Risk

Chapter LXXXI

"Jason, you have to help me." Carly pushes her soaking wet hair back from her face trying to dry her face on her sleeve but her coat is just as soaked as she is.

Jason shakes his head ruefully. "I should have known. Just tell me you aren't pregnant." Carly looks at Jason blankly for a minute until a drop of water drips off of her nose and onto the plush carpeting of the penthouse floor. "Come in. You're gonna get sick." Jason protests with a sigh. "Where is Michael?"

"He's home asleep."

"Define home."

"At the house Stavros bought." Carly comes into the penthouse and unzips her coat pulling out a soggy file from beneath. It had been mostly protected by the jacket... as much as she had been. "Do you think I should have brought him with me?"

"You still have some clothes upstairs. Why don't you go upstairs, get dry, get dressed and then you can tell me what the hell is going on!" Jason says impatiently changing the subject. But a part of him relaxes. If Carly felt like she and/or Michael were in physical danger, then Michael would have been right there with Carly. If Michael was asleep in his bed then there was still some breathing room.

"Okay." Carly drops the soggy file on Jason's desk and then leans up to give him a peck on the cheek. "You're the best!" She starts running toward the stairs but turns around at the base. "I think I need to borrow Benny."

"You want to talk to Benny. now?"

"Yeah," Carly nods seriously. "Maybe I missed something. Maybe I didn't. But I want someone I trust... you know, someone outside... to look at that. Cause if it is... well I need to borrow Benny."

"Go." Jason orders as he reaches for the phone. As soon as Carly is upstairs, as soon as Benny is on his way, Jason opens the file and starts spreading the damp pages out over the desk to dry. "She couldn't have just taken a cab?" Jason mutters to himself. Then something in the figures strikes him and he looks at the papers more closely.

"This is a really bad idea." Lucky mutters as Nik pulls his jag around to the front of Stavros' house.

"Do you have a better one?" Nik counters swiftly. He waits for a moment and then continues. "I didn't think so. You called Elton. He said he had the audit messengered over to the house. It's now or deal with the fall out." Nik turns the car off and then taking a deep breath steps out into the cold spring rain and races for the house. Lucky is at his heels. Nik knocks on the door and then when nobody answers rings the bell.

Kris answers the door. "Master Nikolas." He frowns when he sees who is with him. "Mr Spencer. Isn't it a little late for calling?"

"I need to speak to Carly." Nik demands.

Stavros who'd been in the study hears who is at the door since Kris had left the door open when he went to answer the front. "Nikolas? Is there a problem? I thought you were in..." Stavros frowns remembering Nikolas itinerary. "...Minnesota with Gia."

"He was. Now he's not." Lucky retorts.

"Lucky." Stavros shakes his head. Such an annoying young man and so like his father. There is still the thought in the back of his head it would have been so much easier and well... satisfying if Lucky had drowned the time he'd been dumped in the Charles river. Or if instead of holding Lucky steady for the intervention if he had just snapped his neck. But Carly seemed to like the little punk for some reason. Or maybe she liked him in the hopes of turning him against Luke. Stavros cheers at that thought.

"Father, I need to talk to Carly about a package she received from Elton... about Deception."

"Ah. Well Caroline has already retired for the evening." Stavros nods toward Kris who excuses himself to go get Carly. "I believe the package you are looking for is still in the study. Caroline was going to go over it in the morning."

Nikolas almost pushes past his father in the interest of getting to the study. Maybe he could get the audit before Carly ever saw it. If he could present it to her... with an explanation... maybe things could still work out in some kind of fashion. "Where is it?"

"It was right here." Stavros looks at the top of the desk. He had been working on one of his own projects and not even looking at Carly's stack of Deception homework. "What is in it?"

"It's Deception business." Lucky answers coldly. And none of yours.

Stavros quirks a brow taking the seat behind the desk. "I disagree. You and my son coming here at this hour. My son who is supposed to be out of town wooing his fiance. Only something of titanic proportions would have brought him back to Port Charles before he'd completed his task."

"Oh Gia will love being thought of a task. You got a little todo list, Nik? Woohoo Gia and then move on to the next thing?!"

"Lucky, shut up." Nik has gone through the stack of papers. "It's not here."

