.” Tony’s heart skipped a beat. “Stefano’s personal yacht.” “Yes, it seems he’s taking no chances with his grandchildren,” returned Sebastian with a brief but pointed stare in Tony’s direction, and Tony clenched his fist shut to keep from throwing the nearest object at hand. “Did you see him?” “No, but I was rather busy and Rolf wasn’t about to stick around after all of that. He seemed pretty anxious to be gone. By the time I drug her halfway up the path, they were already on their way.” Grabbing his belt off the comforter, Tony squeezed his eyes shut, willing the tension away as he slid the end of belt through the first loop. At least the twins weren’t going far. He’d feared Stefano would send them to unknown location, or perhaps one of his numerous South American compounds but not right away apparently which meant all he had to do now was figure out which of the neighboring islands Stefano had chosen. “You’re not worried,” Sebastian observed from behind him. “I believe,” said Tony, sitting down on the bed to put his shoes on, “that we could be in luck, but I need you to be ready in a day or two.” Sebastian looked surprised. “But Rolf may not be back that soon.” “I’m afraid he will be. In fact, I’m almost certain he’ll be back to collect Marlena and I just hope he doesn’t show up before I discover the secrets I need.” “The location of the twins.” He acknowledged Sebastian’s assumption with a nod as he finished buttoning his shirt and then as he rolled up his sleeves, added, “There is something else too. Another piece of information I need to find before I can send her home.” “Regarding her husband.” Tony twisted around on the bed so he could see Sebastian. “She told you.” “Well, it was pretty obvious that she was upset this morning. She looked in even worse shape than you did.” With a chuckle, Tony said, “I hope you didn’t tell her that.” And Sebastian smiled back a bit nervously. “If I had, I probably would have ended up with a pair of gashes in my face to match the ones she bestowed upon Rolf.” The picture in his mind of Marlena raking her fingernails across the good doctor’s face generated a degree of satisfaction Tony hadn’t experienced in weeks now. Not as satisfying as getting his own hands around Rolf’s neck, but gratifying nonetheless. “I can think of few things that would make Marlena loose her cool like the sight of my father’s men stealing her children away but she’s pretty understanding otherwise. I think you’re safe enough.” “Something I have no intention of taking for granted,” Sebastian told him, “not again.” Tony didn’t even try to hide his amusement as he turned back to pull on his boots. “Suit yourself.” “So what do you know about him so far?” “Who?” “This man, masquerading as her husband…as Roman Brady.” Tony frowned. “Other than the fact he’s clever, or has incredible luck, not nearly enough.” “And you haven’t told her everything that you do know about him so far, have you?” There was no hesitation in Sebastian’s tone and Tony wasn’t sure if he was irritated or thankful that his friend took liberties that no one else had to the nerve to take when they were around him. “No.” “What kind of work did he handle for Stefano?” “I’m afraid it’s more a question of what didn’t he do. So far the list is pretty extensive, and frankly the idea of sending her back there knowing that she won’t be any safer with him than she is right now…” His voice failed him and Tony found himself unable to verbalize his fears. “Are you sure that isn’t just an excuse,” Sebastian asked finally, after several moments of awkward silence and Tony’s temper flared instantly but before his fury came spewing out, Sebastian threw up his hand, “Look, I know you don’t give a d**n about what Stefano or anyone else thinks at this point, but Marlena is a different story, and…” “Yes,” Tony snapped, interrupting him in a way that made it clear he had no intention of discussing it further. “I already know that.” He’d told himself he was doing this for Roman, and Carrie, as well as Marlena, but he knew better than Sebastian how utterly ridiculous that sounded. If he didn’t care at all, perhaps it would be easier but the idea of one of his father’s minions touching her, manipulating her, maneuvering his way into her heart and her life as he had and sticking her in the middle of this impossible situation made him so angry it terrified him. Worse yet, what if this man was responsible in any manner for her presence here now? How could he send her back under those circumstances simply because of how it would look to her if he didn’t, not to mention how the hell he’d explain it to her. Christ, she was in love with the man. And then, there was the matter of what Rolf and Stefano had done today. Her dream of getting back home was the one thing she had left after all of that. “So what do you do, when none of choices at your disposal make one blasted bit of sense?” He hadn’t meant to say it aloud and was surprised when he got an answer. “Pray.” Tony’s head jerked around to find Sebastian looking back at him and Tony could see he was serious. “You’re starting to sound like Marlena.” “And you, my friend, are even more cynical than I remember. I would have thought you might have learned more from being locked up all those months.” “Oh, I learned all right,” said Tony, fully aware of how cold his voice sounded. “And if I’d taken it to heart sooner, I wouldn’t be in this hellish predicament, and neither would that woman downstairs.” “Tony…” said his friend, shaking his head and gazing back at him evenly. “If you’re going to start blaming yourself for how you feel about the man, you’ll drive yourself crazy.” His words touched deep, into a place Tony had done his best to seal away because the pain was simply too unbearable. “Crazy,” he informed Sebastian, “has had its appeal on more occasions than I care to remember, but I don’t seem be cut out for it. Apparently I haven’t the talent.” “That or you just haven’t been pushed far enough as yet.” “A cheerful thought,” Tony shot back, dryly. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” Tony’s stare was hard and it glared momentarily but broke at about the same time the corner of Sebastian’s mouth began to quiver trying to hold back his own laughter. “Don’t you dare say it,” Tony warned him, knowing full well he was about to be reminded of but Sebastian was beyond saying anything. He’d grabbed onto the back of a chair and slid down onto the seat as memories brought laughter bubbling out and in a matter of seconds, both of them were doubled over. “You…” Sebastian choked trying to catch his breath, “Lord, I nearly peed my pants that night. I still don’t know how you managed to talk that policeman into letting us go and of all the places to pull a stunt like that.” “What, Turkey is a perfectly civilized country.” “The hell it is. You obviously haven’t been on the inside of one of their prisons.” But Tony’s smirk was humorless, along with his eyes. “I’ve seen enough.” “Well, if that’s not your idea of crazy…” “Oh? And just who the hell was it that decided we could get the information without simply paying the man off in the first place, in which case, that stunt as you so blithely put it, wouldn’t have been necessary.” Sebastian didn’t argue the point though his smile thinned considerably as he shook his head at Tony. “So, how did you do it?” “What?” “Bribe the policeman into ignoring the obvious.” “I didn’t bribe him…exactly,” and he shrugged. “I hardly had anything left to bribe him with after that little fiasco, but as it happened, the family name has it uses, on occasion. “In other words, you blackmailed him.” “No, I offered him…” Tony swallowed, looking almost sheepish, “insurance.” A snort of laughter escaped Sebastian. “Something tells me I don’t want to know what that means.” “Probably not.” “And I probably shouldn’t bother asking you just how a lowly, rather dim-witted police officer chose that precise moment to show up either.” Tony stared at Sebastian, his heart in his mouth suddenly “Oh, d**n.” As Sebastian waited with confusion slowly clouding his eyes, Tony leaned over to yank open the bottom drawer of the nightstand and reaching into an ornately carved teak box, pulled out a gun, and then a container that he stopped to check. It held a half-a-dozen clips, all fully loaded. “It was a set up, the police showing up in the bank that night, in Istanbul,” he explained to Sebastian curtly, “ and so is this.” “A set up…how could it be? “The policeman was Tazari‘s cousin.” Sebastian blinked and then demanded, “And just when the hell did you learn that?” “A few months later, when he showed up in my office to collect his…” Tony hesitated. In the midst of this exchange, he’d already stood up and thrown several items from the top of the nightstand onto a pile on the bed before stepping over to open the closet. “Reward?” laughed Sebastian, who was starting to get the picture. “Yes,” came the muffled reply from inside the walk-in. “A job working security in one of my companies, but one that he got only after I got the truth out of him about who provided you with the information in the first place, and, the actual location of that blasted safety deposit box.” Sebastian had never questioned where or how Tony had managed to retrieve the number of the Swiss account they’d been tracking for months. For one thing, he knew Tony well enough. The fact he didn’t supply the information up front meant he’d done something to get it that was best left where it belonged, in the dark. And even Sebastian had to admit that it hardly mattered. Once he had the account number, he’d been able to recover what was left of his family’s treasures, a search he’d inherited from his own father who’d been trying to find it since the end of WWII, and though it wasn’t enough to ever restore their life as it had been in his grandfather’s day, a little justice was better than none. “So it was Tazari who set it all up.” Not sounding shocked, Sebastian wore an expression ever so faintly disgusted when Tony emerged from his closet with his bag and a handful of clothes. “And I walked us right into it,” he muttered. From his chair, he watched as Tony slid the box of clips into an outside pocket of his bag and the gun into the back of his jeans. “What are you doing?” “Stefano moved the twins because he’s certain I’ll follow, and in my haste, or stupidity, leave Marlena behind.” Sebastian whistled softly. “Yes…and of course, Rolf will be waiting to collect her the minute you’re gone.” “I have to admit that I’m awfully d**n tempted to let her stay, just for the pleasure of letting her finish off what she started this morning, but I can’t risk it. Rolf is liable to bring reinforcements.” “But she’s not awake yet.” “In that case,” smiled Tony, “I’ll carry her and you can take this,” he said, tossing Sebastian his bag from across the room. “Swell,” said Sebastian, who shot back a dour looking smile in Tony’s direction. “It should make a marvelous screen when the shooting starts.” |
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Post by REWREW on Mar 17, 2007 0:15:45 GMT -5
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Post by madelinehawaii on Apr 2, 2007 19:59:21 GMT -5
Place: Melaswen (Tony's memory of 1991)
Time: later that afternoon
Tony grunted, using his shoulder to give the plane one last shove into the dense foliage bordering the shoreline, the only stretch of land on the island with enough open space for him to land once he’d located his father’s yacht on radar. Luckily, it sat moored near an island that was not as isolated as the compound they’d left a few hours earlier. On each side resided two somewhat smaller islands and he’d chosen the first hoping not to alert anyone by flying too close. He’d still have to swim the narrow channel once the sun set and though it certainly would have been easier to find a spot to hide out on the same island where Rolf had taken his children, doing so was far too risky. Tony really had no idea how much of the last two day’s events had been orchestrated by Stefano. It was difficult for him to imagine Rolf being allowed to make such a decision without permission but not necessarily impossible. The fact that Stefano trusted the doctor with both Marlena and the twins up to this point spoke volumes to Tony because his father wasn’t a man that normally trusted anyone, and so perhaps he’d get lucky and find that Rolf had acted on his intuition, but assuming such a thing where his father was concerned would be terribly foolish.
As to what the hell he’d do once he located the twins, Tony had not the slightest notion, or how he was going to deal with the woman he’d brought along. Marlena would insist on following him tonight. Of that he had no doubt.
Opening the hatch, he climbed back inside to find her sitting up, shielding her eyes from the glare and squinting as though her head was killing her.
“Here,” he said, pulling a bottle of water from the frig tucked into the miniature sized galley and cracking open the top for her. “Can you hold it?”
Gingerly, she nodded, reaching out with a hand.
Minutes ticked by in silence as Marlena drank almost half the bottle without pause and then leaned back into the small alcove, hollowed into the passenger side of the thingypit wall, a sleek but comforting space, lined with paneling and down pillows. “Where are we?” Her voice was no more than a hoarse whisper, and immediately, she had to take another drink to still the coughing fit just uttering these few words generated.
“A few hundred miles east of the compound,” he told her as soon as she’d caught her breath.
“I dreamt…” dark lashes fluttered against her pale skin and then she raised them for a brief moment and tilted her head sideways, “that you killed him.”
“Who, my father?”
She tried to shake her head but realized instantly that was a mistake. “No. Rolf.”
Tony swallowed his laughter with some difficulty. “Isn’t there a clinical term for that? Projecting,” he teased and instantly warmed inside to find he’d coxed a smile out of her.
“Only if you weren’t really interested in killing the snake yourself.”
“True enough, “ he said, joining her in a smile now, “though I’m rather disappointed that I missed seeing the shot you took at him.”
“What are you doing sitting all the way over there?” The demand popped out without any pretext or warning and took her, as much by surprise as it did Tony, who’s perplexed look was almost comical and awkwardly, she cleared her throat. “Well, what I meant was…I understand you give a fabulous massage and to be honest, that sounds like it would feel…ah, heavenly right about now.”
Not that he minded the idea, but her sudden desire to take advantage of his services had the distinct air of an excuse in order to change the subject. “I do? And who told you such a thing?”
“Anna,” she said, with a deadpan expression that almost made him believe she was ticked at him for dragging her out here.
“And here I thought you already knew better than to believe everything Anna told you.”
He’d intended it as a joke, but it was one she didn’t find it amusing. She stared back at him, luminous eyes that held nothing back now, her disappointment in him more than obvious and when he didn’t react or provide an explanation but instead allowed the silence to lengthen, those eyes glared accusingly. “Do you have even the slightest inkling of what you did to her when you left and then, as an excuse, sent that appalling letter?”
“Unfortunately, I do,” he returned, meeting her gaze evenly, not at all pleased to be back on this subject once again, and he knew that look. He’d received his share from Alice Horton over the years.
“Then, why won’t you at least tell her the truth,” Marlena insisted, pleading with him once more “instead of putting her through all of this…this misery she’s enduring.”
“You’d like her to be where you are right now?” he pointed out, with more harshness than was probably necessary and her eyes lit up.
“That’s not a given,” she shot back, stung by his abrasive manner, his unwillingness to even consider anyone else’s advice about this.
“When you wake up in the middle of a cold and dirty little cell and have to watch the one you love chained up on the floor next to you, you will have earned the right to lecture me about my choices,” he told her dryly, “but until that point, I suggest you leave it alone.”
He’d not yelled at her, or snapped but his words affected her in a way that his anger had not and he knew that he’d been right about one thing at least. Anna hadn’t shared everything.
Her hand dropped from where she’d been using it to rub her forehead and covered her mouth. “Tony…”
It was barely whisper though he could hear the pent up emotion in it and quickly he shook his head. “Please don’t,” he whispered back.
Round eyes that were too bright searched his face before they turned to look out the window. “I wish…” she began but stopped almost at once. Her graceful profile gleamed as sunlight slipped into the windows from between the giant tropical leaves keeping the plane hidden, but he was familiar enough with that face to recognize how carefully she held herself, as though she was conscious of what the wrong word might do. “Anna had quite a talent covering up that side of her character, except when she was around you.”
That made Tony want to burst out laughing, but he controlled the urge because frankly he didn’t want to discuss Anna with her. As much as it hurt, on occasion, he enjoyed the subject, if only because it was his one consolation after everything that was gone and over with but only with certain people, and Marlena was definitely not one of them. She could read him too well. And she was too d**n stubborn to let up on her romantic notions and he knew just how susceptible he was to those, especially where Anna was concerned, so instead of answering her, he got up and stuck his head into the thingypit once more to check the radar but the boat hadn’t changed position.
“Why did you bring me along?”
She didn’t really sound all that curious and Tony suspected she was floundering, trying to find a safe subject. “Well, I did consider leaving you there. I figured you’d probably like another crack at Rolf but I need him in once piece, at least for the moment and since you said that you wanted to go home, I took the liberty.”
“My…thank you.”
He could hear her amusement now. “No problem.” And at that understatement, she laughed, a sound that was delightfully husky and appreciative.
“And now?”
“Now…” he stalled, not ready to begin arguing with her about their immediate future.
“Yes, now,” she laughed back. “I’m assuming we’re here because you followed Rolf.”
“Naturally,” he said, trying not to sound too sarcastic.
Hesitating, she waited for him to continue but not for long. “And do you have a plan you’d like to share with me?”
“Not particularly, no.”
Silence greeted this remark and though he didn’t turn around to witness it, he had no difficulty imagining the sight of her rolling her eyes in disgust. “Does that mean you want me to guess,” she asked, a hint of irritation in her voice, “or make up my own?”
“That means,” he said, throwing a switch on the control panel that shut off access to the fuel tanks, “we’re going to wait.”
“For what?”
“To see if I was right,” he said, turning back to face her at last. “About why they moved the twins first, instead of you.”
Marlena had wrapped her arms around her body as though she was cold, which considering the humidity, and the temperature outside, probably had something to do with her fears. “I don’t understand why they didn’t just take all three of us…” Her eyes danced nervously before she squeezed them shut at the thought of where she could be at this precise moment if things were different, “why leave me there at all? And why use a boat?”
“I hope that was meant to be rhetorical because I’m afraid, like you, Marlena” he told her dryly, “I have far more questions than answers.”
“But you do have a theory,” she pointed out.
And Tony shrugged. “Several.”
“Oh, for God’s sake Tony, stop with this silly, childish game.”
Tony stood quietly as she scolded him and then slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers again. “You don’t trust me.”
“No,” Marlena sat back, folding her arms across her chest. “The problem is, I do trust you,” she told him. “I trust,” and her eyes gleamed at him with that charming mixture of naiveté and determination, “that you’re going to do what takes to keep me on this plane so that I’m unable to follow you where ever the hell it is you’re going once it gets dark.”
He bit his lip to keep himself from reacting to the black humor of the situation. “Very perceptive, my dear.”
“Tony…” but she stopped abruptly, realizing probably that this tack wasn’t getting her anywhere and with a slight grimace, pasted a smile on her face. “What are you waiting for Rolf to do, exactly?”
d**n, she was stubborn he sighed to himself and he swore under his breath at the necessity of dragging her here and now having to find a way to keep her safe. As though she was really going to allow him to do that. “I pretty sure he’ll head back to the compound.”
“Back?”
“He’s holding off to give me enough time to leave and follow him on some wild goose chase leading nowhere, while he returns to the compound, for you.”
Her chin pulled up just slightly. “But Rolf wouldn’t leave the twins unless…” She grew very still as her imagination sent her down a terrifying road and he could see her fingers gripping her arms so tightly, he figured she’d end up with bruises later on. “Of course,” she muttered, more to herself that to him, “he delivered them to Stefano.”
“Possibly.”
But his skepticism didn’t sway Marlena who was barely keeping her panic in check and had to be frantic beneath the façade she’d managed so far. “Stefano doesn’t delegate that way, especially when it comes to his grandchildren.”
“That doesn’t mean Rolf isn’t capable of screwing up the situation on his own,” Tony said, leaning against the doorway of the thingypit.
“Come on Tony, Stefano doesn’t keep people around for long if they do things like that.”
“Well, not unless they have other talents, but point is that Stefano may not be aware that Rolf has altered his plans yet.”
Marlena studied his face carefully. “Why?”
“Well, for one thing he was in Hong Kong as of a few hours ago,” Tony explained to her with a shrug. “I checked.”
“That doesn’t exactly put him out of the loop.”
“No, but this deal is one my father has been working on for quite some time and short of me, or someone else making an attempt to physically take you and twins from the compound, I think it unlikely that Rolf would have the nerve to interrupt Stefano’s meeting and then have to explain that its is merely because he is suspicious of my behavior.”
“Unless…” Marlena’s mouth twitched as she tried to hold it a straight line, “he has proof.”
Tony swallowed uncomfortably and looked away. “If Rolf could prove anything concrete, I’d already be locked up.”
That observation put a damper on the argument and when he finally glanced over at her, found she was sitting with her head buried in her hands. Wanting to kick himself, he sat down on the cushions next to her and hoping that his fingers didn’t feel as cold as the rest of him, began working the tension out of her neck.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“No, I’m the one who ought to apologize,” he said, dropping a light kiss on her shoulder. “I’m just not much of an optimist.”
He heard a small whimper escape her lips that was probably supposed to be laughter. “Yes you are, though you’re certainly the most cynical one I’ve ever met.”
“Not the ideal combination.”