"What do you mean it's not there? Elton messengered it over tonight it has to be here!" Lucky starts sorting thru the papers too.

Kris comes back to the study. "Caroline is not in the house. She left her purse and the cellphone but according to the maid one of her jackets is missing."

"Search the grounds." Stavros orders in a flash. "Michael?"

"He's asleep." Kris answers. "I found this on your bed." Kris hands Stavros the envelope that had held the audit, clearly labelled as coming from Deception with Elton's name on it.

"She wouldn't have gone far." Stavros' voice is ice cold when he turns back to his son and his son's brother. "Now I know it is my business. Explain yourself."

"If she has the folder and she's not here..." Lucky prompts remembering what Gia had told Em. Jason.

"Lets go. Maybe there is still time." Nikolas turns to leave realizing the same thing.

"Stop." Stavros roars coming to his feet. "You will tell me. NOW. Do not think you will act without my knowledge!"

"I can handle this." Nik counters.

"Kris, bring me Elton Herbert." Stavros voice is edged with fury. "Just make sure he can still speak when he gets here. Send the guards; they can attempt to make up for their failure in accompanying Caroline."

That stops Lucky and Nik in their tracks.

Jason hears Carly coming down the stairs. "I figured you for covering your tracks better."

"Excuse me?" Carly drops the towel that she'd been drying her hair with around her shoulders. Jason had been right. She still had clothes here from when she'd lived here with Sonny. Evidently his propensity for throwing things hadn't included her clothes to the curb. Course they were a few seasons out of date but that wasn't to bad when you figure a velour top and a pair of jeans.

"Yeah, You're right; Benny could tell you better but I'm figuring about 25Gs. What did you do with the money?"

"Oh so you figure I took it! Nice Jase." Carly pouts.

Jason gives her a look. "Aren't you the one that told me that Laura and Sonny were blocking every move you made for Deception. It would be just like you to skim in order to get one of your plans off the ground." Jason throws up his hands when he says the word plan. It's always been Carly's word for scheme to blow things up in their face. "That's what you need Benny for right? Too cook the books?"

"No, I need Benny to prove who was skimming since it wasn't me. Cause you're right-- I would have buried my tracks better."

Jason reads the truth in Carly's face. "****."

"Oh yeah, and all different kinds of four letter words." Carly throws herself on the couch and covers her eyes dramatically with one arm. "You think Laura planned this to blow my life apart?"

"Nah. Probably figured she'd never get caught and you'd never go looking." Jason comes over to the couch and sits down on the end where Carly's sneakerclad feet are, lifting them up to sit down.

"I didn't go looking." Carly says ruefully. She uncovers her eyes and then grabbing a pillow shoves it under her back so that she is sitting up and looking at Jase. "Nik ordered an audit. Looks like right after he bought half the company. I wasn't even in the picture when he did. Or barely anyway. That's all your fault you know."

"My fault." Jason gives Carly a look. "Yeah right." like the time you bashed me over the head with the Ming vase.

"Sure. You're the one that made him all suspicious of Laura. Justifiably as it turns out. His mama had her hands in the cookie jar. And he wouldn't have looked if you hadn't said something."

"Well since my giving him a heads up got you a third of the company..."

"A quarter of the company. And it got me a freaking mess." Carly complains. "Stavros knew I was going to take Laura down. He doesn't care; it couldn't happen fast enough for him. Cassadine wives don't work. But you can bet that he isn't going to be happy Nik is messed up in this."

"Gee... I bet you have a plan."

"Not yet. But I'm working on it."

"You did what?!" Stavros roars.

Nikolas winces. "What I thought best at the time." He answers defensively. "I went to mother and told her to replace the funds. It should never have been an issue! Frankly I thought that was the end of it."

"No, you didn't." Lucky mutters.

"Fine. I hoped Carly would find out. I was still furious about everything that had happened with Gia."

"So put the money back now." Stavros suggests.

Lucky is already shaking his head. "Too late for that. Nik's already tied my mother up with ribbon and paper and gave her to Carly."

"Our mother." Nikolas reminds. "Father, really I don't have time for this. I have to find Carly. Maybe there is still time to smooth this out."