“I don’t know,” she said in an airy manner, trying to cover the lingering unease and awkwardness. “It’s kept you alive so far,” and her hand reached up to caress the one kneading her shoulder. He leaned over and kissed her fingers before they slipped back into her lap.
“So,” she began again after they’d sat in reasonably companionable silence for a moment, “you believe he trusts Rolf to such a degree that Rolf would feel free to make serious decisions in his absence.”
“I can’t be positive but how often have you had to deal with my father’s company since you arrived at the compound?”
At that supposition, she actually did turn around and roll her eyes at him. “Just once was too often as you very well know, but I see your point.”
Tony’s reply came out a hair too quick. “Good.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“Reason?” His fingers worked their way up through her hairline, “for what?”
“I don’t know how to put this delicately,” she began, “but you know Stefano, and surely you don’t believe that simply because he’s made no show of paying attention to the situation that it means he’s unaware of every single detail, of all the time you spent at the compound, and why. He’s got to be suspicious already.”
“And so you think that he’s set a trap.”
He could tell that she found the idea unnerving and well she ought to. “Look Tony, I didn’t mean to suggest that you’d ignore something so…”
“Obvious,” he finished for her when the words stuck in her throat. “It’s alright. And yes, I know that is one of the possibilities here, but something keeps nagging me about Rolf’s behavior lately. I can’t put my finger on it, but…” the right words to explain his misgivings hung just out of reach, as did any solid evidence to convince her that he wasn’t nuts and blindly dragging her into an elaborate snare designed by Stefano. All he had was a hunch, but Tony had learned the hard way about paying attention to the little, seeming unimportant details. He’d done that before and it had cost him dearly but not this time. “Something about what happened this morning is odd.”
“In what way?” she asked.
“The way in which it was organized, which was certainly not the way my father would have handled the situation.”
She twisted around to grab one the hands still massaging her shoulders and held onto it. “You know, you’re right,” she told him, her eyes wide, “It was, I don’t know…”
The correct word eluded her as well, but now he knew what it was that was wrong about the whole thing. “It was messy,” he told her.
“Yes “ she agreed, squeezing his hand as her smile broke across her face, and he responded to it with a rather cynical one of his own.
“We both know how Stefano would feel about that.”
For the first time in days, she looked hopeful, though he could tell that feeling scared her too but she resisted exposing such a weakness for more than a tiny instant. Lord, was she determined and what on earth was he going to do now?
He’d had plenty of time during the flight earlier to consider how to keep her from getting herself into trouble but it wasn’t just tonight he had to worry about. Even if he found the twins waiting, ensconced in some rat hole on the neighboring island, without Rolf, they’d never survive, and he knew Marlena would not leave without them. He’d be forced to do the one thing she’d had more than enough of the past few years, courtesy of Stefano. He’d have to lie to her, temporarily at least. And of course there was a problem of where he’d stash her away until he could determine if it was safe for her to go home. She’d appreciate that even less he knew.
“Tony.”
Lifting his head, he eyed her cautiously. She was smiling and wearing that expression of complete faith she managed to convey so easily.
“I know what you’re thinking.”
She probably did, after all it was the subject they’d danced around since they’d begun this conversation. He took a deep breath and smiled back, charmingly. “The answer is no, Marlena. You are not coming along tonight, absolutely not.”
“And who was it complaining about that little matter of trust only a few moments ago?”
“This has nothing to do with trusting you, or vice versa, and you bloody well know it,” he told her, his irritability beginning to show.
“Okay, you’re right, it doesn’t,” she snapped. “It has to do with my life and my children…”
“No, our children…”
Her eyes narrowed. “Fine, our children, but you can not simply cut me out of the picture.”
He shook his head but still had to squeeze his eyes shut to stop himself from lashing out in anger. “Don’t you understand?” he said finally, with as much control over his emotions as he could muster. “I’m trying to keep you alive,” and he made some effort to keep the accusation out of his eyes as he looked up now, “so our children will have someone I trust to raise them with love and…and affection, and all the things Stefano doesn’t believe in anymore.”
“Oh…” That took the wind out of her suddenly and she glanced at him on the verge of tears again.
And he had to look out the window. He could feel his heart racing and a part of him wanted to wipe away her tears and comfort her but that wouldn’t help the situation, or change it, so instead they sat in absolute silence as the minutes ticked by, sitting just inches from each other, and he began to feel as though they were both holding their breath, until she spoke up again.
“I’ll make you a deal.”
“Marlena…”
“No,” and her hand was pushing on his shoulder, so that he’d look at her. “Please, just listen.”
He leaned back against the wall with his elbow balanced on one knee so that the back of his fingers were resting alongside his nose and across his mouth. Only his eyes remained visible to her.
Rather nervously she bit her lip, and then, “I’ve had time to think about what you told me, a…about Roman.”
“About Roman, or his double?”
“Both, but mainly the one I’ve been living...the one that came back.” For just a second she met his steady gaze. “I know you haven’t told me all the things you learned about him, and I…” He could see her holding her breath now. “You believe Stefano sent him to Salem on purpose, as another way to get his hands on me.”
“Don’t you?”
“God, I…” But this was too much pressure, even for her. “I don’t know.”
In a quiet, sympathetic way, his eyes gleamed at her, watching as she tried to hide from the stark possibilities. “I think you do.”
“Let me come with you tonight.”
He opened his mouth to refuse but she rushed to finish. “If we don’t find any information that exonerates him or proves him trustworthy, I’ll wait. I won’t go home right away, and you won’t have to drug me to get me to behave, when it comes to him or the twins.”
Tony dropped his head down until his hand completely covered his eyes. She had it all figured out of course. How could she not after this many years as his father’s most honored guest. Suddenly he was shaking with laughter. “That’s not a deal, for Christ’s sake. That’s blackmail.”
She looked at him matter-a-factly. “Yes, I know.”
“Marlena…”
“Please, I can’t just sit here waiting, not knowing if you’re even going to be coming back and then what the hell would I do?”
“Of course I’ll be back.”
“You can’t guarantee that.”
She was right. Worse yet, she knew she was right and that he’d recognize the fact.
“Tell me something,” he said, wearing dry, suspicious smile.
She waited, sitting calmly with such a convincing air of innocence and Tony chuckled.
“I’m truly curious how Roman ever managed to keep you alive all those months he was running from Andre because woman, you aren’t just stubborn,” and his eyes grew larger and bored into hers, “you’re downright impossible…”
Her mouth thinned and she went to turn away but he continued on anyway. “And you don’t do so hot when it comes to letting someone else help you. I understand that’s a typical failing of most doctors but…”
“Analyzing me isn’t going to fix this mess. If it makes you feel better, fine but we’re wasting time here.”
Tony glanced out the window and then back. “We’ve got plenty of that.”
“Not if you’re going to teach me enough to get me across that channel tonight.”
Laughing, he shook his head. “Let me guess., you’ve never been diving before.”
She flashed him a winning smile. “Just a little, but I’m a quick study.”
“Yes,” he murmured, brushing his fingers along her cheek, “I know, I’ve heard about your exploits in the kitchen.”
Bristling some at that comment, she said, “So, I’m not domestic, but I…”
“Fine, fine,” he said, reaching over to stop her mouth with a kiss. “I’ll teach you,” he told her, taking hold of her chin and lifting it just enough to gain her undivided attention. “On one condition.”
She waited, with less bravado this time.
“You are going to promise me, swear that you will follow my directions tonight without question, and when I give them to you. Agreed?”
Her gaze warred with his momentarily and he could tell she was fighting her impulses but after a few long, drawn out seconds, she nodded. “Yes, you have my word.”
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Post by madelinehawaii on May 3, 2007 20:23:33 GMT -5
Place: Melaswen
Time: Tony's Memories of 1991
Though he really had no idea how, they’d both made it across the channel in one piece; no sharks or other surprises, except an overly friendly porpoise that gave Marlena quite a fright at first glance. She’d also managed to swim most of the way on her own so that he’d only had to help her when they reached the surf that lead them up to a rocky coastline.
“Don’t any of these islands have beaches with sand?”
Tony shrugged, busy trying to haul the tanks past the lava without puncturing either of them or falling and breaking his leg in the dark. She had the flashlights, but she wasn’t doing much of a job of giving him a path to follow.
“I have no idea. I haven’t been here before and would you mind putting off the sightseeing till another time before I trip on this stuff?”
“Oh, sorry.” The beam shot in front of his feet and led him up into a trio of palms, whose giant fronds swayed out over the water.
The breeze felt deliciously refreshing as it washed across his face, especially after the exertion and stress of getting this far but the temperature was still humid and trekking through the undergrowth was going to cut them off from the wind, making it most uncomfortable. He just hoped Marlena wasn’t squeamish when it came to bugs and spiders and thought to himself that perhaps he should have mentioned it earlier as a way to persuade her to stay behind.
“Make sure you tuck you socks into your wetsuit,” he reminded her.
She’d already sat down on one of the tanks and pulled off both fins. “Yes, I haven’t forgotten.”
“Good because you wouldn’t want to end up with one of these next to your skin.”
It wasn’t one of the larger ones he’d ever seen but fat enough to make an impression on Marlena who made a face at him as he tossed it towards the water.
“I’m allergic to centipede bites.”
“Terrific,” he griped, sitting down on the tank next to her. “How about spiders?”
“No, but I doubt I’ve run into any of the ones we’ll meet here.”
“Next, you’ll probably tell me you are allergic to mosquitoes, or better yet, thingyroaches.”
She laughed, sounding as though she was miffed. “That would be Anna,” she told him, stuffing her hair into the hood of her wet suit.
Tony shook his head. “She isn’t, to either one.”
“She told Carrie she was.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet she did.”
And suddenly both of them were laughing at the absurdity, and the memories.
“I can only imagine Anna out on an island without all the comforts, or should I say, luxuries of home,” said Marlena, but then grew quiet, her mind sliding effortlessly along to another scene she’d only heard about though in greater detail, over and over again until it seemed real and far more vivid than many of the things she dealt with in the last few days except for the news Tony had brought her about Roman. So many years had passed since the image of him falling from that cliff clung to the edge of her dreams so that she awakened to it in the morning but Tony’s revelation brought it all back, only she didn’t just see Bo finding him now, but John too. John lurking in the shadows waiting for Bo to leave and then dragging Roman’s body away into the surf.
“Are you ready?”
Tony was standing with his back to her, rearranging things in the pack.
“Yes.” Finishing up the last tie on her shoes, she rose to help him cover the tanks with dead fronds, then waited as he slung the pack on his shoulder and looked over at her.
She stood in a patch of moonlight and the wetsuit, nearly a whole size too small for her left little to the imagination so that his eyes trailed down her figure and he smirked devilishly. “It seems such a waste.”
“Excuse me?”
He shrugged. “Well, here we are, a beautiful tropical night, lovely moon…”
Laughter escaped her. “Rocky beach.”
“Yes, and water instead of champagne, but still a night that has better uses than sneaking through the bushes, hunting down my father and Rolf.” He knew he sounded rather disgusted at the prospect of having to waste his time in such a manner.
Marlena shook her head at him. “Tony.” And her tone was chiding but Tony was serious.
“Wait until we’ve crawled through the underbrush for half and hour or so and you might not be so enamored by the adventure of it any longer.”
“Beats sitting behind wondering what could be going wrong, or being locked up.”
Though she had a point, he was already finding the situation depressing enough and listening to her site one more reason didn’t improve his frame of mind any. After all, any time the situation involved Stefano, there didn’t seem to be that much difference; being locked up, not being locked up, it was all the same considering the way he manipulated everyone’s lives to get his way. Marlena might be free now, but that didn’t mean her life would return to the way it had been before Stefano weaseled his way into it.
“Well…since you insist,” he grumbled, leading the way into the shadows, “lets get this over with.”
An hour later, hot, a bit scratched up and having learned Marlena knew more curse words than he would have thought possible, they reached a clearing in jungle. She didn’t even wait for him to pull his pack off before she unzipped the back pocket to retrieve a water bottle and drinking a few swallows, she leaned her head back and splashed some on her face.
“God, that feels good. I thought I was going to suffocate in there.”
“That might be one of the more enjoyable parts of this evening,” he said, taking the bottle from her hand and drinking the rest in a long swallow.
“Will you stop already?”
To hide his amusement at her growing irritation, he slid the pack off and leaned over to retrieve another bottle. It was nice to see her behaving more like her old self but he found it brought out a side of him he’d become all too familiar with in the last few years, one that took an excessive degree of pleasure baiting anyone trapped in his company.
Mostly it was defense mechanism for dealing with his father, which only became more of a chore as time passed because being stuck as he was in this situation was taking its toll on him, especially since he felt he had no one to blame other than himself and while he sympathized with Marlena’s dilemma, he had to admit to being jealous of what awaited her back home…a family. Even if it no longer included Roman, she still had her children as well as the Bradys and the Hortons, eager to welcome her back with open arms.
He didn’t have that anymore and the chances of him ever having it grew slimmer with each passing year…unless he managed to put a stop to Stefano here and now but at what cost?
If he took over Stefano’s place as the head of the family, it wouldn’t be a simple matter of turning it all around. Too many obscure figures existed, carrying out instructions orchestrated by his father, operations that could quite easily bring down the empire Stefano had built, along with his family, crashing it all into ruin.
He brought the bottle up and laid it against his forehead. The coolness helped but still the mood he was in irked him. These morbid thoughts weren’t getting them anywhere and now irritated at himself, he cracked open the top and thrust it her direction.
“No thank you.”
He took a swig and then a look around the clearing.
“Perhaps I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, “ she said from behind him, “but why clear away the vegetation and then leave the space empty?”
Surveying the field, he noticed it wasn’t exactly empty. Out in the center, the grass appeared taller, and after he’d stared at it for a bit, realized it wasn’t grass, but a patch of ginger or something that looked like white flowers. “I think they’re using it as a pad.”
“A pad?” She sounded confused.
“As a landing area for a helicopter.”
“Oh…so there’s a path around somewhere, leading to…”
But he shook his head. “Stay here.”
“Tony…” but he turned swiftly with a warning glance to remind her of her promise and then stepped out into the moonlight. He’d made it only halfway across the clearing when he felt the vibration beneath his feet. Not aggressive enough to suggest vehicles approaching but more of a hum he could feel, silent but steady and he knew what it was, or thought he did. Quickly he hurried to the patch in the middle of the field and beamed his light into the center of it, and found a trap door, surrounded by a set of powerful albeit unlit landing lights, the kind used on runways after dark.
A front door. Hardly the ideal place to stage a break-in he thought but obviously there was machinery down there and that meant exhaust vents nearby, as close to the edge of the jungle as possible.
But they’d be difficult to find in the dark with only flashlights.
He glanced back, trying to locate Marlena. Her figure blended right into the shadowy background of the trees and bushes and he was just about to simply wave her over when a spark flickered, the light from the moon catching the metal casing of her flashlight probably. She’d swung around and suddenly he too heard a sound that made his heart stop, the distant whirl of helicopter blades and instinctively began a mad dash to the trees. He motioned to her to get back under cover also but didn’t have time to check if she did so. There was no time. If he failed to make it out of the clearing before the beams set into the center of it lit up, or before the helicopter’s strobe lights reached him, the game would be over. Adrenalin helped speed him but the field’s expanse appeared to stretch out further than he’d remembered and it wasn’t smooth and even ground. Bits of low shrubbery, rocks, and pitted lava formed an obstacle course that tripped him up more than once but his luck held long enough to see him beneath the first layer of bushes as a number of powerful beams washed across the field behind him.
A circle of light shot from the center of the field straight into the night sky but there was also an array of floodlights set on poles surrounding the open space, and it lit up the enormous pad with the precision of a stadium.
Cautiously, he crawled out to the edge of where the light faded into the trees and eyed the rim, searching for any sign of her but there was none. She’d gotten out of sight. The roar of the helicopter filled the area, though it was just above the light and so not visible as yet. Tony hesitated. He had the perfect view from this spot. He’d be able to see whoever arrived but he had a good idea already of his host’s identity and he couldn’t leave her out there on her own. For one thing, he had their only gun, which would be pretty useless if his father got his hands on Marlena first.
He scrambled back and headed in the direction where he’d last seen her at the same time praying she’d stay put. They could easily miss each other if she came looking for him.
As the helicopter settled to the ground, turbulence created from the beat of its long blades blew up dust and dead leaves so that they swirled in his face. Waiting for it to stop would have been the smart thing to do, but he kept moving and almost immediately stumbled over an obstruction in his way.
“Bloody hell,” he swore, forgetting himself but with the noise from the helicopter, he needn’t have worried. He could barely hear his own voice. Squinting, he moved so that his back was to the gusts still emanating from the field and stared down at his find. A back door. One of the outlets required to keep the air fresh below ground. He was scarcely able to believe his good fortune, not to mention the timing, which seemed almost a sign, or would if he’d believed in such things.
A scant ten minutes later, he found her waiting near the same spot where he’d left her, the bag clutched in her hand and peering around a tall palm in the direction of the helicopter which stood silent on the field now, its engines cooling in the night breeze.
As she heard him approach, her head jerked around and he could see her eyes, wide with fear but still determined and smiling back, he reached out his hand and nodding his head in the direction of his find, motioning for her to follow.
She mouthed the word, “who?” at him as she got closer and he shrugged.
“Stefano, most likely,” he whispered back and saw her tense up once more. “Come on, I have a way in,” and led her carefully through the tangled bushes and vines to the vent he’d discovered.
Marlena didn’t appear all that impressed as she glanced down at the low, rather rusted and banged up sleeve of metal sticking out of the ground. Beyond the first few feet she couldn’t see anything when she looked inside. “Where does it lead exactly?”
“A bunker,” he explained, “the one he’s headed to,” and Tony pointed back over his shoulder towards the helicopter and its occupants.
Her eyes followed where his thumb jabbed at a small group of men. She made out Stefano’s bulky figure immediately and two others beside him. They were all standing in the bright light so it was easy to make out their features even from this distance. The man next to him she didn’t recognize but the other one…
Tony realized after a moment that she’d grown very still and looked up from where he’d been studying their way in to find her staring at the field in horror and he spun around. His father stood near the helicopter, his back to Tony but facing him was a man Tony knew couldn’t be alive. He’d watched him die. Watched as he sank beneath the quicksand on an island a hundred miles away. The man was in hell, Tony insisted to himself, except there he was, talking to Stefano as though he’d been expecting him. Tony squeezed his eyes shut, willing the reality he was seeing to go away but it didn’t and he swore viciously under his breath. Andre. His mirror image, alive and looking thingyy as ever.
A blistering white-hot fury took hold of him and without thinking, he started towards the group until her hand grabbed onto his wetsuit. “No.”
He could hear the frantic edge grating in her voice, the panic.
“Tony…”
There was something else he could hear too and turned to find her backing away from him all of the sudden.
She swallowed nervously. Despite her best efforts, there was terror deep in her eyes that shone with a brightness that gave her away. “You are Tony, right?” The last word was barely a whisper, pleading for reassurance.
He opened his mouth to convince her but what the hell could he say? She wasn’t Anna. She’d never known Andre well enough to be certain, at least not to the degree Anna had and what else was there? Andre had his face, his fingerprints, even the same d**n blood type, and he’d made them all believe the impossible for months on end, and despite learning how easily they’d been fooled, it happened again on the island…so how was he supposed to prove his identity? This was insane, he though, remembering Anna with a gun trained on him, ready to shoot him because she’d believed he was Andre but at least with her, he’d possessed the details he needed, he didn’t have that now…or…it occurred to him abruptly, perhaps he did. “You said Anna confided in you after I left.”
Her head nodded once, ever so slowly.
“Fine, ask me something.”
She leaned her head to one side, looking at him doubtfully
“Anything,” he insisted
Seconds ticked by and he began to think Marlena would admit to making up her story as a way to needle him when she blurted out, “Where did you propose?”
“Propose what?”
“You know,” and she bit the words out impatiently, “where were you when you asked her to marry you.”
He stared back at her and forced himself not to laugh, as her face seemed to be flushed, a condition visible even in the dim shade cast by the trees, thanks to the moon. “Ah yes, well, that would have been in my shower,” he told her, his tone dry and with a straight face. Her eyes widened just noticeably and he couldn’t hold back his grin any longer. “I suggested that’s where we have the wedding too.”
She shot him a look, reproving, but thoroughly amused that positively reeked of Alice Horton and he almost forgot himself and laughed out loud.
“Satisfied now?”
“Yes, though to be honest I’m not sure why since I can’t say I’d have that much trouble believing I’d get the same response out of your cousin.”
That was so insulting he refused to acknowledge it, not even with the snide retort that immediately sprang to mind and whatever good humor he’d felt momentarily was gone, replaced with sight of Andre’s face. That murdering bastard, alive and well and chatting with Stefano as though none of the past had ever happened. Though his father’s reputation had sunk to a point where nothing could resurrect it for Tony, he’d hung onto at least one consideration, that Stefano had loved Renee but to see him even conversing with the man who’d murdered her in cold blood caused him pain he’d not though possible any longer, as though it were all fresh again. As though he were back in that cell, listening to Andre describe what he’d done in all its gruesome detail. “d**n you both.”
“Tony.”
He’d turned away from her and so her voice came from behind him now.
“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it came out. I’d never suggest that you’re anything like Andre, that’s not what I meant at all.”
“Never mind,” he told her brusquely, “It’s not important.” He knew he was being rude to her on purpose but he was still so furious he didn’t care. When would he ever learn that being a DiMera meant he was cursed.
“Please don’t do that.” Her voice was soothing but he could tell she was hurt too.
“And just what the hell do you expect out of me?” Rounding on her, he found her beautiful hazel eyes awash with tears as she gazed across the few feet between them.
“I expect that you care enough about me that you’ll forgive my crass stupidity for what it was, fear getting the best of me.”
nuts, women never played fair he thought as his guilt kicked in. She’d just managed to insult him and make him feel as though he ought to be the one apologizing and in record speed that would have made Anna green with envy.
“Of course,” he managed in petulant tone that didn’t seem to fool her in the least.
“It’s going to be a very long night if we can’t get along.”
“Darling, it’s going to be a long night period.”
And finally she did him the courtesy of losing her temper. “God, you’re most bull-headed, arrogant, stubborn…” she pursed her lips and her eyes flashed angrily, “ass I’ve ever met.”
He lavished a charming smile as he nodded his agreement. “Some of my more redeeming qualities, didn’t you know.”
Anna would have thrown something at him at this point, or even tried to slap him but Marlena actually began giggling helplessly though she quickly covered her mouth to muffle the sound. “I guess I forgot to mention your ego, didn’t I?” she finally got out after a minute.
“Yes.”
She sucked in a deep breath looked at him with those melting eyes again. “Truce?”
Tony could feel his whole body stiffen up. “Okay but so help me, if I hear even one joke about how much the two of us are alike…”
“You won’t,” she promised. “It was just that for a second there, I thought…feared…” but she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. “Well, y…you know.”
All too well but he figured that remark would certainly not lighten the tension between them any or improve his mood so he kept it to himself. Instead he let his curiosity lure his gaze back out to he field where only one man remained, the pilot, who was pulling a bag from out of the back seat of the helicopter. He set it on the ground and stuck his head back in to search for something else which he found pretty quickly and stuffed into his waistband. Probably a gun. “We need to get down there and find out what the hell is going on,” he told her as the implications of the situation began to fully sink in. Their children were trapped down in that bunker…with a serial killer.
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Post by madelinehawaii on May 26, 2007 23:53:04 GMT -5
“As you can see Uncle, they’re both perfectly fine.” Andre’s tone held only a touch of sarcastic insolence, enough to be noticeable but in such a wily manner that it could easily be mistaken for something else if Tony hadn’t known his cousin so well. And being that it was apparent to him, he couldn’t conceive of Stefano missing it.
The panic that had gripped Tony after discovering Andre alive up in the field had diminished somewhat, now that they’d located the right room, and he crept forward inside the cramped air duct, moving past the rectangular screen that glowed with a fair amount of light as he made his way carefully to the far side. Marlena was behind him. They left their boots and pack, and everything except his gun and a small flashlight at the bottom of the shaft they’d dropped into, the one they’d discovered which led them into an elaborate cooling system designed to keep the bunker’s air breathable. Even from back there, half the length of the field away, they could hear the distant echo of voices that carried easily, resounding through the metal pipes.
And for maybe the first time in his life, Tony appreciated at least one aspect of his father’s shady business because the wetsuits he and Marlena wore had been custom made and included elbow, knee and shin pads fabricated for stealth, allowing them to make their way silently through the aluminum casing.
“I’m still waiting for an answer Andre, what are you doing here?”
Stefano’s tone was deceptively mild.
“And I thought that would be obvious, Rolf needed assistance and you were, well…busy.”
Though unable to see his face, it didn’t take much imagination to picture the scowl such an excuse would provoke and he got the impression that Marlena was seeing much the same reaction on Stefano’s part.
“Rolf overreacted,” replied Stefano with a growl hanging at the edge of his voice, “as usual, and now Tony is no longer merely suspicious…”
But he was almost immediately interrupted by Andre’s blatant laughter. “Suspicious? Hell Tony has been playing you for an utter fool for months now.”
“I am well aware of what Tony has been doing …you on the other hand…” Stefano’s tone was so smooth suddenly that it raised the hair on the back of Tony’s neck, “… are up to something.”
“The only thing I’m up to is making certain Tony doesn’t take off with his kids and a little appreciation on your part wouldn’t hurt since I don’t really give a d**n. Seeing the backend of Tony and his brats would be a relief.”
There was silence for a moment, one that felt particularly awkward and Tony heard the click of a lighter followed seconds later by a raucous slap and then a scuffle. Ignoring the fact he could be seen, he leaned over and almost bumped heads with Marlena who glanced at him sheepishly but she didn’t back away either. She too was anxious to see what was going on.
As he searched the room, he could hear Andre struggling. The sight that met his eyes as he pinpointed them near the door didn’t surprise Tony any, and a wild thought took hold…that he might have the pleasure of watching his father snap Andre’s neck in two. The idea made his hands itch. He ought to be the one down there with his fingers stretched around Andre’s throat, squeezing it slowly until his cousin’s face turned pasty and the fool began blubbering, but unfortunately, murder wasn’t what Stefano had in mind and he loosened his hold on Andre’s neck. Instead of strangling him, Stefano grabbed Andre’s shirt and shoved the shorter man up against the wall, his fist ripping the fabric of the thin tank top his nephew had on.
Andre was alarmed but not nearly as much as he should have been. “Tony knows about John,” he informed Stefano with relish.
And Tony’s heart skipped a couple of beats. Had Andre been at the compound or only heard this from Rolf? Gingerly he turned and found Marlena eyes riveted on him and from the alarm frozen in their depths, knew she suspected the same thing, that her room must have contained hidden surveillance equipment. He wasn’t pleased with the idea of the show they’d put on, though not because of his cousin, or his father, but Roman…Roman who was already going to have to face the fact his wife accepted an imposter into her bed and who would do his d**nedest to understand but be hurt all the same…that was if he was alive.
Still there were small favors to be grateful for, like not discussing his plans regarding Rolf when they were in there.
“Knows what, exactly?” The words dripped from Stefano’s lips and they were a lethal threat as he jerked Andre’s body closer, until they were separated by a mere matter of inches. Andre looked nervous but not all that afraid and that made Tony nervous because though his cousin was arrogant, he’d never challenge Stefano face to face.
“Knows he’s not Roman Brady.”
“If he learned this piece of information from you…” Stefano didn’t need to finish but even this didn’t faze his nephew.
“Of course not.” Andre fired back in disgust.
It was obvious that Stefano didn’t believe him. He did however toss Andre aside, the loathing he felt registering clearly on his face. Andre made an effort to smooth the wrinkles out of his shirt, nervously fingering the spot that was ripped open and all the time eyeing Stefano, measuring his mood and that sent more warning signals blaring in the back of Tony’s mind.
“If not from you, then just how the hell did he manage to find out?”
“As I’ve told you before, many times in fact, there are weak links in your organization, people who drivel on in Tony’s presence and will give him the information he’s seeking or practically anything else he asks of them.”
Tony could see Stefano shaking his head. “Rubbish.”
“Then I guess you’d rather I’d allowed the little rat to get away with snitching.”
Stefano turned slightly so that Tony had a better view of his face and saw his eyes narrow suspiciously but the fury burning in them didn’t register as the impact of his cousin’s words hit home. The ‘little rat’ Andre referred to was all of eighteen, and the grandson of his mother’s rather amusing maid who’d spoiled Tony shamelessly during the time when he and Daphne had lived in Stefano’s household, but there was no possible way Andre could know what the boy had divulged unless...
In a daze, Tony leaned back, bumping his head on the metal siding that curved behind him at exactly the wrong angle. He felt sick and infuriated…at Andre but even more so at his own stupidity and what it had cost his friend. The kid deserved better than to be used the way he had because Tony knew there was only one way his cousin could know what information had been passed onto him from Roberto…Andre had been the one to provide it in the first place. No longer paying attention to what was going on down in the room below, he shut his eyes, fighting a wave of nausea that threatened to engulf him, squeezing them even tighter and shaking his head angrily when a breathless whisper next to his ear asked if he was alright.
As he should have known, his reaction didn’t go over so well.
“Tony…” Marlena was practically hissing at him and he grabbed her arm and clapped his other hand over her mouth.
She tried to yank her arm away but he only tightened his grip, and glared at her, letting his eyes drift to the screen after a moment and then dart back again, pointedly.
But the reminder made no impression. Instead her eyes spit fire back at him. She was as angry as he’d ever seen her but he held on, just as furious at her for insisting on coming in the first place and putting herself in jeopardy the way she was, and furious at himself for allowing it. The thought that she could easily get herself killed here, with Andre on the loose only made it worse. The entire situation was growing more impossible by the minute but then with no warning and a conscious effort he could literally see, the tension in her body relaxed in tiny increments and she leaned back next to the screen. The look on her face was still defiant but there was a hint of guilt there too and he let go of her arm.
Swallowing carefully she glanced over at the screen where it was suddenly quiet. Way too quiet in fact. Her eyes began to widen as they heard the sound of footsteps growing closer to their side of the room and Tony did his best to keep a reign on the urge he felt to vent his sarcasm at the entire situation.
“We had an agreement Andre, so you’d better pray that Tony knows nothing more about John than you’ve told me.” The sound of Stefano’s voice was so close, Tony could hear the silky menace lingering in his business like tone.
“You think I’d risk loosing Kate?”
There was a pause, just long enough to make it plain that his father wasn’t buying Andre’s less than convincing performance. “If it meant sending Tony after John, yes, I do.”
“That’s ridiculous…”
And Tony heard a snort of disgust escape Stefano but Andre pressed ahead anyway.
“Why the hell would I bother since you’ve already set everything into motion and all I have to do is sit back and enjoy the show.”
Tony could feel Marlena’s eyes burning into him as the sound of his cousin’s words hit home. Who on earth was this man who believed himself to be Roman Brady and why would Andre or Stefano believe he’d care?
“Don’t make the mistake of playing me for a fool,” Stefano snarled. “You’ve made it abundantly clear that you want the two of them to learn everything about what happened that day.”
“You bet I do.” Andre’s rage came lashing with such hatred that it shocked even Tony. “But as you said, we have a deal…I get my life back, along with Kate, and I let you take care of Daphne’s bastards.”
And for one infinite second, Tony’s reality shifted dangerously near to the brink of a precipice where everything he though he knew about his life evaporated into thin air. Lies, it had been nothing but lies…every syllable his father… no…Stefano had uttered, every single promise, every plea begging Tony’s forgiveness, nothing but lies to draw him back into his web where Tony could be manipulated all that much easier.
Tony face burned with humiliation at the thought and he could feel the blood pounding in his ears.
“I want to hear from you how Roberto learned about John,” demanded Stefano after only a moment of silence.
“And how the hell would I know?”
“Because you told him, didn’t you?” Stefano accused, without any question in his voice but Andre kept his cool.
“Prove it.”
“There are very few people left at the estate privy to information about John, and I know exactly who they are, not a single one of whom would dare reveal that secret to a child, especially one as volatile as Roberto, so I’ll give you one more opportunity…” now the menace in Stefano’s tone hung in the air, clearly a challenge, “how did he find out?
“Did it ever occur to you that he might have learned the secret from his grandmother?”
Though Tony had no doubt it had, Stefano remained silent. Daphne had never even hinted in Tony’s presence that she’d had another child but she’d doted upon Evangeline, and once he’d learned about his mother’s affair with Enrico, Tony had suspected the witty and buxom maid of aiding Daphne, helping her set up secret trysts in a way that kept the affair from Stefano until after Daphne managed to flee the country with Tony. Was it possible his mother had been pregnant at the time?
“The fact the boy didn’t know, that she hadn’t told him is the only thing that kept him alive after I learned how she aided Daphne in her treachery,” Stefano informed his nephew, and once again Tony could feel that atmosphere in the room near the flash point.
“So she made you believe,” came Andre’s smooth reply and despite the emotions he was experiencing, Tony had to admit his cousin seemed to have learned from at least a few of his mistakes. He’d either done his homework more thoroughly than in the past, or he’d finally learned the art of bluffing. “No doubt she’d have said anything to convince you of his ignorance before you had Rolf kill her.”
There was a short pause, and then, “Would you mind repeating that?” The tone in Stefano’s voice has a deceiving air of nonchalance about it so that Tony thought Andre might let his guard down and ignore the danger signals lurking like hidden barbs.
“You heard me,” came the reply and Tony could tell his cousin wasn’t aware of the trouble he was in until Stefano pointed it out.
“Rolf, you said.”
Andre’s voice failed him suddenly.
“That is what you said, am I correct?”
Without a second’s hesitation, Tony heard Andre scrambling out of Stefano’s reach and figuring both were too busy to be worried about being overheard, he risked another look down into the room just in time to see Stefano pull a small revolver out of his pocket and aim it at Andre’s head. “Back away,” he growled at his nephew who’d made it to the other side of a set of baby cribs where the twins slept peacefully, obvious to the danger they were in. Next to him, Marlena stifled a whimper and he could feel her body stiffen up as she held her breath.
Andre was too close to the cribs, near enough to reach at least one of them, but before he could act, Stefano pulled the trigger. The sound echoed explosively off the concrete walls, making Tony’s ears ring and searching quickly, he found his cousin was down, legs sticking out on the floor from behind his son’s crib. Stefano walked over nudged the man’s foot before he checked the baby monitors and then each of the children in turn. With one more glance down at his nephew’s body, he shook his head in disgust and strode from the room.
It was then that Tony realized Marlena’s head was on his shoulder and her breathing was uneven. Carefully he helped her sit back against the metal siding, her face white, visible despite the shadows of their environment as it contrasted against the inky blackness of her wetsuit
“They’re safe,” he mouthed silently, wishing he’d brought one of the water bottles along.
She gave him a slight nod but closed her eyes tightly and slid her hand over them, It was clear she needed time to get a hold of herself, but the sound of glass shattering in the room below put an end to that. Peering down, Tony groaned inwardly as he watched Andre dragging himself to his feet. Blood drenched one side of his face, matting his hair and he was not looking in the best of shape, but he was conscious and able to stand. He turned momentarily to glance in the direction of the baby cribs and Tony’s heart clenched in his chest. It took all his self-control not to rip the grill off. He could feel Marlena’s nails digging into his arm, afraid he was about to do something foolish probably but Andre was having enough trouble staying on his feet. He lurched drunkenly towards the door, making several attempts to open it before succeeding. As he disappeared Tony could see the blood he left smeared on the knob.
The chances of Andre making it out of the bunker alive seemed pretty slim, but he had to admit they did exist and after listening to the conversation, especially the insinuations concerning John, Tony wanted answers, ones he wasn’t liable to dig out of Rolf.
Nodding towards their stash, he motioned to Marlena that it was time to leave. She didn’t look pleased. For less than half a second, he considered arguing the point but any sound within the metal confines would carry so he started toward the spot they’d entered the system, ignoring her when she tugged on his arm to stop.
She’d probably accuse him of abandonment when they reached the surface though she had little choice but to follow him, and besides, there was no possibility of getting the twins to safety in their current situation. Control of the twins required getting control of Rolf, and perhaps Andre as well.
Once he crawled free of the vent, he lent a hand and pulled her up beside him, only to get shoved backwards and then unceremoniously slapped for his trouble. The hazel eyes that glared at him from only a few feet away burned with volatile fury and heaven knew why, but it amused him on some level and touching the side of his cheek, he gazed at her ruefully.
“I’d ask if that made you feel any better, but obviously not.”
“How dare you treat me…”
“Like someone who gave me her word,” he threw back at her but she didn’t much care for the reminder.
“We can’t just leave them down there,” she yelled at him, completely forgetting they could be overheard.
“And what would you suggest?”
“I…we…I don’t’ know.” But the admission, far from solving the problem, made her even angrier and he could see her hand curl up into a fist and beginning to feel as though this was an exercise in futility, Tony tried again.
“We’re wasting time arguing about this, and Andre could be out there…with the answers we both want.”
To his amazement, it worked and her eyes softened though he could see they were also a bit fearful now. “…about John.”
Tony nodded and without even blinking an eye, she grabbed his arm and started in the opposite direction from where they’d come ashore.
“Whoa, hold on a second,” he said, pulling her back so he could grab his pack still lying near the vent. “We need to be careful and…” he reached around and pulled the gun from his waistband. “I want you to carry this,” he said, handing it to her.
Her eyes darted from the weapon up to his face and then back down again. “That’s liable to be more of a temptation than I can handle right now.”
And Tony laughed. “I trust it will be less of a temptation for you than it will be for me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she said with a wry smile of her own but she took it anyway. “So, now what?”
“Ah yes, well now my dear…” he took her hand and pointed his flashlight into the jungle towards the southern edge of the island where he knew the yacht was moored. “Its time for Andre to spill his guts.”
“Why does it sound as though you mean that literally?”
A humorless grin creased his face. “That all depends on just how talkative he’s willing to be because right now, that’s the only card he’s got left to play with me. And keeping him alive is…” he raised his eyes to meet hers, “insane…”
“But we might have to.” Her statement sounded rather tentative.
“For the moment at least, yes.”
“But…” she paused and then forced herself to say it. “He must have been the one helping Rolf.”
Something in Tony’s gut twisted at the thought of the twins alone with that monster, or anywhere near him and he cursed Stefano. After everything Andre had pulled, what the hell was his father thinking…
His father…he heard Andre’s voice once more in his head naming him a bastard.
And Stefano hadn’t so much as raised an eyebrow.
Knowing he’d be duped was bad enough but Tony knew his pride was the least of their worries because if this was true, Stefano planned on using those children and just the possibilities, especially with Andre involved were chilling. Glancing up, he found Marlena staring at him, waiting expectantly. “You don’t have to worry about Rolf,” he told her, “he’s being taken care of,” and a cynical smile spread across his face, “as we speak.”
“How?” but then waved her hand to stop him before he could answer. “Sorry, it doesn’t matter, but if Rolf is working with Andre…God, I don’t understand any of this. Why on earth would Stefano bother with creating the twins if they weren’t his grandchildren?”