"Yeah, by putting Mom on the cutting block." Lucky mutters then presses his lips together hard. The whole situation is freaking him out. Mom absent and not here to defend herself. But even if she'd been in town there was no way he wanted Laura anywhere around Stavros. He and Nik had done everything possible to keep Laura away from Stavros. "You're screwed, Nik, why don't you just face it. Carly already figures that you have taken our mother's side. She won't believe anything different. If she did then she wouldn't have left. She would have told Stavros everything."

Stavros straightens at that. "But she didn't." Stavros reaches for the phone and punches a number on speed dial. "Put Carly on the phone."

Jason hands over his cell phone. "For you. It's Stavros."

Carly winces but takes the phone. "Hey.... Look I went for a walk; it's no big deal." She winces again and holds the phone away from her ear. "You found me didn't ya?!" Carly finally snaps. "I'll be home when I get home.... What do you mean Nik is there. He's supposed to be in Minnesota. Don't bother sending a car. Jason will give me a lift back to the house."

"Or pay for the cab." Jason mutters but he knows that he will be going back with Carly. This might be get out of Dodge time. He shoves Carly's feet out of the way so that she is sitting up on the couch and goes over to the closet getting down his locked box. With a few spins of a dial he opens the box and pulls out his loaded 9mm.

Carly has hung up the phone. "You aren't going to need that."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"No really. You aren't gonna want to bring that. You bring it and I'll probably end up using it."

Jason considers Carly's threat, the situation and drops the pistol back in the box and spins the tumblers to lock it back up. "You've got a point." Jason throws Carly his leather jacket that she shrugs into while gathering up the pages on the desk. Jason grabs another coat and holds the door for her while she heads to the elevator.

Carly realizes something. "We gotta stop along the way."

"Oh?"

"If Nik is back I bet that means Gia is back too. Hopefully I'll be able to get a preview and not be walking in blind. Mama is always on me about walking into things blind." Carly hits the fourth floor button on the elevator. They are soon at the Deception spokesmodel's front door. The first knock doesn't get an answer. Carly knocks harder on the door. "I know you're in there, Gia. Open the door. Or I'll have Jason pick the lock."

Gia opens the door standing in the gap leaning against the door jam. "Well isn't this a surprise!" not

"You're suppose to be in Minnesota." Carly eases by Gia. Gia turns to keep an eye on her and Jason comes in after shutting the door quietly behind him. "Let me guess there was no way that Nik was going to leave you out in the cold while he hauled Laura's cookies out of the fire... again."

"Were Laura's cookies in the fire?" Gia quirks a brow.

Carly gives her a look and then she sniffs the air. "Where is he?"

"Where is who?"

"Lucky. I know where Nikolas is. I smell Eli's. It's the only thing stronger than the chemicals down in the darkroom."

"Are you part bloodhound or something?" Gia shakes her head. "Lucky was here. He left with Nikolas."

Carly's jaw drops. "No way!"

"Way." Emily comes out of her bedroom where she'd had her ear pressed to the door but figuring that now that Carly knows that Lucky is in on things might as well get it all out.

"But... but... Nik is over at the house." Carly sputters. "And what are you doing here?!"

"Carly, do you really want to talk about my sister or do you want to get to the point?" Jason interjects.

"What is Lucky doing with Nikolas over at my house?" Carly demands of Gia going back to the real question.

"Representing Laura's interests? At least that is what I think that Lucky is doing. Nik is just kinda ticked and feeling like a mushroom."

"Oh he hasn't even seen ticked yet."

"I figured." Gia shrugs.

"This is a mess." Carly mutters running a hand thru her still damp hair. "Got to get things back on track. Business as usual." Her mind is racing in a million different directions at one speed... light. "You need to get back to Minneapolis and do your appearance. Deception can't have the rep of flaking-- no matter what the majority stockholder does."

"I get the feeling that Nik isn't available for the ride along." Gia counters.

"His choice." Carly retorts. "He dug up this mess. No reason why he shouldn't help clean it up." Carly spots Emily retreating back down the hall. "Wait a minute. Emily."

Em slowly turns around. "What?"

"You used to do some lameass teen gig for Deception. You're familiar with all of this." Carly moves her hand in a circle with her index finger extended to indicate everything that goes along with modeling.