Tony’s face hardened. “I think you know the answer to that just as well as I do.”
“Tony…” but he didn’t wait to hear her reply. He didn’t need to hear his own ghastly fears reiterated over again. What he needed was to get his hands on his cousin and so he took off into the jungle knowing for certain this time that she’d be right behind him.
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Post by madelinehawaii on Jul 10, 2007 18:38:52 GMT -5
Place: Melaswen
Time: Tony’s memories of 1991
Tony shifted his position in the tree, trying to find a spot away from the branch sticking into his back but one where he still had a view of the path below. Marlena didn’t look too comfortable either. She was fidgeting in a tree about twenty feet away, eyeing the ground nervously as she waited. They’d been here for over an hour already without any sign of Andre as yet, which gave Tony too much time to consider all the disagreeable possibilities, too much time to think about Stefano and what he’d done, what he evidently planned on doing in the future to Tony and his…
But that thought brought him up short. An eerie feeling bordering on shell-shock still clung after listening to Andre and Stefano’s conversation and he knew it would take some getting used to, having a brother he couldn’t even remember.
According to Andre anyway and since Stefano hadn’t argued the point, Tony had to assume that Stefano believed John to be Daphne’s son.
But why had his mother kept this from him? To protect him? To protect his brother? Not that it worked apparently and Tony couldn’t help but wonder about the identity of John’s father as well as the man that Daphne had claimed to be his own. His entire past was so twisted he didn’t know what to believe anymore. The lengths Stefano had gone through in order to convince Tony his mother had been mistaken made it difficult for him to accept it all as a lie but so was discounting the conversation he and Marlena had just overheard.
And why the hell would Stefano send John to Salem masquerading as Roman Brady of all people?
None of this made any bloody sense. He could still hear the loathing in Andre’s voice at the mention of John’s name. He seemed to hate John even more that the usual suspects, if that were possible considering Tony’s own past with Andre, and then he remembered the dossier he’d gotten a hold of, the one Andre had provided Tony was pretty certain now, detailing John’s activities and the jobs he’d pulled off for Stefano and the picture got a little clearer, and infinitely more degrading. After all, he’d been there and didn’t need to imagine what Stefano had done to the man. He knew.
In an effort to take his mind off this distasteful image, he tried focusing on the puzzle of Stefano’s motive and thought back to what Marlena had told him about John’s sudden appearance in Salem, only a matter of months after Stefano revealed to Tony he was still alive, less than that if he took into account what he’d discovered about the competition that took place between Petrov and Victor Kiriakis in Miami about the time Tony left town. Stefano had lured him back into the family at almost exactly the same moment he’d shuffled John off to Salem and turned him into a Brady.
So what connection did John have to Roman? Or…and Tony grimaced uncomfortably as a new idea occurred to him…had they’d all been fooled completely and it wasn’t Roman who was Stefano’s ultimate target at all. Perhaps the person Stefano was aiming to persecute was another Brady, one Tony hadn’t even considered until now.
What if Stefano’s reasons for wanting Tony in Salem in the first place were all a fabrication?
He’d certainly done a convincing job of manipulating events so that it appeared there was no connection, that the Bradys were nothing to him before his arrival in Salem initially but the never-ending supply of secrets in this family was something Tony knew to be a constant and so he couldn’t see it as that much of a stretch to suspect his father of having ulterior motives where his old nemesis was concerned because though Stefano had done considerable research into Roman and his career, he’d remained conspicuously silent about Roman’s father who just happened to be from Ireland, a quirk of fate not lost on Tony. He was aware that Stefano’s parents had died there. Knew too that Andre’s father had done some digging into the circumstances surrounding their death before he’d been cut out of the family business.
So could there be a connection and if so, would Stefano taking Shawn’s son and deliberately sending an imposter in his place have something to do with a shadowy past that linked both families before either he or Roman or even John were born, one that only Stefano and Shawn were privy to?
As these tiny, rather inconsequential possibilities swirled in his head, he widened his suspicions to include those whose behavior he’d ignored up to this point, such as Victor who’d been raised in Salem, so that Tony hadn’t considered his return as anything out of the ordinary, not until Marlena had shared with him that Victor and Caroline Brady had a past together, and a son….one that Shawn had spent years believing to be his. Neither he, nor Bo had taken the news well apparently and Tony could certainly sympathize. Still it hadn’t dawned on him until now that Stefano might have a stake in this information.
Hurting Bo would please Stefano since Megan’s death but would his father go out of his way do to so?
Reluctantly, he thought back to the past, especially the last year or so in Salem and his father’s willingness, not to mention talent and near obsession for creating discord in Roman’s life. The lengths he’d gone to had taken even Tony by surprise at the time it all went down and if his father had learned Victor’s secret, Tony had no doubt, he’d exploit it to his advantage.
On the other hand, maybe he was being paranoid and Stefano merely wanted to get his hands on Marlena and used John to do it…or worse yet, sent John to Salem as a way of punishing him, to take away what he’d begun to treasure once it finally belonged to him though Tony thought the latter idea farfetched. It seemed rather a lot of trouble merely to cause John pain, even for Stefano.
Somehow, he couldn’t shake the feeling this had something to do with the Bradys despite all appearances to the contrary not the least of which was Shawn’s total silence in the face of all the havoc Stefano had wrecked. Surely if there were a connection between the two men, Shawn would have told Roman, would have bloody well said something to someone after his son’s funeral but Tony’s own painful experience had taught him that love of one’s family didn’t necessarily express itself in the logical way he’d expect. If Shawn were hiding a secret, perhaps he’d though silence would be the best protection, not that it made any sense but neither did sending John to Salem, forcing him to masquerade as Roman.
Trying to figure this out was giving him a headache, and if Tony belonged to any other family, such ideas would have been bizarre to say the least, but not here. To be ensnared in this one meant existing in a constant state of intrigue. Just the simple fact he was still breathing amazed him at times.
Glancing up idly, he let his eyes wander over to Marlena again across the empty space. She’d pulled off her hood finally because of the humidity and it’s stickiness, and he could see tresses of golden hair framing her pale face, and then he noticed her eyeing something intently, something near the edge of the jungle and following her line of sight he glimpsed movement, leaves quivering as they settled back into their normal positions behind a dark figure who was making pretty erratic progress Tony realized once he focused in on him. His cousin appeared to be getting weaker, and remarkably, he was not being followed. How he’d managed that Tony didn’t need to guess.
Swiftly he shot a look over to Marlena and motioned her to stay put, pausing just long enough to make eye contact before he slipped silently to the ground, keeping behind the tree trunk and out of Andre’s sight. The man might be severely injured but Tony had no illusions when it came to his cousin. Andre was deadly, even more so in this condition. His own survival would be the only thing that mattered until the moment when he realized there was no chance of making it, at which point he’d be even more dangerous. Willing to do anything necessary to drag Tony and Marlena into the grave along with him.
Tony could hear the progress he was making through the dense foliage now. Obviously his concerns involved Stefano and reaching the yacht without getting shot again which was fortunate for Tony and his partner, Andre’s desperation, or his condition blinded him to any other dangers as of yet.
Risking a glance from around the edge of the tree trunk, Tony was just in time to see Andre emerge from the bushes and trip over what appeared to be a vine in his way. It sent him crashing to the ground face first where he stayed without moving for an endless series of heartbeats. Tony waited, and suddenly his cousin’s hand tightened into a fist, digging its way into the dirt so he could drag himself another few inches but just as quickly, it went limp again. Still Tony held back but as the seconds ticked by, Andre lay absolutely still, the fall having dislodged the makeshift bandage he’d tied around his head and Tony could see that the wound continued to bleed freely.
With some effort, he kept his focus from drifting up to the tree where he was tempted to check on Marlena, keeping it aimed instead on his cousin’s face as he made it way over to the lifeless form on the ground and nudged him with one foot. No response. Not so much as an involuntary twitch of a finger. Tony used his foot to flip the body over but before he could see it come to rest, Andre’s hands came to life, yanking Tony’s foot viciously to the side so that he had to twist his body to keep Andre from cracking his ankle and found himself down on the ground with his cousin’s arm choking him, but the hold around his neck was tenuous and swinging his elbow into Andre’s face was enough to break it. To his surprise, Andre didn’t bounce back. After a second he turned to find his cousin on his back, panting, eyes full of hatred, staring up into the barrel of a gun.
“d**n it, I warned Rolf not to leave you behind.”
Marlena merely smiled down at him, her expression that was wont to be so animated now rigid and frighteningly determined. With a deliberate motion she obviously didn’t want him to miss, she released the safety on the gun.
And the complexion of Andre’s face paled considerably. “Marlena, you don’t want to make that mistake, I guarantee you, I can he…help you…”
“…how? By telling me about Roman?”
Tony knew instantly it wasn’t what he cousin had planned at all but as soon as the name escaped her lips, Andre pounced on it. “Yes, I can tell you where he is…”
“I don’t believe you.” She didn’t yell, or snarl at him, simply uttered the comment quietly in a way that left no question as to her opinion of him and his information.
“Tony, tell her for God’s sake.”
But Tony shrugged. He found himself enjoying the situation exceedingly and he was pretty certain Marlena had no intention of pulling the trigger yet, unless Andre did something stupid which was always entirely possible. Despite the fact Andre might possess information about John, and Stefano’s plans, Tony had to admit he’d thoroughly relish every single moment of watching Marlena shoot the man. “If you have something to say, I’d hurry up and spit it out before she looses her temper…again. She’s really not in the best of moods this evening.”
“Bastard!”
“Apparently so,” said Tony, wearing a grin now and he watched with pleasure as his cousin’s eyes narrowed, the hatred in them gleaming once more.
“You need me,” Andre told him flatly.
Tony glanced up to meet Marlena’s gaze and saw that her face was beginning to look strained. “No cousin, that you have rather twisted around because without us, you’ll never reach that yacht and if by some miracle you did, the crew would be waiting with instructions at this point and killing all of them in your condition is…well, a long shot.”
“You always did underestimate me.”
The grin on Tony’s face thinned. “Only that annoying ability you have of crawling out of your grave over and over again.”
“What’s the matter, am I putting a crimp in your social life cousin?”
But Tony was tiring of the game. “Who the hell is John?”
Andre smirked at him. “Not Roman.”
Letting his temper get the best of him, Tony sent a sharp kick into Andre’s mid section that left him gasping for air. “Screwing with either of us is a mistake,” Tony warned him harshly and gestured at Marlena who’d shifted her aim further along Andre’s torso straight to his crouch and when he made only the slightest attempt to move, her finger twitched on the trigger.
She smiled sweetly. “We’re waiting.”
“Go to hell.”
The words were barely out of Andre’s mouth when the gun fired and he let out a howl of protest and jumped backwards as the bullet sent up a small swirl of dust, burying itself into the ground right between his legs. “Jesus Christ, woman…” he huffed but for the first time all evening, Marlena appeared to be enjoying herself. Either that, or she was putting on an award winning performance.
She waved the barrel at him and shrugged. “I’m a bit rusty.”
Andre sent Tony an angry glare. “Giving her that gun, you did that on purpose you son of a pregnant dog,” and Tony, whose hand slipped across his forehead, grinned back wickedly.
“Just pretend she’s Renee.”
For one satisfying instant there was a shadow of fear in the back of Andre’s eyes. “And,” Tony continued, “if you don’t want her to start behaving like your dear departed cousin…well, more than she already is, I suggest you start using that brain of yours if there’s anything left of it and talk. How about you begin with why you hate John so much.”
Andre scowled but slowly, as though synchronized to a new line of thought, his expression transformed itself into a leer. “You really want to know about John, eh?”
“Yes and I’m getting tired of repeating myself,” Tony warned.
“I already provided you all the information I could.”
Marlena shook her head. “The loss of blood must be affecting the oxygen you’re getting because even you can’t be fool enough to think either of us will walk away with that.”
“Well,” said Andre, still managing to keep the sneer in place, “obviously Tony didn’t share the file with that is.”
Despite his amusement, Tony’s laughter had a grimness to it. “I guess you’re right,” he told Marlena, before looking back down at his cousin. “Since the file included not a d**n thing about any connection you had to John, or the slightest hint of a connection to my mother.
Dead silence greeted this observation.
“Why the stalling Andre? Back in the bunker you made it clear you’d take any opportunity to acquaint me with the truth, so much so, Stefano was worried and now when I offer you the chance, you’re balking?”
Andre’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you cousin.”
Unsettled at this peculiar warning, Tony’s glance flew up to meet Marlena’s for the briefest of moments and found his own confusion mirrored in set of her jaw and her frown.
“Your late, lamented children...the set of brats that sent Stefano off and running on this ridiculous quest he’s on are not dead simply because of you…care to take a guess on who one of the other responsible parties might be?”
“No.” The word burst from Marlena.
Andre leaned back with some difficulty to stare up at her, and though he seemed to be having more of problem breathing now, the look in his eyes still glittered dangerously. “Ah Marlena, here I thought you at least knew Tony better but it seems you’re still the same gullible Pollyanna…”
“I’m nor about to discuss Tony with you of all people, and as for John, he would never harm a child.”
“You have no idea what your husband is capable of, do you…all that time you spent with him in West Virginia taught you nothing.”
But Marlena wasn’t buying it. “You mean what Stefano forced him to do, after he brainwashed him, most likely.”
A strange smile quivered at the corner of Andre’s mouth.
“How?” Tony demanded after a brief silence, not really sure that he believed anything his cousin was telling them, sensing there was something missing in this rather odd recital.
Andre shook his head wearily.
“Oh no you don’t,” snarled Tony, dropping down on his knees and grapping Andre’s shirt to yank him upright from where he’d been reclining on his elbows. “You just accused me and my brother of killing my children, so you’d better d**n well come up with the details by god or I’ll take great pleasure in carving you up in ways that will make you even more inviting for whatever other monsters live on this hellhole.”
The threat made Andre grin for a second. “In front of Marlena? Your manners are slipping Tony…”
“So are your lies,” Tony spat back.
“Doesn’t really matter if you don’t believe me,” his words were beginning to sound slurred now and in frustration, Tony grabbed on tighter and shook him viciously which brought on a fit of coughing. As quickly as possible, Tony let go to avoid that blood that came spewing from his cousin’s mouth.
Tony sat back, shaking his head when the fit subsided finally, “That’s not like you at all…in fact the only time you hold back…” and Tony stopped abruptly, his eyes boring into Andre’s with a merciless intensity. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’re trying to cover up your own incompetence.”
But Andre didn’t even blink an eye. “Doesn’t change what happened.”
“I’m still waiting to hear what the hell that is.”
“I told you…”
“No, so far all you’ve done is insinuate and throw out accusations with not a shred of an explanation, or proof.”
“Oh Tony, open your eyes you fool…why do you think Stefano would ruin John?”
“The same reason he’s spent years trying to destroy me, Daphne’s infidelity so I’ll say it one more time, if you expect me to buy that John or I were truly responsible for something in the past I don’t even remember, you’d better back it up with some details.”
“If proof is what you’re looking for, you’ll have to go to Stefano.”
Tony snorted sarcastically. “Stefano’s idea of the truth is even more twisted than yours.”
“You don’t need to believe…like I said, he’s got proof.”
“Proof he’s done his d**nest to hide from me for how many years now? Why?”
Andre tried to answer but had to stop and shut his eyes in an effort to keep unconsciousness at bay for just a few more minutes. “You’re not the only one …he…”
The word trailed off into nothing and Andre collapsed backwards, the loss of blood and severity of his injuries finally taking their toll. Marlena made to reach down, to check his pulse but Tony beat her too it, just in case the man was faking once again, which almost incredibly for a change, he wasn’t.
Rolling back off his knees to sit on the ground next to Andre’s body, Tony wiped the blood from his hand as best he could on a nearby banana leaf.
“You know its all a lie,” Marlena said from above him as he continued staring at his cousin’s labored attempts to keep breathing.
“Possibly.”
“Tony, you know how your father operates…if Andre believes you and John to be responsible you can bet it came straight from Stefano himself, or considering it’s Andre, he made it up. He knows how to get to you.”
He didn’t respond immediately. She was desperate to find an explanation, anything that would make this a lie and he certainly couldn’t blame her any. One more relative with murder on his hands, whether he’d done it at Stefano’s bidding or not, or even knew what he was doing was the last thing Tony thought he could handle, let alone Andre’s other accusation…that he’d also done the unthinkable… something to cause the death of his own children, but wishing it away wouldn’t change the facts…if they existed at all. “There is only one constant in this family Marlena,” he said, looking up at her now, doing his best to speak past the knot in his throat, the one threatening to make his voice break. “There are no rules.”
“And no moratorium on secrets either,” she shot back bitterly before turning away.
“Would you rather I lied to you?” he asked her with suddenly no desire to control his anger.
“Oh god, I…I don’t know…”
And it was the words themselves more than the helplessness he heard in her voice that hit him like a slap in the face and made him wince. The idea of Marlena wanting to hear anything less than the truth, shocked him. No one knew better than Tony that everyone had their breaking point but he’d never thought about what it would take for Marlena to reach that black place her in her soul where nothing made sense any longer. After Roman died, she’d held it together but now, listening to the possibility that John wasn’t the man she believed had shaken her.
Was there nothing sacred anymore? Not a single person in his life that was safe from the destruction his father wrecked on those around him? Or, for the first time in Tony’s experience, was Andre right and it was Stefano who’d been trying to fix whatever mess he and his brother had created.
“Tony, look at me.”
But Tony shied away from her voice and her touch as she tried to reach out to him.
“Please.”
“I’m fine,” he growled at her.
Even her laughter had a touch of hysteria in it. “Neither of us are close to being fine right now,” and Tony turned an odd stare in her direction. “I think its time we both admitted it, don’t you? We’re both hanging on by our fingernails here.”
“If that’s the case, I’m afraid you have a clear edge...Doc.” The endearment he’d heard Roman use on countless occasions felt strange on his tongue and came out with more underlying sarcasm then he meant.
“That’s not the way it works.”
“Bloody terrific,” he muttered. “Any other suggestions?”
“Yeah,” she practically hissed at him, her impatience slipping through her normally professional demeanor. “How about a reality check here and remembering what a couple of first class liars we just listened to, not to mention what extraordinary performances they’ve delivered in the past. They made me believe my husband was mentally ill, and a murderer. They made the rest of us think the same of you too. Now, are you honestly going to sit there and tell me that you’d ever do anything to purposely hurt a child?”
“That’s not what I’m worried about and no, I don’t think it would have been intentional.”
Marlena shook her head. “Then I don’t understand.”
“Don’t you think it just a bit convenient that neither John, nor I retain any memories of this particular past we are supposed to share? Stefano went to great lengths, wouldn’t you agree?”
“To cover up something yes, but that makes Andre’s story a coincidence, not the truth.”
“There are no coincidences in this family and that’s a lesson I would have thought you’d learned by now.”
It was Marlena’s turn to look as though she’d been slapped this time. “You believe this…this…” she pointed in disgust at Andre, “vile excuse for a human being?”
“No…”
Though the word hung in the air between then, she didn’t actually say it.
“Alright fine, maybe its my pride and I don’t expect you to understand because I sure as hell don’t and after everything the man has done to me, god knows why I’d question Stefano’s motives, but…”
Again she didn’t say anything out loud, just nodded when his voice trailed off, unable to verbalize the feelings he didn’t want to accept, the pain Stefano could still inflict because they shared a connection neither of them was able to break. Silently Tony wondered if this meant his father’s ghost would haunt him once he was finished with his plan. One more unanswered question but so be it. He’d had enough with the soul searching. It was getting them nowhere and wasting precious time. And anyway, they’d found all the answers they were going to get in this godforsaken place.
“Come,” he told Marlena, “Its time to go home.”
She eyed him questioningly.
“To your husband, and the twins, and Carrie.”
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Post by madelinehawaii on Jul 17, 2007 22:31:10 GMT -5
Chapter Fourteen
Place: DiMera Compound
Time: February 2003
Kicking another rock from his path, Tony paused at the edge of the cliff overlooking the northern stretch of beach a short distance below him, the expanse of it laying beneath a steep trail cut into crumbling debris left by whatever ancient volcano originally formed the island.
About half way across the thin strand of grayish black sand stood a clump of palms, their trunks arched towards the water. All five along with a gnarled but still magnificent plumaria served as partial shading across the whitewashed stucco of the cottage. It was difficult to see from this vantage the true size of the house, but Tony didn’t need a better view. When he arrived, there would be the raised porch that took advantage of the afternoon and evening shade and the soft breezes, complete with its wicker basket chair, the cool, dark interior of the main room inside that served as both living and cooking space, the outdoor shower hidden behind a lattice covered in bright purple bougainvillea that nearly matched the color of the roof. It looked exactly the same. Trouble was, he couldn’t conjure up any specific memories of being there.
The last couple of days had proven to be ones of the most profound frustration mixed with hope and at least some satisfaction as Marlena’s memories of giving birth came back to her in the tower laboratory. Tony’s memory on the other hand had come to a screeching halt.
He desperately wanted to know what had gone wrong after he’d returned to the compound with Marlena and an unconscious Andre in tow, because it was obvious things had not played out as he intended.
Despite the precautions, despite the fact he and Sebastian had Rolf locked away securely, that he’d send Marlena on her way, Stefano pulled some trick out of his bag and turned the tables on all of them but how?
Slowly, he became aware of a figure having emerged from the shade in front of the cottage, carrying a bucket.
Since that first night when he’d met Sebastian’s son, the two had not spoken again. The young man stayed out of sight as much as possible. When he did appear, it was never for very long and he seemed to melt out of sight within moments as though he were simply blending into the background. Tony had certainly dealt his share of youngsters who knew how to remain silent and keep their own counsel, but he sensed something different here. This one’s reticence was too deliberate…too obvious under the circumstances and once Tony had mentioned Sebastian’s name in the midst of that first encounter, the man’s reluctance to be anywhere near Tony became more noticeable.
That led Tony to one conclusion; young Sebastian had something to hide.
The slim, dark figure, so much taller than his father set the bucket down next several others at the back end of the house and turned to leave, his eye catching the unfamiliar sight of a visitor high atop the cliff. He didn’t wave, or nod…or run thankfully and Tony found him waiting in the chair on the porch when he arrived a good twenty minutes later.
With a gesture reminiscent of his father, he unfolded his long legs and rose from his seat, offering it to Tony, and then quickly ducked into the house without a word, reappearing with a glass of cool water.
Tony, who’d worked up a sweat in the humidity, smiled. “Thank you.”
The young man nodded but remained silent.
“I’m here to speak to you because I need answers,” said Tony, seeing no reason to beat around the bush.
This brought on some emotion finally and the younger man looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Why me?”
Tony hesitated, but only momentarily. “What happened to your father?”
Young Sebastian sifted his feet, turning his gaze out to the breakers in the distance. “I told you, he passed away.”
“When?”
“I was…” he shrugged. “Six years old.”
“An accident?” asked Tony hopefully.
Without warning, the young man spun about to confront him. “You know it wasn’t any such thing.”
Leaning back against the thin cushion, Tony did his best to contain his unease and return a thoughtful gaze. “What makes you say that?”
“The night you arrived…I thought you couldn’t remember any of it but you knew exactly where it happened. You were sitting there. You…” Taking a deep breath, his eyes narrowed. “How else could you possibly…”
It was hard to miss the resentment in his voice, and the accusation and Tony thought back to their first encounter as he knelt in front of the massive hearth dominating the living room. His eyes had played tricks on him that night, made him see blood where there was none. “I promise you Sebastian, if I knew any of what took place, I’d have no need to come here and bother you.”
Suspicion burned in the dark eyes staring down at him, suspicion, and anger…and buried beneath that, fear.
“Why did you plant the letters for me to find?” Tony asked him.
“I didn’t…” the younger man began but then stopped himself with a grimace. “Alright yes, I made certain you’d recover the letters. He…he would have wanted you to have them.”
“Who? My father?”
Sebastian shook his head impatiently. “No…mine.”
And as he heard the words uttered, Tony could feel his chest tighten and the icy panic he’d experienced the night of his arrival descended so that something deep in his gut twisted with apprehension. “Why?”
A painful frown creased Sebastian’s tan face. “Helping you always mattered more to him than…” but he couldn’t bring himself to finish the rest of it and Tony was left with the impression the boy blamed his father’s death on Tony even if the person directly responsible turned out to be Stefano, as Tony suspected.
“Does my father have any idea that those letters exist?”
“I don’t know,” the boy answered him simply.
“Then why not bring them to me, why chance my father discovering that you had them all along…”
But Sebastian had already turned to vanish into the house. From where he sat, Tony could hear him rummaging around for barely a matter of a minute or so before he reappeared and stretched out his hand.
In it was a piece of paper. Plain, rather yellowed with age and folded over so that it was only a few inches across and scrawled on top in Tony’s handwriting was one word.
Roman.
Hurriedly, Sebastian pressed the paper into Tony’s hand and shaking his head apologetically, walked away toward the shore and the water’s edge.
Concerned and confused, Tony’s eyes followed him but the young man obviously didn’t want to let anyone in, least of all Tony. He glanced again at the note. Judging from the writing, he’d been in a hurry, which was understandable under the circumstances, but then turning it over, he almost dropped it. The paper on the front of the note was clean, if rather aged but the back was a dull brown with just enough of hint of red to tell him that it been soaked in blood.
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Post by madelinehawaii on Jul 21, 2007 0:39:20 GMT -5
“Count DiMera, sir.”
Tony hit the intercom button in the wall of the cabin beside him. They’d taken off for Salem about thirty minutes before and already reached cruising speed and altitude. “Yes Dave?”
“We’re going to be experiencing some turbulence sir, it might be advisable for you to use the seat belt until we get through it.”
“Okay, thank you,” Tony replied absentmindedly, holding onto the note he’d pried open with care. The paper was brittle at the bottom where the blood had soaked through leaving a line that ran diagonally so that it tore easily as he worked to unfold it but it was still legible, and addressed to Roman, not John.
Of course, he thought John believed himself to be Roman at the time and Tony hadn’t been in a position to explain any of it. That was supposed to be Marlena’s chore.
“Roman,” the note began, “I gave Marlena my word that I’d deliver both of her twins safely home where they belong but we’ve both had more than enough experience with Stefano and his tricks. I’d feel better knowing the twins were safe regardless of what happens to me. They’re located on an island at the coordinates listed below. Sebastian will be available to assist you in whatever way necessary to make sure you recover both children. Tony.”
The words swam on the page. He’d been up for too many hours without sleep since he’d arrived at the compound just a matter of days ago and it was beginning to take its toll on him. He knew he wasn’t thinking all that clearly, especially when a crazy thought entered his mind…the idea that he was holding the proof he needed that might finally get John off his back but even as it occurred to him, he laughed at the absurdity.
There’d been too much subterfuge over the years and John’s suspicions were one of his better-developed senses.
Besides, Tony couldn’t seem to get what Andre said to him out of his mind.
His cousin might be insane but he’d also gone to an incredible amount of trouble to set John up for murder in Aremid and since Tony couldn’t envision Andre’s motives having anything to do with consideration over Stefano or Tony’s feelings when it came to John, that left only one possibility, Andre’s problem with John was personal…extremely personal.
But how did that tie into his accusations? Far from being upset with any of John’s actions that might have led to the death of a pair of children fathered by someone Andre hated as he did his cousin, Tony couldn’t help but think, this would be a cause for celebration, something for which Andre would tender his congratulations the way other people offered them on occasions of joy.
Tony sighed, setting the note down on the seat next to him and reached for his drink just as the plane lurched rather violently. His glass tipped and rolled off the smooth wooden surface onto the carpet. Swearing, he undid his seatbelt. The plane bucked sideways this time and then dropped in altitude a good hundred feet, and Tony grabbed onto one of the belts to keep himself from flying off the couch or getting slammed against the wall of the cabin, straining the belt and wrenching his arm in the process. As the turbulence continued bouncing the fuselage about, he tired to strap himself back in. It took several attempts and he’d finally managed to get both sides in hand when another gust shoved the plane sideways and Tony’s head hit the corner of the cabin window at just the wrong angle and with a burst of wild colors, everything changed...
He was back, standing at one of the towering arched windows in Marlena’s room. It was empty now that he’d sent her off and twilight was falling outside leaving the gray walls around him gloomy, swirling with shadows. He checked his watch. They’d left just over an hour ago, Sebastian piloting the small Cessna kept at the compound for Rolf’s use. Tony had rather they’d taken his plane so that there would be no need to stop and refuel but Sebastian insisted. They needed to keep Stefano’s suspicions to a minimum when he arrived and if he saw that Tony’s plane remained, perhaps he’d mistake it for a sign that everything was proceeding normally.
Perhaps…perhaps not. At this point, Tony didn’t think it mattered since he had Rolf, and Marlena was safely on her way home. The only problem that concerned him now involved the twins.
He knew he was taking an awful risk this way. After all, there was nothing stopping him from leaving right now with Rolf, picking up the twins and disappearing. The idea was incredible tempting, but shortsighted. As long as Stefano survived he’d never abandon his game and so be a threat to all of them and Tony didn’t like contemplating a life such as that for his children and if he took the twins now, he’d most likely loose his perfect, maybe only opportunity to get to Stefano.
He had to do this…take control and eliminate his fath…no, choking back the bile in his throat, he reminded to himself that this monster was not his father, not his children’s grandfather and despite his own fury at yet another betrayal, he was grateful for that at least.
“Tony.” The deep voice rumbled behind him at the doorway and he turned to face the man who’d raised him, loved him, then almost overnight, turned on him, tormented and tried to murder him. Stefano stood just inside the doorway, barely visible.
“Father,” nodded Tony, doing his best to reign in his bitterness and sarcasm.
Stefano flipped the switch next to the door so that light flooded the room and Tony could see that he’d shut the door behind him and come in alone. There would be men waiting in the passageway, Tony was certain, but he’d deal with them later. Most would simply accept the new regime once the deed was finished.
Flicking his gaze about the room, Stefano’s jaw set stubbornly and he shot a piercing look of stone, cold anger at Tony. “Where is she?” The tone of his voice was low with the distinct hint of a growl.
“Gone.”
The dark orbs danced furiously and then narrowed at him. “You have no idea what you’ve done…”
“No you’re right, because you saw fit to keep me in the dark about everything,” Tony hissed. “Now, why would you do that Stefano?”
His father’s expression didn’t change.
“You SWORE to me, practically got down on your knees and begged and promised me this was OVER.” Tony thundered, giving into his own gut wrenching anger finally. “But here we are,” he waved his hand, “all over again. Its like some bloody nightmare I can’t seem to escape.”
“Everything I’ve done has been for you, Tony,” said Stefano quietly with an air that even now would be convincing if Tony hadn’t witnessed the conversation at the bunker a short twelve hours ago.
The words hung between them in the still humidity of the room and Tony, who’d been so certain Stefano could never touch him this way again, never twist the knife in any deeper because Tony knew what he was capable of, had to fight to keep from breaking down. “You care about none of us. Renee’s fate proved that but I didn’t pay attention as I should have and now…” He had to stop to swallow back the pain. “Never again, Stefano.”
“Oh?” Stefano sounded more curious than worried. “And just what, my son, does that mean?”
Tony pulled the gun from his waistband where it had been hidden under his thin jacket and laid the barrel in the palm of his hand and then looked up to meet Stefano’s eyes. For an instant, a single sliver of eternity, Tony glimpsed what seemed to be regret before it vanished behind a supremely confident smile and Stefano shook his head.
“You won’t do that…you can’t”
And Tony smiled back at him sadly. “Well, you can be proud father, because you made this possible…. you’re the one who gave me a reason to care enough to stop wasting my life and do something for this family, the one thing I ought to have done long ago.”
“Ahhh, but without me, that reason wouldn’t exist.”
Tony’s eyes burned at the thought but he wasn’t going to allow Stefano to twist this around. “I don’t know what game you’re playing now but I do know you don’t give a d**n about those children, anymore than you give a d**n about me.”
“You’re wrong Tony.”
And at the sound of that deep resonance vibrating in his father’s voice that he knew to be the truth, Tony snarled back, even angrier than before. “That only makes what you doing that much more perverse.”
“You have no idea why this was necessary….”
“And I sure as hell don’t want to either,” Tony told him, raising his voice enough to drown out Stefano’s blatant excuses. He could feel his heart pounding as the two of them glared at each other, unwilling to back down and swallowing past the knot in his throat, Tony lifted the gun and aimed it at Stefano’s head. It seemed to weigh more than he remembered. Calmly, he moved the clip into place and released the safety. “I’ll pray for your soul. God knows why, after everything you’ve done, but I will.”
“If you pull that trigger, you will loose everything Tony.”
“More? My God, what more is there? You’ve already taken everyone away I loved…my mother, Renee, Anna…even the memory of my children…” Tony’s voice broke.
“It was not I that took your children from you.”
“And you expect me to believe that after all the years you kept this from me.”
“Yes.”
Tony just shook his head.
“It’s the truth,” Stefano insisted in a way that ripped into Tony’s soul.
“Your concept of the truth is every bit as twisted and bizarre as my cousin’s, so you tell me, just who am I supposed to believe?”
“Oh please,” Stefano snorted in disgust and waved his hand at Tony. “Andre? What is it that he has said to you?”
“That the responsibility for their deaths was mine…”
Stefano shook his head vehemently this time.
“…and my brother’s,” Tony finished.
It was only three simple words, but they hit Stefano quite unexpectedly it seemed. “You don’t have a…”
“SHUT UP,” roared Tony, a blistering fury taking hold of him. “I know about John, so don’t bother with the lies. I don’t care about how or why. Hell, I already know why…we both know why, don’t we, Father?” The last word came spitting out with all the revulsion swirling in Tony’s gut.
“I raised John as my own, with love and I trusted him completely,” Stefano informed Tony whose snide laughter bubbled forth.
“Daphne’s bastard? What benevolence Stefano. I must say I’m impressed considering how quickly you turned on me as soon as you learned the truth of my paternity.”
“That was different.”
“Well,” drawled Tony, “of course. You had your plans for him.”
“No.”
“Not that it matters because he’ll know the truth soon enough.”
“Tony, no…you can’t do that,” began Stefano, moving towards the stairs until Tony’s finger began to squeeze the trigger. Stefano froze in his tracks. “Okay, okay,” he held up his hand, “tell me what is it you want.”
Tony’s eye widened. “That’s not obvious enough for you?”
“Antony…” Stefano’s dark eyes pleaded even as his tone of voice remained demanding. “we can work this out, come to some mutual arrangement. Once you know the truth…”
“We tried that Stefano and judging from what has been going on in this room over the last year or two…” a helpless chuckle escaped him, “oh God, what a fool I was to believe you. As long as you are alive, this is never going to end, is it?”
“I didn’t want this anymore than you,” his father cried out suddenly, stumbling and reaching out to the banister to support his weight. If this was another of Stefano’s performances, Tony had to admit, it was a masterful one and against his better judgment, he waited for the old man to compose himself. Sucking in a deep, shaky breath, Stefano looked up. “If you do this,” he told Tony gravely, “you will never have justice for the children you lost, or their mother…”
“More lies…” Tony broke in but Stefano continued on.
“And you will be aiding those who truly were responsible.”
“Marlena?” The indignation in his voice effected Stefano as though Tony had slapped him. “And Roman…John? You’ll have to forgive me but I’m beginning to loose track of just exactly who I’m supposed to…” he struggled to find the right word, “what, blame?”
Stefano shook his head. “Its much more complicated than that,” but Tony had reached his limit.
His finger twitched against the trigger. “I don’t think you’d even recognize what the truth is any longer, or care,” but at that second the door behind Stefano burst open and Tony shifted his aim quickly to the man who appeared and pulled the trigger. As his body snapped to a halt with the impact of the bullet, a thin stream of blood dripped from the hole in the man’s forehead and he dropped face first, sliding halfway down the stone steps. The second face that came through the door made Tony freeze in horror. “No,” he mouthed, though no sound came out, his gaze whipping back to Stefano, whose own wide-eyed look of horror was glued to the body of his dead guard.
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Post by madelinehawaii on Jul 31, 2007 23:09:16 GMT -5
An incredulous and stricken gaze worked its way up to Tony’s face. Stefano stood aghast, not even bothering to hide the grief welling up as he was forced to accept he’d been wrong but Tony didn’t care any longer.
“What in God’s name have you done now?”
Standing in the doorway, shy and innocent, his young eyes fixed on Tony was Sebastian’s son. A hand lay on the boy’s shoulder. Not his mother’s but that of a man and Tony found himself staring into Rolf’s cold expressionless eyes. d**n it, he thought, how? This was an illusion surely…Rolf was tied up back in the lava tube out on the far side of the island past Sebastian’s cottage, and already completely sealed off by the evening tide. He’d checked on the man himself only a short time after Sebastian had taken off. And Sebastian’s wife and son had left as well. One of his relatives had arrived to ferry them away to safety, hidden so that they couldn’t be used like this.
“Your mother is waiting for you, young man,” Stefano said to the boy with such gentleness in his voice that it made Tony cringe. “Tell her she may leave as soon as I notify her that it is safe. Your friend here” he nodded at Rolf, “will come and take you down to the boat.”
With a furtive nod of his own, the boy vanished back up the dark passageway.
“Please Tony, put the gun down.”
Feeling dazed, Tony realized he still had it pointed directly at Rolf. He swallowed carefully, lowering his arm, but didn’t drop the gun or lay it aside. Rolf also nodded and stepped back, closing the door as he left.
“The gun, Tony,” said his father, once again.
But Tony shook his head.
“Ahhh yes, I see. You’re curious about how I located Rolf. I must say, your plan was nearly perfect and I would never have found him if it hadn’t been for the boy.”
“He showed you…”
“No, no. Of course he had no idea what he’d find after crawling all the way back into that hole.”
Tony locked eyes with his father who remained at the top of the stairs. Despite the attempt at levity in his tone, he looked older, horrendously tired and there was still a spark of bitter disappointment set into the lines of his face.
“The boy was terribly confused…had no desire to go off with his mother, leaving his father behind. Apparently no one explained why this was necessary and being rather sensitive,” Stefano gave a slight shrug, “he knew something about the situation was wrong. So he went off to the spot where he was certain he’d find Sebastian and when I arrived on the island, his poor mother was searching for him frantically and…”
“Being the chivalrous scoundrel you are, you felt the need to assist her.” Tony’s laughter was anything but humorous.
Stefano smiled indulgently. Descending the stairs he strode across the room to stand a couple of feet in front of Tony. “The gun,” he said, with his palm stretched out. “Please.”
Fighting his urge to fling it across the room or out the window, Tony acquiesced, placing the weapon in Stefano’s hand, half expecting to find the barrel of it shoved up to his temple and from the look on Stefano’s face, Tony knew he was considering it.
“How could you do this?” The words were spoken quietly but each one carried the sting of betrayal.
And Tony felt his outrage reach the boiling point in record time. “I’m not the one who brought back the despicable piece of garbage that murdered Renee, for Christ’s sake, or kept Marlena locked up and experimented on her. And I’m not the one playing god with our lives. How dare you question my motives you miserable old…”
A blinding flash of light exploded in Tony’s head as Stefano lashed out with the butt end of the gun, backhanding him with enough force to knock him off his feet. “You will learn respect Antony.”