"Been there. Done that." Em agrees wondering what the heck is going on.

"Pack a bag; you're going with Gia." Carly talks over all the protests that are coming from three different directions. "It's only... what... four more days. You don't want to be here right now." Carly tells Gia. Then turns to Emily. "And you. Well I know you can be a bitch. Personal experience and all that. You might as well start making it work for you."

"Takes one to know one." Em snarks back and then winces. well that was a lame reply. Gimme a day or two and I'll come up with something really good.

"Thanks for making my point." Carly retorts before turning to Jason. "And if you don't like it, Jase, then send some security along nevermind that they are both adults. Miss that appearance in Minneapolis, Gia, and you're fired." Carly smiles sweetly and then walks back out the door.

Jason just shakes his head and follows her out. He wouldn't put it past Carly to walk back to the mansion with a full head of steam.

Meanwhile back at the mansion....

Stavros hangs up the phone. "Jason is bringing Caroline back."

"Gia called that one right." Lucky mutters. Being here gave him the creeps and he keeps moving around but stays a good distance away from Stavros. There hadn't been any problem with the guy really since he hooked up with Carly. He hadn't started anything... not really. But there was always that potential. Never mind the history.

Stavros hears Lucky's comment but focuses on his son. "When did you tell Gia about this?" Stavros holds up the empty envelope.

"As soon as I found out that Carly had Elton looking for the audit." Nikolas admits. "She has a better grasp of the... nuances."

Stavros nods consideringly. "Did she have any suggested remedies?"

Nik shrugs. "I'm open to suggestions at this point. If Carly has the audit and she went to Jason.... The decision is Carly's now."

"Wait a minute!" Lucky protests knowing that Carly's decision making is creative on a good day, and this isn't a good day. "What about Mom? What about putting the money back?"

Stavros sits back down behind the desk and leans back. "It was never Caroline's intention to work with Laura at Deception. Frankly it was never her intention to work with you, Nikolas. Replacing the money will not satisfy Caroline. It would not satisfy you, or Laura, if the... shoe was on the other foot."

Nik rubs his forehead trying to drive back the blinding headache that is his partnership with Carly and Laura. This wasn't the way it was suppose to be... he had hoped that Carly and Laura would keep each other busy and in a best case scenario cancel each other out. Of course if he had remembered the lessons Stefan taught him he wouldn't have been wishing for the best case scenario. He would have planned for the worst. "Gia pointed that out."

"And Caroline is aware that your mother is probably seeking out Sonny Corinthos."

Kris has been keeping a low profile in the corner of the room but decides now is the time to speak up. "The Spencers have already been to Switzerland, Istanbul and stopped by the island in Greece."

Stavros laughs. "Were they looking for Mother or for Sonny Corinthos?! Let me guess-- they are probably on their way to Africa now?" Kris nods. "Predictable." Stavros rolls his eyes. Then he focuses on Kris letting his eyes ask the question.

Kris nods. Security had already been notified and beefed up at the lab in Uganda. It is unlikely that the Spencers would show up there... unless The Spencers had been in communication with.... "Mrs Jacks."

"What does Mrs Jacks have to do with anything?" Nikolas asks blankly. "Oh you mean Alexis. She wouldn't tell Luke anything." Nikolas tells Kris and his father.

"It wouldn't be the first time Natasha has cast her lot in with Luke Spencer against the Cassadines." Stavros reminds.

"Um... not really my business but she wasn't really going against the Cassadines she was going against Helena and that was a self defense thing." Lucky interjects. "We've all done that at one time or another. Mostly cause it really needed doing. Besides Mom and Alexis aren't really fans of each other. Specially after the contract Alexis wrote for Nik."

Nik starts slowly nodding as he turns over an idea in his head. "I think we need Alexis here. She said she was going to research the problem. It would be good to know exactly what we're up against."

Stavros shakes his head but hands Nikolas the phone. His son was going to have to figure that one out the hard way. Of course Nikolas hadn't seen the way that his little cat and Natasha had reacted to each other on the yacht. This should be entertaining.

Oh Stavros doesn't know how entertaining! Here comes Hurricane Carly with Jason Morgan in her wake... you think Michael's room is soundproofed?

Deb

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