Tony tried to sit up but his vision was blurry. “For you?” He managed a breathless bit of snide laughter.
“You will learn the hard way if necessary,” Stefano informed him coldly. “Now, where is Sebastian stopping to refuel the plane?”
Tony remained silent, trying to ignore the searing pain spreading from his temple down every single nerve ending in his cheek.
“If I do not get the location Antony, your friend’s wife and child will remain here,” and though he had no need to add the threat, he did so anyway, “permanently.”
“And if I tell you, there will be men waiting to drag Sebastian and Marlena back here and…” but Tony couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Better the guilty,” lectured Stefano’s deep ringing baritone, “than the innocent.”
Still Tony remained stubbornly silent, his eyes squeezed tightly against the inevitable.
“You have my word that no harm with come to Marlena,” said Stefano after several tense minutes ticked by with no answer.
“And Sebastian?”
Stefano didn’t bother answering Tony’s question because there was no escaping the consequences of Sebastian’s decisions. “His wife and son will be cared for, I swear that to you.”
He’d lost. There was nothing left to do except give Stefano the information. Tony might be willing to shoot his father, but he’d couldn’t bring himself to allow Stefano to hurt these two people, not even for Marlena and he was well aware of what his friend would expect out of him. The precautions he’d taken had been for naught and now it was Stefano that held all the cards, he had Rolf and so, control of the twins and could blackmail Tony into anything at this point. “Brownsville,” he muttered, the ache and despair in his soul far worse than the pain still drumming violently in his head.
“As soon as I have confirmation they have arrived and are on their way back here, Sebastian’s wife and his son may leave.”
“And Marlena?” asked Tony, without really any hope.
“Soon.”
Tony shot a suspicious glance up at his father who grinned back at him.
“I do believe you’ve fallen for the woman.”
“Oh? And was that the plan all along, Father?” A sneer hung just at the edge of Tony’s otherwise flat tone.
“What plan?”
“To get John and I fighting over the same woman.”
“I have no desire to hurt you Tony, no deep dark hidden agenda. I told you that...”
Tony leaned back against the bedpost and gingerly lifted his hand to his cheek. “You might as well dispense with this farce Stefano, I know you’ve lied about everything, including that ridiculous charade of a blood test you pulled off when you tricked me into coming back.”
Both of Stefano’s eyebrows inched higher. “Sounds to me as though you’ve been listening to more of your cousin’s entertaining and, what was your word…bizarre tales.”
“I didn’t hear you deny it last night when he called both John and I bastards.”
It was rather a strange sensation to watch Stefano, in the process of removing the clip from the gun slowly fumble and drop everything as the implication of Tony’s statement swept over him. It was even difficult to tell if he was breathing and his color was not so good. “I’m afraid you must have heard…”
“Wrong?” Tony couldn’t help enjoying Stefano’s utter confusion.
“You of all people know your cousin’s insecurities. He has spent a lifetime resenting the love I bear you, our…relationship.”
Tony forgot for a moment the pounding in his head, his laughter a pure mixture of malice and delight. “And who has been responsible for cultivating that jealousy until it burned through and destroyed the one person we cherished the most?”
Unable to face this accusation, Stefano turned his back on Tony.
“You created this beast Stefano and he will devour us all in the end.”
“No…” Stefano voice came back stronger now. “No you’re wrong. I have control of Andre.”
“You,” said Tony dismissively, unable to stop himself from driving the knife in a little deeper. “The way you had control of him the night he murdered Renee.”
“ENOUGH.” The words echoed off the stonewalls and Stefano’s temper snapped. Twisting on his heel, he grabbed hold of Tony’s shirt and yanked, wrenching him to his feet. “You will refrain from ever mentioning Renee’s name in my presence again.” The powerful fist pulled the material near his collar even tighter until Tony could feel it begin to choke him and his father hissed, “If you’d just done as I asked of you and left her alone, she’d still be alive, be here with me now.”
“No,” Tony’s eyes glittered. “She never would have accepted you, not like this.”
A spark of insane jealousy lit up his father’s face, his eyes boring in to Tony’s and then, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, Stefano let go of him. “She was never yours.”
The way Stefano uttered those words brought Tony up short and he realized he’d missed something obvious here. From the very moment Tony returned to his father’s house years before, the man had done his best to orchestrate Tony’s life for him, choose the right people for him to associate with, meet, date, even marry but Tony had resisted and it had always been a bone of contention between them until finally Tony had to nerve to fall in love with his sister. As angry as Tony was over Stefano’s involvement in her death, Stefano had his own issues with the situation and he’d never forgiven Tony for defying him. In fact, a part of Tony had suspected for some time that Stefano blamed Daphne, not just for the infidelity but for telling Tony the truth about his father so that he felt free to pursue a relationship with Renee and it was a decision that Stefano was hell bent on making him pay for dearly.
“You wanted me to find Marlena, didn’t you? In fact,” said Tony, gazing at his father suspiciously, “if Sebastian hadn’t contacted me, you would have found a way for me to discover it…or…” an icy jolt shook him and he backed up, putting a good deal of space between himself and his father. “You sent Sebastian here on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Your imagination is getting the better of you, my boy”
“The hell it is,” snarled Tony, now so infuriated now that he completely ignored the warning in his father’s expression. “You sick son of pregnant dog, you set this all up, knowing he’d come to me, knowing he’s take pity on Marlena and want to help her. Didn’t you?” The last two words demanded an answer but Stefano said nothing, which was really all the explanation Tony needed.
“And you’ll still punish him for it….punish both of us for doing exactly as you intended all along.”
Stefano didn’t reply to this accusation either right away. Instead he closed the distance between the two of them, his dark eyes betraying for just a moment his own disillusionment and reached to stoke his son’s face tenderly but Tony jerked his head away. That lit a fire in his father’s expression. “You could have come to me instead of doing this…” and thick fingers seized Tony’s chin, forcing him to look down at the gun where it lay on the floor. “There is no one who wishes more than I do that there was another way, that neither of you had to suffer this way but you’ve left me no other choice, Tony.” He stepped back and for an instant seemed to catch his breath before his face grew hard again. “If you wish to blame someone for Sebastian’s fate, I suggest you look in a mirror.”
“And my brother, and Marlena and Roman? Who is responsible for their fate,” Tony laughter was painful, even to his own ears, “the complete and utter ruin you’ve made of their lives?”
Idly, Stefano fingered the chain around his neck. “You concern for your brother is touching but completely lost on John I’m afraid.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“He’ll betray you Tony, just as you’ve betrayed me here today.”
“Why would he…” Tony’s voice trailed off and it felt to him as though entire minutes ticked by, beating along with the blood in his ears as he remembered Andre’s words to Stefano from the previous night…’you’ve already set everything into motion and all I have to do is sit back and enjoy the show’…and Tony flashed a grim smile at his father. “I’m afraid your little ploy is not going to work Stefano. Marlena is not interested in me or,” he shrugged, “vice versa.”
But Stefano didn’t appear concerned. “When have you known me not to be prepared for all contingencies?”
Tony felt sick, literally and figuratively, and wanted nothing more than to tear into this man in front of him who was so bloody determined on getting his pound of flesh that he’d rip his family to shreds over a past that was buried.
“That’s what this is about, Daphne deceived you, cheated on you so you’re going to make us pay? She’s dead,” Tony hurled the words back at him in a fury, “isn’t that enough for you?”
“For what she did to you and I…no Tony, it will never, EVER be enough.”
The rage and sadness in his father’s eyes tore away a curtain and everything he’d discovered over the previous few months was illuminated brilliantly in contrast to the rest of Stefano’s behavior since he’d returned. And oh God, nothing had changed. He may not be locked up wearing the chains any longer but Stefano wasn’t about to quit until he’d seen to it that both of Daphne’s sons paid for what she’d done, for making a fool of him. Stefano’s pride simply wouldn’t allow him to budge so much as an inch. And whatever his feelings for Tony, they’d not get in his way or divert his purpose…his sick obsession, and for the first time, Tony envied his brother who at least wasn’t saddled with the knowledge of what was about to happen to his life. “Why…” he struggled to get the words out. “Why Marlena?”
“Surely my son you can figure that out.”
Unfortunately Tony could. “She got the best of you and that is a sin you never could live with, from anyone…not even your children.”
Stefano shrugged. “You’d rather I’d chosen someone else?”
And his implication sent a chill down Tony’s spine. “No.” His eyes narrowed, but he did his best to hang onto control of his temper. “I did what you asked of me…I divorced her…stayed away from her on condition that you did the same…”
“And have I not left the lovely Anna be?”
It was impossible to ignore the underlying threat Tony detected beneath the cultured accent and something inside, the ounce of restraint he’d clung to for the sake of his children and both of his friends shattered in a blinding rage at the thought that nothing in his life was safe from this man’s insane desire for retribution. He swung around and in one smooth movement, snatched the gun and clip from the floor, fitting the latter into place as he quickly slid backwards out of his father’s reach, taking aim at Stefano’s chest.
The old man shook his head with a hard look at Tony. “Rolf has his orders…if you shoot me, you’ll be condemning your children.”
“And god, what am I doing if I don’t?” Tony’s voice sounded strange to his own ears, brittle and fierce and hopeless. “Condemning them to a life of being used by you and brainwashed into destroying those they ought to trust and love.”
“They will have a father to love…”
“NEVER.” The word burst from Tony with raging anguish. “You will not steal these two innocent lives along with everyone else.”
“Oh Tony, I’m not stealing anything away from you, I created them…”
“To manipulate and destroy, yes I know but you don’t own them Stefano, nobody owns them and if I have to live with the consequences of making certain that doesn’t happen…” Tony had to grit his teeth to the get rest out, “so be it.”
“And Marlena…” returned Stefano, wearing a tiny secret smile, “how will you explain an act such as this to her?”
That would be impossible Tony knew but so was the prospect of the future he saw stretched out in front of him if he didn’t remove this man from their lives, a future filled by an endless cycle of destruction and hatred…a wasteland. “Living with impossible choices is the one area where I’ve had no lack of experience, thanks to you, Father.”
Tony wasn’t certain if it was his words or something else in his demeanor that got through but he could see the realization dawn in Stefano’s eyes at exactly the moment his finger pulled the trigger and Stefano hollered Rolf’s name but Tony didn’t see him fall because at that same moment, he felt a sharp pinch in his side and before he could turn around night descended, crushing him.
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Post by madelinehawaii on Aug 18, 2007 22:03:47 GMT -5
His eyes refused to open. Not that he truly felt the inclination because just thinking about it made the pounding in the back of his head that much worse which in turn made him more aware of the rest of body, most of which ached fiercely but refused to cooperate. He couldn’t even move his hand, and then as he was straining to make just his fingers twitch, something cool wrapped itself across his forehead.
Soon, he felt an arm reach around his back, lifting him and a glass was at his lips. “Just a little now…” but when he tasted the water he realized how thirsty he was, the terrible dryness in his throat consuming him, and he gulped down too much before it vanished and he was forced to suck in needles of air between hacking coughs. After several long drawn out painful moments of this, it subsided and he could breathe normally again, and then the glass reappeared. “Slowly,” a deep raspy voice soothed in his ear.
Tony hadn’t thought water could taste so incredibly delicious. The last occasion he’d even savored a glass of champagne this much was beyond recall but he did follow the advice murmured so gently and took it slow and steady until every last drop was gone.
“More?”
He tried to nod his head but didn’t seem to have any control over that either though the person asking apparently wasn’t expecting an answer because he eased Tony back down and disappeared. In vain, Tony made another effort to flex his fingers, to open his eyes. Neither worked, so he satisfied himself with concentrating on the sections that hurt the worst, since he was pretty certain that those were parts that still existed.
He thought back to the last few seconds he could remember, hearing the gun go off just as he lost consciousness. Stefano…where was he?
A cool cloth replaced the one already on his head. Giving it another try, Tony pried his eyes open enough to have to squint as dazzling light immediately flooded in and relieved, he pushed his way up onto one elbow.
“For heaven’s sake man, take it slow.”
He recognized the voice now. “Sebastian,” he croaked in a horse whisper, dreading the news he’d have to give his friend, and wondering…praying he’d removed the threat hanging over both of them. “Is he…”
But Sebastian shushed him.
That only convinced Tony of the worst, making him more agitated. “d**n it, the bastard’s alive, isn’t he?”
“Tony please…” Sebastian had his hand on Tony’s shoulder, pressing down though in the condition he was in, Tony was hardly capable of getting very far.
“What did he do to Marlena?”
Sebastian’s head shook once, regretfully. “I don’t know for certain. They separated us, though they weren’t anywhere near as rough with her…”
Tony reached to grab his friend’s arm and began to apologize but the glassy and tortured expression in Sebastian’s eyes stopped him.
“Rolf couldn’t wait to tell me about my son’s unfortunate…” his straight line of his mouth thinned even further, “adventure.” He glanced down and then squeezed his eyes shut. “And the worst part is that you…”
“No, I was wrong. It wouldn’t have mattered because he played us Sebastian,” said Tony, cutting in, “played both of us.”
Several deep lines creased Sebastian’s forehead. “How?”
“Stefano’s objective was for me to find Marlena here and he expected that if he used you as her caretaker, that is what would happen eventually.”
“But why? Surely, he had to realize you’d send her home.”
A feeling of disgust washed over Tony though it was difficult to ascertain whether it was aimed as much at Stefano as it was at himself. “Stefano knows me rather…well, he assumes”
Sebastian laughed but also shook his head in disbelief. “That still doesn’t explain why.”
“Marlena didn’t tell you about John?” There’d been so little time when Tony and Marlena returned to the compound. Part of him worried that if he dallied, she would change her mind and refuse to leave without the twins and so as soon as he’d gotten Rolf’s location from Sebastian, he’d sent them on their way, without disclosing to Sebastian what he and Marlena learned on their excursion.
“Tell me what?”
“The man he sent to impersonate Marlena’s husband is Daphne’s son, Sebastian, my…” Tony almost choked on the word, “brother.”
Sebastian didn’t respond to this news immediately but let he gaze drift up the empty bed and then out the window where the morning light was growing stronger, and Tony could see his face tighten as the implications of what Stefano had done began to sink in, especially the utter disregard for Sebastian and his family and his willingness to use anyone just to destroy his son and the man unlucky enough to be born on the wrong side of the sheets to his wife. “All of this insanity is because of your mother?”
Tony signed. “Not entirely. He…” gritting his teeth, Tony sucked in a ragged breath. “wanted to prove a point, make me admit I’d been wrong when I chose someone else instead of the woman he’d chosen for me.”
“Marlena?” Sebastian looked at though he wasn’t sure how to react.
“It was years ago…hell, a whole other lifetime ago it seems now.”
“But if that’s what he wanted, why not allow you to find her and then have nature take its course? Why all this nonsense with Rolf?”
But Tony’s smile in return was rueful. “That may have been the idea to begin with, though I doubt it… as perverse as it sounds, I think he’s no more willing to for me to end up with Marlena at this point than John.”
“Or Roman obviously.”
Dark, soulful eyes met Sebastian’s, eyes full of memories that haunted Tony even after all the years which had passed since his own imprisonment. “If Roman is alive,” said Tony in a hard voice, “I shudder to think the hell he’s been through because knowing my father, I’m certain the poor man has been forced to watch as someone else convinced all the people who Roman loved that he was actually Roman Brady.”
“Just as you were forced to watch your cousin do the same to you.”
Tony didn’t nod or answer, he didn’t need to. Any illusions Sebastian had harbored in regards to Stefano were gone by now. Stefano’s behavior was too self-evident. “I fear for Marlena…no matter who she chooses, Roman or my brother, she’ll never be allowed a normal life because I suspect Stefano has developed a fancy of his own for her and I can’t see her accepting him, or Stefano ever letting go.”
To Tony’s surprise, and decided unease, Sebastian didn’t argue with him and Tony bit his lip.
“So you’ve noticed it as well.”
Sebastian shrugged. “I’ve noticed that he’s…how shall I say…solicitous but why bother with someone who isn’t about to come willingly. Your father has never had any trouble when it comes to the ladies…”
“Ah, but it’s the untouchable ones that spark his interest,” Tony interrupted again, “especially for Stefano. It must be a challenge or his attention will wane, very quickly.”
“And it doesn’t hurt that she’s also beautiful and intelligent.”
Cautiously, Tony dragged his body up to lean against the wall and with his hand, motioned towards the glass of water Sebastian had brought but set down on the floor and forgotten. Now he handed it to Tony, who finished it in one leisurely swallow and gestured with the empty glass to emphasize his words as he spoke. “My father wouldn’t have clue how to keep a woman like Marlena happy and her clever mind and intelligence, while it may be intriguing to him now, would be his undoing, and the most fascinating part of this situation is I think he knows that better than anyone else.”
“Part of the attraction?” guessed Sebastian.
Tony handed the glass back to him. “No doubt.” Closing he eyes, he waited as his friend took the glass with him into the bathroom and filled it once more, listening as the water ran in the sink and then the footsteps on the marble floor as Sebastian made his way back around the bed to the window.
“Here.”
Though the water wasn’t iced, the glass was cool to the touch in the sticky morning humidity. He drank only half of it and then took a deep breath. “You need to get out of here…”
“Tony, you’re not in any shape…”
Shutting his eyes and biting his tongue to prevent himself from snapping impatiently at his friend, Tony did his best to keep his voice even. “Okay, I’m not, but you don’t need to worry about me, Stefano is angry but he’s not going to hurt me physically and I know how to deal with him. You, on the other hand, I’m…” Tony swallowed the words as though not saying them would keep it from happening. “You need to go, now.”
Sebastian hesitated.
“Jesus man, what the bloody hell are you waiting for? GO.”
“I’m not going to just leave you here…”
But Tony grabbed onto his arm and yanked it hard. “You are the one in danger of getting shot here. Don’t you know what Stefano will do if we give him enough time? Please, my friend, get out of here before he sends someone to drag you out in a body bag, you know this island better than anyone else and I know for a fact you have a way off you’ve kept for Mia and the boy in the event of an emergency. It’s time to use it.”
He didn’t look happy about it but knew that Tony was right. Still, he swallowed uneasily as he asked, “If I make it?”
“Deliver that note,” said Tony giving a pointed stare to the top pocket of Sebastian’s shirt where he could see the folded bit of paper he’d given Sebastian the night before as he was climbing into the thingypit next to Marlena. “To my brother…” his wry smile turned lopsided, “in Salem.”
A tiny, fleeting grin hovered at the corner of Sebastian’s mouth but it didn’t reach his eyes which met Tony’s briefly and then he was gone, out the open window that stood three stories above the garden, on his way up to the roof. Tony had no qualms that he’d make it through the ring of Stefano’s men, most of who had never been on the island and didn’t know its secrets as well as Sebastian. Making it off this rock however, and to the nearest port was an entirely different matter. He’d have to wait until nightfall and then make it to one of the other islands before morning and hide out till Stefano gave up the search; weeks or even months from now, if they were lucky.
And by then the twins could be anywhere in the world.
Tony cursed under his breath and as he lifted the glass in his hand to drink what was left, he heard the lock click and looking up, nearly choked on the water he’d drunk.
Standing in the doorway was Marlena.
He shot a glance over her shoulder, half expecting to find Stefano shadowing her in the darkness of the passageway. Instead he encountered Rolf’s cold, measuring stare.
The doctor offered no news, though for a moment, he seemed to hesitate as though waiting to see if Tony would inquire about his father’s health and when the question wasn’t forthcoming, he reached to shut the door with a bit more force than was absolutely necessary in Tony’s opinion.
“Thank God,” breathed Marlena, bounding down the stairs. “I was so afraid when I heard about Stefano…”
Tony considered trying to get up but quickly nixed the idea as he was certain he’d fall flat on his ass, an even less desirable position than the one he was in already. “Well, I haven’t heard a thing…other than the fact the bastard is still alive.”
She’d reached his side now and Tony swore there was approval gleaming in her expression though it quickly vanished beneath the professional air she assumed, checking his pulse and then his forehead for a temperature presumably.
“I’m fine Marlena. No one roughed me up…”
“But Rolf drugged you, didn’t he?” Her tone left little room for argument and she seemed intent on giving him a thorough examination. If he hadn’t been in such a lousy mood, the prospect would have amused him mostly likely and it took more self-control that it normally did to keep himself from snapping at her.
After several more endless minutes of begin poked and prodded, primarily near his eye that was swollen and probably bruised, she sat back on her knees, apparently satisfied.
“You didn’t check my heart.”
She arched one manicured eyebrow.
“To see if it was broken,” he told her, wearing a lazy ghost of a smile.
Marlena’s own smile was positively wicked and seductive all that same time. “Over me…or Stefano?”
“Oh please, you can’t possibly imagine that Stefano would be competition for you.”
“No, but if your heart is broken, it has nothing to do with me in any event, does it?”
Tony’s smile widened pleasurably. “I’m going to miss that I think more than anything else around here when you’re gone.”
“What?”
“That bare faced honesty of yours…you never play games.”
Her laughter was chiding. “Tony, you enjoy games immensely and are exceedingly accomplished at them too, I might add.”
“Not Stefano’s variety.”
“No.”
He might as well have suggested they were both about to get shot from the change in her attitude, or perhaps she suddenly remembered that she had a reason to hate him. “Have you spoken to him?” he asked and when she shook her head in confusion, he clarified for her, “Stefano.”
A piece of her smile returned. “From what I understand, he’s not in any condition to speak at the moment.”
Both of Tony’s eyebrows shot up encouragingly. “Oh?”
“I suspect you came closer to your objective than Rolf would like either of us to know about because I’m telling you, when we got back here last night, the entire compound was in one hell of an uproar and I’m afraid most of the men took it out on Sebastian…” Her voice trailed off and she bit her bottom lip, afraid he’d demand more details but he didn’t want to talk about Sebastian. A faint ray of hope took hold. His friend’s chances were greatly improved as long as Rolf was in charge. The man might be clever but he didn’t have Stefano’s wits and he had too many other matters weighing on his mind to give hunting down Sebastian the time and attention it would require in order to succeed.
“I want you to promise me something,” he said
She didn’t look surprised but he could tell her suspicious were aroused.
“You mustn’t give Rolf any reason to do something he…and I will both regret.”
“Such as?”
“Such as your last encounter,” said Tony more impatiently than he meant to, “and you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“You expect me to just stand by as they…”
“Yes, I do,” he told her, a harsh edge grating in his voice now, determined to make her realize the danger she was in as long as Stefano was incapacitated. “Rolf has had a rough couple of days thanks to Sebastian and I, and you for that matter, and he’ll take it out the first one who gives him an excuse, so please, don’t do anything that will give him one.” He didn’t add his other fear. If Rolf was in control and in cahoots with Andre, god knew what the hell he was capable of…it was entirely possible that Stefano could die, due to the gunshot or Rolf’s deliberate negligence, and then Rolf would help Andre take over. Just the idea made Tony’s blood run cold and it was possible that Rolf’s decision could be riding on nothing more than who was in better shape at this moment, Stefano or Andre.
“Tony, I can’t…”
“You can do anything that will get you home in one piece to Carrie and Samantha and Eric.” His fingers brushed her cheek gently. “Now promise me.”
“But, he going to hurt you…”
“No, he’s not,” lied Tony.
“You don’t believe that anymore than I do, especially now.”
He felt a sudden urge to hurl the glass that was still in his grasp across the room, he was so infuriated at her stubbornness, but with an effort, controlled himself. “Are you ever wrong?’
And to his astonishment, she turned away, but not before he caught a glimpse of the tear that slid down one cheek. “Anna was right about you it seems.” Her voice was shaky and barely above a whisper. “You do have a cruel streak.”
The words stung, but only because he knew she had no idea how he’d risked the twins’ lives the previous night but her opinion of his shortcomings was a waste of time considering the current situation. He had to find a way to get through to her, and make her understand that she could very well be on her own soon. Neither Rolf nor Andre would treat her with as much respect as Stefano. To them, she’d be nothing more than a liability and they’d happily dispose of her without even a second thought. “Marlena…” Gently, his hand nudged her chin back around so she was facing him. “Our children need a parent, preferably one who’s still alive and sane. That is the only thing left I have to ask of you…”
“She looked shocked for just a moment and then her eyes lit up angrily. “Tony DiMera, so help me,” and reached to grab the front of his shirt. “don’t you dare give up on me now. We are both getting out of here…”
“That wasn’t the deal,” he reminded her.
“I don’t care.”
“But you will eventually.”
“No…”
He slipped a finger under her chin to raise it slightly so that her eyes, hard and bright with unshed tears met his. “This is my home, not yours.”
“You’re not talking about this being your home, and we both know it.”
“Whatever it turns out to be,” he told her carefully, his eyes narrowing, “you don’t belong here.” He gave each word an emphasis that she couldn’t miss.
“d**n you.” The words exploded from between her teeth and her hand squeezed his shirt into a knot curled around her white knuckled fist. “If you make me visit your grave here, you’ll be sorry, I promise you.”
He couldn’t hold back that grin that worked its way up the side of his mouth at her threat. “Well, you’re getting the idea my dear.”
Though infuriated with him, Marlena was too clever to miss the irony in his statement and her hand froze and slowly loosened it’s grip and then suddenly she had his face in between her palms and her whisper was low, a throaty hiss he could barely understand. “You have my word, I’ll do whatever it takes to stay alive here, but you had better d**n well do the same.” She didn’t wait for his answer, at least not verbally. Instead she kissed him, the same way she had only a few short weeks ago in this same room and it was a kiss left no room for arguments, indecision or lies.
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Post by madelinehawaii on Sept 9, 2007 21:31:38 GMT -5
When Tony woke again later on, the sun was casting hazy afternoon shadows across the stonewalls of the room. And it was quiet, except for Marlena’s gentle snoring. Her head lay pillowed on his chest and he suspected she’d not slept an entire night since before they’d taken the twins away. There were gray shadows that curved beneath the long lashes that hid her eyes. Reaching around behind him, he pulled out the blanket Sebastian had lifted off the bed to use as a cushion, and as gently as he could, eased his body from under her, replacing it with the folds of soft cotton. Her breathing continued evenly.
Getting to his feet wasn’t nearly as easy and he was glad she wasn’t awake to witness his clumsiness. It took three attempts to stand up and then he had to hang onto the bedposts for the first few steps so he could make it into the bathroom without slipping back down to the floor again.
Still, he did feel better than he had earlier. Except for his face with its lurid bruise near his right eye, and his shoulder, which he’d probably jammed when he fell the night before, he didn’t ache any longer but he’d not eaten and the drugs had left him weak. How the hell was he going to get out of this mess he wondered.
As he turned on the faucet to draw cold water, he thought about the odds of getting off the island in one piece and not one of them seemed all that promising.
His mind occupied elsewhere and with the noise of the water running he didn’t hear the door. His first warning was the sound of her voice urgently calling his name but it didn’t give him enough time to react before a set of rough hands dug into his arms from behind and hauled him out of the bathroom. He tried to break free but a muscular arm wrapped itself around his throat and wrenched it back as someone else snapped a pair of cuffs on him, tightening them with brutal force so that they cut into his wrists. In the distance he could hear his name and then a scream that was cut off.
He didn’t get more than a second’s glimpse of her being held back from trying to reach him, a hand clamped over her mouth, struggling to break away as he was dragged up the steps and hurled through the door into the black passageway. He caught his foot on someone’s leg and fell against the doorframe and quickly rolled onto his back and kicked the door with all the force he could manage and propelled it into the man nearest the stone banister, sending him, arms flaying in the air, over the low divider and onto the floor below. Tony dropped the one in directly in front of him with a kick to the groin but at that moment, a hand grabbed a fistful of his hair out of the void that stretched behind him. There was no warning or threats. The hand simply snatched him before he could gain the momentum he needed to roll over. It drug him across the rough flagstones so that they tore into his arms and jerked the cuffs painfully, catching on the corners every few feet or so and then without warning, dropped him.
A bright light flashed in his eyes. “Get up.”
Wincing, he found the wall, using it to help him to get his feet beneath him.
Instantly, a burly arm jammed itself against his windpipe and a growl whispered in his ear. “Do that again, and I’ll make you watch me take her.” Tony had to squeeze his eyes shut to keep himself from reacting to the threat, his whole body tensing up at the thought of the horror these men could wreck, if allowed. What the hell was Rolf playing at? Or was Andre the one in charge now?
Just as quickly as it appeared, the arm vanished from his throat and then shoved him in the direction of the tiny trap door a few feet away.
Climbing through awkwardly without the use of his hands, and shuffling out on his knees across the gigantic hearth so that he could see the main room beyond, he came face to face with Rolf.
The smile on the doctor’s sallow face was thin and distinctly unpleasant, all the more so as it still sported three livid red scabs running down the side of his cheek.
Tony stumbled trying to get to his feet but no one lent a hand now. Every eye in the room was nailed to him as he made two attempts, and failed. He’d already used what little strength he’d had and finally had to crawl over the block wall and hang onto an old iron hook in order to stand up. Rolf enjoyed the show along with the rest of the men in the room, who resembled a pack of rangy dogs, just waiting for the signal to make their kill. Forcing himself to remain calm, Tony let his gaze return to the man his father seemed to have left in charge, a man staring down his long nose at Tony, his disgust plainly evident now.
“Not that you’ve shown the slightest concern for your father, but he is…”
The pause was deliberate no doubt and it was all Tony could do to keep himself from assuming the worst. He knew Rolf was baiting him. Trying to get him to react, to come unglued and give the men their opportunity to kill him without actually having to accept the responsibility. Which meant, Stefano was still alive…and still a threat. Tony breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. As long as Stefano lived, Rolf wouldn’t dare to harm Marlena but Tony knew his own survival was another matter. Rolf was out for blood, and if Tony’s were all that was available, Rolf was angry enough at the moment to find a way.
“…barely hanging on, thanks to you.”
Tony didn’t answer or respond in any way.
“And you’re not even sorry, are you?”
Shrugging, Tony replied, “Given the history my father and I share, and the number of times he’s tried to do the same to me, how broken up did you expect me to be?”
Rolf shook his head. “If it weren’t for Stefano you’d be…” but cut himself off abruptly.
“Yes?” drawled Tony, with practiced nonchalance he certainly wasn’t feeling.
But Rolf’s gaze had regained its cool, crafty air once again. “Your father has spent more than five years trying to make amends for the pain he caused and instead of even attempting to meet him halfway, you reward his efforts by trying to murder him in cold blood.”
“…in cold blood,” Tony had to keep himself from snorting with laughter. “Tell me doctor, speaking of murder and such, where is the other member of this grisly little threesome?”
“Excuse me?”
“Andre.”
“Oh.” Rolf’s face closed off so that it was a complete blank, which only made Tony convinced his suspicions had been correct. “Dead,” Rolf told him. “I’m afraid he bled to death while you had me tied up in that cave.”
A cruel smile glimmered at the edges of Tony’s mouth. “Pity.”
“In more ways than you can imagine.”
“I very much doubt that,” came Tony’s instant retort, but something in Rolf’s tone sparked a hunch, the implications of which were anything but pleasant. “How long have you and my cousin been conspiring behind Stefano’s back?”
“My loyalty to your father is…”
“Without blemish,” laughed Tony, “yes, I know, but Andre would no more assist you in keeping my children alive, that he would me, so what game have the two of you been up to?”
To Tony’s surprise, Rolf didn’t beat around the bush or equivocate. “Simply really, a bit of friendly…what is the word?” He paused and then shrugged. “Ah yes, persuasion.”
Tony nodded slowly, rather amused at the thought of anyone this intelligent trying to convince Stefano that Andre was trustworthy. “From the location of that bullet hole Stefano put in Andre’s head, I’d say you weren’t all that successful.” But even listening to Tony point out the obvious didn’t phase Rolf’s attitude.
“Stefano’s insistence that the twins belong to you is a serious blunder, and he’ll end up regretting his decision someday. He should have given them to your brother, or…” now the look on Rolf’s face grew intense so that Tony sensed a zeal that was frightening, “your cousin.”
Tony laughed uneasily. “You’re crazy.”
“The man’s loyalty to this family far exceeded yours.”
“And was that Stefano’s opinion as well?” inquired Tony, doing his best to keep his sarcasm in control.
“No.” replied Rolf, a sigh of exasperation escaping his lips. “I’m afraid your father has a tendency to let his feelings to cloud his judgment, especially where his children are concerned.”
“Something you and Andre would never be guilty of.”
Rolf’s answer was a smile that made Tony’s skin crawl and he began to reassess his belief that Marlena was still safe from the madness he felt building in the atmosphere around him.
Steeling himself, he asked Rolf with a haughtiness meant to be intimidating, “What do you want with me?”
The doctor returned his stare, gauging him silently and then he stepped a few feet closer and Tony could literally see the ravenous appetite burgeoning from behind the façade of cold disinterest as Rolf named his price. “Sebastian.”
Tony laughed with disdain at the request. “I’m afraid I have no idea…”
But he got no further before rough hands grabbed hold of him and Rolf’s fist knocked him sideways. “Games are a commodity that your exquisite friend…” the word leered at him and he could practically taste Rolf’s stale breath it was so overpowering, the doctor’s long fingers using Tony’s shirt to keep his face only inches away, “cannot afford.”
“You wouldn’t dare touch Marlena,” Tony seethed at him in a low growl, “Stefano would slit you open and let your friends here devour you for lunch.”
Rolf loosened his grip and stepped back but the expression on his face hadn’t changed and it contained a degree of pure satisfaction that lit up his face in a maniacal fashion and made Tony’s gut wrench itself into a knot. “Yes,” Rolf’s admittance came readily, “no doubt you’re right but it would be worth it to see you have to witness every excruciating second of it.” His eyes traveled around the room to each of the men in turn, “and I suspect eternity wouldn’t last as long.”
Despite the iron grip on his arms, Tony lost control, using the only thing left to lash out at the men hanging onto him, his right foot smashing the man’s knee closest to him and then, as his hand dropped away, Tony swung about but that was a far as he got as all four men who’d standing behind Rolf reacted simultaneously, overwhelming him, hauling him down to his knees and pinning his head back in a vice like grip that Tony felt certain was going to break his neck. His heart pounded in his chest as adrenalin burst through him but he was unable to do anything, even struggle.
Rolf’s face appeared above him. “Not the position you imagined you’d be in yesterday, is it Count?”
Tony swallowed convulsively when one of the men pulled his head back another inch.
“You do remember arriving to check up on me back in that filthy tunnel where you had Sebastian leave me all trussed up like an animal.”
Tony sucked in a breath that shuttered as he tried to keep his voice from breaking. “Please don’t use her, its me you want...”
“And your lackey, Sebastian.”
“I…” Tony stopped himself and then snarled at Rolf, “d**n you.”
Rolf simply waited, malicious hatred gleaming in his eyes.
Tony tried to shut the sight away but it didn’t help. He wanted desperately to exact a promise from Rolf that they’d bring Sebastian in and hold him for Stefano to deal with but he knew that wasn’t what Rolf had in mind at all.
“Whatever patience I’ve exercised in the past, it has been depleted after the last two days, sir.” The last word came out flat with sarcasm.
“Alright, alright,” Tony tried to brace himself but it didn’t really work as he spoke the words that would betray his friend, bringing him back to his death. “There’s a cave…”
“Where?” Rolf demanded when Tony’s voice failed him again and he felt as though he were drowning as he continued.
“At the bottom of the trail, the one that leads to the cottage.”
He could see Rolf picturing the way in his mind. “You’re lying.”
“No, its…not the trail to the house.” Tony gulped air but that didn’t bring him any relief either. “It’s the other one, the one that leads in the opposite direction, to the shore along the cliffs. There are caves…the second one is just large enough to…fit…a boat.” The last two words came spitting out but Rolf had what he wanted now and ignored Tony’s helpless rage.
He waved a couple of the men away. “Call down and tell Marco where the bastard is hiding out,” he said as they headed out of the room, and then he stooped down to check on the one who lay nearby, still groaning in pain with a broken kneecap. Tony could see him kneeling out of the corner of one eye and saw him freeze as he was getting back to his feet.
“What are you doing out here you fool, you’re supposed to be watching her.”
A voice squeaked back from somewhere behind Tony, “But she’s hungry….”
“I don’t give a d**n is she’s passed out in there, I told you to stay and that’s what I meant.” Rolf’s tone carried a hint of panic barely noticeable but there nonetheless.
“Stefano will kill us if anything happens to her,” the voice continued, though with less confidence now. Whoever he was, he was young and scared but determined to not end up skewered because of Rolf apparently. It seemed that he feared Stefano more than the doctor. Tony wasn’t sure that was such a wise decision under the circumstances but couldn’t help but be thankful that someone was willing to take risks to keep Marlena safe, even if his main motive was saving his own skin.
“Yes, yes, whatever,” snapped Rolf impatiently now, obviously not happy to be reminded once again of Stefano’s affinity for Mrs. Brady, at least, not in front of Tony. “Get her something from the kitchen then, and be quick about it. That woman is a menace.”
Tony heard the young man scamper off through the tiled entryway.
Rolf turned toward him now, his irritation still simmering and gave a curt nod to one of the men still holding him down. “Do something about those feet and then you can dump him in the corner for now. We’ll find out soon enough if he’s been telling us the truth.” With that, he disappeared and Tony heard his footsteps on the stairs as one of the men dragged him, an arm tightening around his neck over to the wall and held on as the other guard grabbed a rope and proceeded to hogtie him. They were none too gentle about it either but finished quickly and left with no other parting shots. Tony didn’t even need to check to know they’d done a professional job, there’d be no way for him to loosen the knots though he did manage, with gritting his teeth, as the effort further wretched the cuffs on his wrists, to shift his body the few inches necessary so that he had a view around the couch of the foyer and the stairs leading up to the laboratory.
After laying uncomfortably for ten minutes or so, he heard footsteps clicking on the tiles and a figure appeared, balancing a tray, his entire concentration focused on the contents so as to keep it from spilling. Once in the main room, he set it on the table nearest the mantle, and then spun around to open the trap door, and by chance, his eyes fell on Tony.
There was something familiar about his face, though not because they’d been introduced. He reminded Tony of someone rather, someone who’d only just left the room in fact, making the similarity that much more noticeable, and ominous. The boy was related to Rolf. And he was little more than an adolescent, his face still smooth but he’d witnessed enough in his young life to know he was in the middle of a potentially explosive situation because the indecision he was feeling tugged at him and it kept him from walking away and leaving Tony to his fate.
With a furtive, split-second glance over his shoulder at the stairway, he stepped closer, crouching down so he could whisper. “Sir, I’m sorry...” He gave an indiscriminate wave at Tony’s condition, frowning. “I fear your father is going to punish us if he…he learns what my uncle is forcing us to do…”
“The rest of that mob assisting him don’t seem particularly worried,” Tony pointed out.
“That’s because they think they’re getting…” but his eyes widened as he realized what he’d been about to say, though just the few words he’d spoken were enough to make Tony’s heart constrict and wave of panic threatened to overtake him. It didn’t matter if he cooperated, Rolf would use Marlena anyway to reward the men and then make up some story to feed to Stefano. If he could make it appear that perhaps Tony tried to help her break out, Rolf might even get away with such a travesty but Tony knew now that wasn’t the real problem because Stefano still needed Rolf alive. He’d punish everyone else, punish Rolf in some way too if he awoke to find Marlena and Tony both dead, but the ones that would suffer the most were the guards and unfortunately, those who were innocent; the servants, and this boy.
“So my father is improving?”
“He was conscious earlier today, for a few minutes and I understand he is regaining his strength.”
“And Andre?”
After another glance over his shoulder, the boy confided, “my uncle says he probably won’t survive.”
So Rolf had lied, Tony thought to himself, but he also appeared to have made his choice. Despite that, the opportunity still existed for the doctor to carry out his own revenge before Stefano recovered sufficiently enough to stop him…all Rolf needed was a few additional hours and it would be too late for Marlena and Sebastian, for all of them. Obviously, he cared not in the least that he’d be triggering a blood bath. The boy seemed convinced this would be the outcome as well but exactly how far would he be willing to go to stop it from happening, would he defy his uncle, and risk the consequences if he were caught?
“You could warn my father,” Tony suggested to him.
The boy stared at him, petrified and spun away. Tony could see him breathing deeply, clearly disturbed at the thought of what could come of such actions but he didn’t walk away. “How?” came his whisper finally. “The only way up to his room is the stairs.”
“No. There is a back way into the laboratory, through the passageway next to the bookcase.”
More silence ensued, and then, “but he won’t listen to me. I doubt your father even knows my name,” an idea that would have amused Tony immensely at another time.
“All you have to do is take Marlena to him.”
“You want me to let her out?” he asked, visions of his uncle’s face and how it got that way probably swimming through the youngster’s mind.
“Stefano would drag himself from his deathbed to keep her safe, at least from Rolf’s mob.”
The boy tossed a wild-eyed look at Tony over his shoulder and then hastened quickly to the mantle to open the trap door, and collecting the tray, vanished into the darkness beyond.
Cursing viciously in a number of different languages, Tony lay, feeling every d**ned nerve throughout his body shrieking and he glared at the empty hearth and then out at the stairs in the foyer. He’d been here before, he reminded himself, in the same blasted mess and escaped. Well, not exactly the same. Anna wasn’t here…Anna with her tedious, narcissistic habits that never failed to exasperate him. Anna whining that she had nothing decent to wear when they buried her, that she was cold, hungry, miserable, scared. What he’d give to hear her whining now. For the sight of her exquisite features, to hear her giggling with delight when he tickled her and told her that she talked too much, the touch of her velvety soft lips caressing his skin… teasing him…
“I thought you were the one insisting we go to this silly party,” he pointed out, which didn’t stop her or even slow her down. In fact, knowing that she had him so off balance, that he failed once again to get his cufflink through both openings only fueled her creativity. “Ah…” he made the mistake of closing his eyes for a moment and instantly his body began responding to the sensations. “Ummmm…you did tell Calliope and Alice Horton we’d be there, remember?”
“I did?” She didn’t bother pretending to be innocent and Tony chuckled.
“And tomorrow, you’ll blame it all on me…won’t you? When,” he tossed the cufflink in the general direction of the dressing table, “you run into Alice.” He could feel the curve of her smile against his cheek and feel the laughter welling up through her chest as she leaned into him.
“Well maybe, now that I have your permission.”
Tony bit his lip. “Lying to a nice, sweet old lady like Alice…”
“Alice Horton may be sweet but old?” came Anna’s muffled laughter now. “She’ll still be sharp as a tack when she’s a hundred and twenty and she’ll know I’m not lying because…well, everyone knows how naughty you are.”
Instead of commenting, he pushed her back onto the bed with her hands over her head and kissed her hungrily, his tongue searing through her mouth, fully aware that she’d respond in kind, no longer concerned with dinner plans or who promised what or tomorrow, or Alice Horton. It was pretty obvious after barely a moment that she wasn’t concerned either with anything other driving him wild and how very talented she was in that department. When he finally came up for air, both of them were panting, Anna’s chest straining the confines of her slip and her eyes sparkling, daring him to rip it off.
The edge of Tony’s mouth slid sideways until he was wearing a lazy smirk. “Be careful what you wish for, my dear.”
Though she didn’t say anything, she thingyed her head to the side and shrugged, an almost dainty flicker of glee testing him and he leaned over to leave a peck on her lips and without warning, grabbed onto the top of her slip with his teeth and pulled. The lacy fabric gave way with little resistance. He tore enough of it until he had an unobstructed view of what lay beneath and ignoring the sharp intake of her breath for several longs moments, he simply gazed down appreciatively.
God, she was so incredibly beautiful, lying there, both of her breasts rising and falling in quick succession, waiting for his touch, the feel of his tongue…
Briefly his eyes drifted up to meet hers. They were wide and held his, wanting only one thing, and he found her anticipation suddenly endearing. They’d never needed words. In fact, that was the one thing the always got them into trouble he thought in passing, turning his attention back to the sight he never tired of, just as he never tired of hearing her moan as his lips grazed her skin, pressing kisses, circling, driving her breathing up another notch until his mouth reached the top and he wrapped his lips around her aching rose colored nipple, playing with a languid ease that sent shivers through her body. He felt her back arch ever so slightly, wanting more, her moans growing in their intensity. Keeping one hand on her wrist, he let the other wander over her shoulder, following the lovely curve of her figure until he reached the bottom edge of her slip and smoothed it up to her waist.
She had no panties underneath and he grinned. Anna was quite single minded when the mood took her and knew exactly how to get her way. “Speaking of naughty…” he laughed, shooting a look to meet her eyes once again but before she could answer, nipped at her breast with just enough pressure to make her forget her irritation with him completely and then his hand reached….
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Post by madelinehawaii on Sept 9, 2007 21:32:33 GMT -5
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” he sighed in disgust at himself. Why was he wasting his time dreaming of the impossible. It sure as hell wouldn’t help, wouldn’t get him out of this mess he’d created and if he didn’t figure out something here, really soon, he be stuck watching as Rolf’s men drug Sebastian in and would be forced to witness…
Before this appalling image progressed any further, he heard a heel scrap against the concrete floor of the hearth and twisted his head around to see two figures emerging from the hole in the fireplace. The boy ignored him and sent a sly look at the stairs and without ceremony, headed straight to the bookcase, pulling Marlena along behind him. Her eyes were round, glued to Tony. A door slammed somewhere upstairs, making her jolt nervously but that iron will of hers shown through, keeping her from loosing control and when the panel next to the bookcase slid open, she followed the boy inside, a secretive smile the last thing he saw as the wall hid her from sight.
It had taken all of thirty seconds perhaps. He felt his heart pounding and was certain if anyone else were around, they’d easily hear it. The thought no more entered his head than footsteps echoed in the foyer and with a glass of brandy cradled in one hand, Rolf appeared. Come to gloat no doubt. Tony squelched his annoyance at having to put up with the doctor’s glee as it meant he’d not be up with the laboratory where he could keep track of Marlena and her whereabouts. Not that Tony was going to enjoy the situation. Playing dumb did not sound appealing but if it kept them all alive, he’d done that before too.
Rolf sat down on the sofa and crossed his legs without uttering a syllable. He possessed the coldest pair of eyes Tony had ever seen in a man of his profession and they changed from blue to green depending on the color of his shirt or brightness in a room. Neither color provided warmth.
As he leaned back into the overstuffed upholstery he pursed his lips, lending him the appearance of a rather elderly nun about to scold her charge. “You’re still not going to ask how he’s doing.”
“It doesn’t seem at the moment as though either result will be of much use to me.”
“And that is really all you care about.”
Tony’s glance became razor sharp. “I didn’t ask to come back here,” he informed Rolf. “I didn’t want any of this and I sure as hell didn’t want anything to do with him.”
“And yet you know how he feels about you.” Rolf’s accent became more pronounced when he was in the midst of giving a lecture and it was all Tony could do to keep himself from rolling his eyes.
“I know how he feels when it’s convenient, and how quickly that feeling evaporates when any of us get in the way of his plans.”
“And what right have you to judge your elders, your own father?”
“The same right I have to keep myself alive,” Tony shot back, “and to protect what little remains of my family, thanks to him.”
“This family is the only thing he truly cares about.”
“What he cares about is having us all at his beck and call to manipulate, and of course to entertain him. To Stefano, we’re nothing more than his own, personal traveling circus.” Tony didn’t bother disguising his bitterness
Rolf’s shrewd gaze searched Tony’s face and finally he shook his head with an air of regret. “You’re wrong, and I’d think the fact that he provided you with two beautiful children, that they exist would be proof of that.”
“Why?” It escaped Tony’s lips, demanding and pleading for an explanation. All these hints were driving him crazy and he wanted answers but after all his years of experience with Stefano, he couldn’t help but suspect this shocking past was nothing more than smoke and mirrors, and as though to prove this point, with his typical slick manner, Rolf avoided the question.
“If I were you, I’d be more concerned about trying to earn his forgiveness, a quality Stefano has had to display quite often, especially with his children. It would be well for you to emulate him.”
“You tell me how to forgive the man responsible for taking away the memory of my children,” whispered Tony, gritting his teeth.
A strange look came over Rolf suddenly, as though he were truly appalled and for an instant, it seemed as though he were holding himself back from physically lashing out. The whites of his eyes grew wide and he scowled, “Andre’s right, you’re an ingrate, nothing but a spoiled arrogant puppy sniveling over the past, shedding crocodile tears so that you can revile the man that did everything in his power to make this tragedy easier for you…it’s unconscionable. Andre’s behavior, that I’ve come to understand because he’s had to live with this but not you. Stefano wiped it all away and this,” Rolf brandished his glass heatedly so that amber liquid splashed over the rim, “is how you repay him?”
“Wiped what away?” Tony asked, unable to stop himself. “What happened?”
Rolf opened his mouth, but whatever answer he’d intended to give Tony, it was interrupted by the sound of a horrendous, wailing cry from outdoors and Tony’s eyes narrowed, as they flashed back to the doctor.
“You didn’t send Mia and her son away as Stefano promised.”
Rolf lifted a shoulder, unimpressed. “It was her decision to stay.”
“That’s a lie.”
The words came spitting out and their vehemence touched off a nerve in Rolf. With a quickness Tony wouldn’t have thought possible, the doctor jumped up and within seconds, had a grip on Tony’s throat with both hands, using it to haul him upright to his knees. “Perhaps you care to have her with you, so that she too can watch…”
Tony swallowed back the bitterness like bile in his throat with difficulty. “No, I wouldn’t.”
“And?” The fingers circling his neck tightened to keep him from pulling away and his field of vision was permeated with Rolf’s thin, stern visage.
He was demanding an apology, d**n him. He meant to take complete advantage of this opportunity to rub Tony’s nose in the dirt, to revel in the power he was able to wield over the two men with audacity enough to use him for their own purposes. If Tony refused, the situation, already bordering on horrific would most likely degenerate even further.
Not sure how, he produced a hint of respect in his voice. “You have my…apology.”
Rolf’s eyes continued to wear a precarious sheen and Tony feared he’d demand more of him until a crowd of guards arrived, dragging a battered Sebastian along in their midst and Rolf forgot whatever form of humiliation he’d intended to impose, turning his attention instead to the man who’d so easily tricked him and made a fool of him in front of Stefano and worse, the rest of these inferiors. This was the sight he’d been waiting for...and one that ripped through Tony.
His friend still stood on his own, barely. However, it was obvious he’d not walked back up the trail but had been hauled up through the dirt and rocks. A rope hung all the way to the floor from his wrists, which were a bloody mess as was several inches of the rope and his shirt was nothing but shreds of material that did little to hide the extent of his injuries, long jagged cuts running the length of his torso. But his blue eyes burned as he confronted Rolf.
“Coward,” and he laughed. “All these men to watch your back now that your boss is laid up, but not enough nerve to come get me yourself.”
Rolf’s response was to grab a fistful of Tony’s hair and jerk his head back. “Since you wish to point fingers, this is the man responsible for your predicament…your friend.” His emphasis on the last word reeked with sarcasm.
“I know exactly what you’ve done.”
“Done?” Rolf thingyed his head to one side and Sebastian’s expressive face smiled sadly and his eyes met Tony’s and remained there as he answered Rolf’s question.
“There is only one thing you could have done to force the Count into this situation and if Stefano ever discovers what that is…” his keen glance shifted back up at the doctor, “well my friend, my death will be painless in comparison.”
The resulting look in Rolf’s eyes was grim. “Possibly, but I can guarantee that neither of you will be here to see or enjoy it.”
Despite being convinced already that Rolf meant to kill him, hearing it uttered in such a matter of fact tone made it feel inevitable and that infuriated Tony suddenly but he kept himself from reacting as he knew Rolf would use it as an excuse to torture Sebastian further. He had to try and buy them some time so that Marlena could do what it took to get Stefano down here. Problem was, nearly all the things that came to mind would only make the situation worse.
…except for the obvious one.
It was an idea which had occurred to him in desperation and it made Tony want to wretch but not as much as the certainty of having to watch his father’s men beat his friend to death. If he was lucky, he could stretch it out so that both of them survived but if not… at least Sebastian’s ordeal would be over. After all they’d been through, the risks Sebastian had taken for him, he owed him that.
And he knew Rolf would fall for it because he wanted nothing less than a spectacle.
Lifting his eyes, Tony made his perusal of the damage slightly more calculating this time around. For a moment, he met Sebastian’s steady gaze and then purposely set his own boring into every single one of the guards in turn. “We may not be around to witness the result,” he said, speaking to Rolf, but careful to keep his focus on the men, “but I don’t need to be here to know what Stefano’s reaction will be.”
Rolf pulled Tony’s head back far enough so that he was forced to face him, not the guards. “In your case, I’ll be doing him a favor…”
A grin creased Tony’s face. “Robbing my father of the immense satisfaction of punishing either myself or Sebastian with his own two hands will do nothing but infuriate him and everyone in this room has had their share of experience with Stefano’s temper tantrums.”
Though Rolf looked angry, he couldn’t hide the fear that hovered as Tony uttered this fact aloud and sensing he was getting to the man, Tony drove the point home. “Everyone in this room will pay for such a error in judgment and knowing Stefano, in quite a nasty fashion.” His wry, lazy tone challenged Rolf’s authority and the doctor was well aware of it.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tony could see his warning beginning to take affect. A couple of the guards were shuffling their feet nervously and instead of focusing on their charge, they eyed Rolf almost accusingly. They’d not counted on this form of trouble, or realized the extent of Rolf’s plans, especially when it came to Tony. Punishing traitors was one thing, but murdering Stefano’s son, no matter what he’d done was another matter entirely.
Tony risked a glance in Sebastian’s direction. His eyes were on Rolf, who in turn knew that he was loosing control of the situation. The men were edging quickly towards a mutiny.
Sending Tony an icy glare, Rolf released his hold and turned to the guard behind him, reaching for what could have been a gun but wasn’t. With a swift motion, he was back and cutting the rope that attached Tony’s ankles to the handcuffs on his wrists, and then with a bit more effort, sawed through the multiple ropes binding Tony’s ankles.
“Alright, get up,” he ordered.
This was not so easily accomplished as his feet were numb but Rolf was in no mood to be patient and taking hold of Tony’s arm, yanked him upright. Somehow, Tony kept himself standing. Rolf unlocked the cuffs next and tugged them off, causing Tony to wince in pain as his wrists were mangled and not in much better shape than Sebastian’s. Shoving the discomfort to the back of his mind, Tony looked up and found Rolf had stepped back. On the table next to the glass Rolf had brought with him earlier, lay the knife he’d just used and it took all the restraint Tony had ever learned to keep himself from grinning triumphantly, to keep his face immobile. This wasn’t over yet, he reminded himself.
Without some fancy stall tactics, he might still be obligated to use the gray length of steel in front of him, and imagining such an act was suddenly a different beast staring him in the face. He didn’t need to pretend for Rolf’s benefit, or anyone else because the idea of it sickened him. He couldn’t do this.
His gaze darted up to meet Rolf’s, and slowly, fighting his sudden cowardice, he shook his head.
“No.”
“If you’d rather,” came the voice belonging to the monster standing in front of him, “I’ll give you a choice…”
Tony knew Rolf was talking about Marlena and he bit his lip so hard, that he could feel blood squirt into his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut, anguish tearing through him. God, how was he ever going to live with this on his conscious?
“Tony…”
His friend’s calm voice beckoned him. It held the murmur of the waves in its beautiful sonorous tones, and the breeze rippling through the leaves, the memory of a hundred afternoons he’d spent relaxing in Sebastian’s company on the porch or at the beach or just a set of rocks jutting up at the edge of the water after a swim. It was the murmur of friendship and joy, and eternity…the kind that couldn’t be destroyed even by the likes of a fiend like Rolf, and finally he met his friend’s clear gaze.
His heart still pounded violently in his chest, but he moved to the table and picked up the knife. He knew his resolve would falter if he dared let his eyes wander to anyone else in the room or let their poison infect him. Sebastian’s eyes sparkled and in them, Tony could see sunlight dancing on the water’s surface and he followed it, letting the illusion draw him step by step, closing the distance between them until he was only a few feet away, so close, he could reach out and use the knife.
“I…” he didn’t really know what he’d meant to say and Sebastian stopped him before he could figure it out with a simple knowing look. It was one that reminded him of that day long ago in Venice, when Sebastian had defied Tony’s enraged cousin, making a choice which had led the two of them through so many other moments, all of them spinning in his memory now. He let his eyes drift down his friend’s chest, searching for the right spot. He was going to make this as painless as he could. When he glanced back up, Sebastian was ready and nodded to him and Tony drew his hand back but the knife never reached Sebastian’s chest.
Neither of them had been paying any attention to the others in the room and so didn’t see the guard move forward. It all happened in seconds. Fingers grabbing at his wrist, forcing it inextricably back and around and then shoving the point of the blade deeply into Tony’s abdomen and as Tony raised his head from the sight in shock to find the one responsible, the guard’s face exploded in a crimson blaze of blood and skin and bone. Tony’s legs gave way beneath him. Screams split the air in every direction as he fell to his knees, the knife still stuck in his gut and his eyes connected with a figure in a wheelchair. In his hand, the silver glint of a pistol. Stefano. He’d shot every single guard in the room and now turned the gun at the only man left standing.
Over the chaos and the din of other noises, Tony heard someone yell out, not realizing it was his own voice as his father squeezed the trigger. Seconds jolted by in increments, one for each frame like disjoined snapshots of the carnage that lay between his father and the tangle of bodies surrounding Sebastian’s frozen form…Sebastian who didn’t look surprised but he’d caught Stefano’s eye and held it until his body crumpled amid the others around him into the sea of blood already soaking the stone floor and in that span of a second, Tony felt his world come crashing in on him. He’d failed miserably and all the people he’d loved had paid for his mistakes and he’d been forced to watch them die over and over again. For the first time in his life he prayed that he could die too. He grabbed hold of the smooth wooden handle sticking out of his stomach and with a hideous cry, yanked the knife free but instantly the handle was slick with his own blood and it slid through his grasp. The room began spinning, pulling him down and he knew there was no reason to worry; the end was coming. There were noises all around him, men groaning, the boom of his father’s voice, someone else arguing, and what sounded like the scraping whine of furniture being hauled across the floor but as he turned his head, Sebastian’s blue eyes, still swimming with pale sunlight met his. They warmed him, and reassured him…they asked the impossible of him, to stay alive.
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