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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Sixty Four
Free At Last
Rita hangs onto her father with all her might, grateful to be home. Cook stands a half step back hesitant to join the family moment but can't resist running a shaking hand over Rita's butchered hair. Her eyes narrow as she takes in the bullet proof vest. "Where's Johnny?"
Rita doesn't look up from where her head is buried in her father's chest. "Em's hurt. Johnny drove her and her father to get her checked out. That's why Mr. Corinthos dropped me off."
An excited voice comes from the kitchen doorway. "Sonny Corinthos is involved in your kidnapping!"
JD rolls his eyes. And he had thought his son was being biased about not wanting to call in the FBI. Not that Sonny Corinthos probably didn't deserve to have everything laid at his door but it did get tired and it was too easy. "Open your eyes. Sonny Corinthos just dropped the kidnapping victim at her father's door. You'll just have to pin something else on him."
"Miss Porter, I need to ask you some questions. So that we can find the people that did this to you." The FBI agent says softly and gently.
"I want to talk to Lt. Marcus Taggart of the PCPD." Rita states flatly. Her jaw is clamped tight.
"Did you see who did this, would you recognize them again if you saw them?"
"I want to talk to Lt. Marcus Taggart of the PCPD." Rita repeats.
"Can you give us an idea of what kind of vehicle or where you were held."
"I want to talk to ...."
"Damn it, can't you see you are wasting time? Rita told you who she trusts to talk to." Cook snarls at the FBI agent. Rita isn't going to budge. "Are you going to call the lieutenant or am I?"
The agent reaches for the cell phone. "You're making this more difficult than it has to be." The agent notices the bullet proof vest for the first time. "Where did you get that."
"Cookie, why don't you take Rita upstairs. I'm sure she wants to get cleaned up. Maybe get something to eat." JD blocks the FBI agents view of his daughter. He knew where Rita had gotten the vest. Cookie told him she'd bought Johnny one.
"Something to eat would be good. I guess I haven't eaten in three days." Rita admits. "They left us bottles of water but..."
The judge releases Rita to Cook his fists clench by his sides but he keeps his voice normal and reassuring. "See-- a hot shower and then something nourishing to eat. Taggart will be here soon."
"Save her clothes." The FBI agent covers the mouthpiece on the cell phone. "There might be trace evidence."
Once up in Rita's bathroom, Rita starts stripping out of her filthy clothes. Cookie bags them up and seals the bag with a garbage tie. "Honey, why Taggart?"
"Carly always calls Lt. Taggart. He's the guy who busted Ferncliffe and then found out about the Meth lab up on Carly's property. On everything that doesn't concern Mr. Corinthos or Jason, Taggart's aces. Carly calls him when the reporters start getting on her nerves. She has him on speeddial." Rita explains.
Cook starts the water in shower for Rita's shower... she hesitates. "Rita... did the kidnappers do anything to you? Do you need to see a Doctor before you take a shower?"
Rita shakes her head; she knows what Cook is alluding to. "This wasn't about me, Cookie, or Daddy's case. It was about Em. I know I don't look good but Emily got it worse, lots worse." Rita climbs into the shower. Cookie grabs the bag of clothes.
"I'm going to go down and get you something to eat. As soon as you get done with the shower climb into bed and I'll bring it up to you."
"I can come downstairs."
"I know but as soon as you do that FBI agent is going to start interviewing you again."
"Breakfast in bed sounds good." Rita starts scrubbing.
Cook leaves taking the clothes with her. JD meets her outside of the shut bedroom door.
"Is she okay?" JD whispers.
"Probably not." Cook admits honestly. "But she's dealing. Is Taggart on his way?"
"He's on his way."
"Good. Keep that fed away from Rita. I'm going to make her some soup." Cook looks at her hubby. He hadn't eaten much since Rita had been snatched. "I'll make some for you too. And you'll eat it to set a good example for Rita."
"Margarita, why will she only talk to Taggart?" JD asks curiously.
"Carly Quartermaine. Evidently Taggart is the only cop she has on speeddial."
Taggart drives with one hand swearing as the cell phone starts ringing. "Taggart."
"I want to know how to get two overbearing Australians out of my house." Carly snarls over the line.
If he hadn't been driving at high speeds, Taggart would have put his head down on the wheel and knocked it a few times. "Damn it Carly, I'm trying to solve a kidnapping here... you remember your sister-in-law, and your protégé? This is really not the time for you to be beating up the sister of one of the victims or to make an international incident of your family squabbles."
"I'm not stupid. I know you're busy. I'm not asking you to come over. Just tell me what to do."
"Well don't shoot them please. Doesn't that husband of yours pay the big bucks for a security service?"
"I'm not talking to him right now."
"How did he arrange that and can I get some?" Carly hangs up in disgust. Taggart flings the cell phone into the passenger seat. He barely slows down as he makes the turn into the Judge's house.
After leaving the clinic, Jason carries Emily back out to the town car. Alan climbs in next to his daughter. Johnny gets behind the wheel. He drives to the restaurant. Alan protests. "I thought we were going back to the house?"
"The mansion is still crawling with press. The kidnappers aren't in custody yet."
"Well my penthouse then." Jason offers.
"Yeah, like you're going to be thrilled when every Quartermaine makes the pilgrimage to your place." Johnny reminds Jason. "There is an apartment over the restaurant. Anybody can show up at the restaurant: the Q's, the cops, you and Sonny, Carly and AJ-- without drawing undo notice."
"You make it sound like Switzerland." Emily mutters. "I just want to go home."
Johnny glances in the rearview mirror. "It's just temporary, Em. Until the kidnappers are caught, the press finds a better story, or you can get around more easily. I wasn't kiddin' when I told your dad you're a sitting duck." Johnny grins at her. "And the icing on the cake is you won't be subject to the upheaval in the Quartermaine kitchen. I hear they still haven't found anyone to replace Ma."
The FBI agent opens the door to Taggart. "Where is she?"
"Upstairs. What is it with these people? You'd think they didn't want to solve the crime!" The Agent protests.
"Hey if the Judge's wife hasn't offered to carve you up for Sunday dinner count yourself lucky. She is cooperating, at least as much as she is able." Taggart takes the stairs at a run the agent right beside him. Tags looks around and the agent points out the room. Taggart goes over and knocks. "It's Lt. Taggart."
"It's open, Lieutenant." JD calls from within. Taggart opens the door. He shakes his head at what he sees. Rita is sandwiched between her father and Cook. She's under the covers and they are on top of them. Bed trays are on the Judge's and Rita's lap. Taggart goes over to the bed and sits at the foot of it leaning up against one of the posts.
"You okay, shrimp?" Taggart asks Rita. He smiles reassuringly and keeps his body posture casual and friendly. "You're not quite looking like the last time I saw you."
Rita runs a self-conscious hand over her hair. "I cut it off myself. That's how Johnny found us. He saw my braid hanging from the window of the place where they were keeping us."
"And your face?"
"I was trying to escape." Rita takes Cook's hand and Cook squeezes it tight.
Taggart takes out a mini tape recorder. "Start at the beginning and go through the whole thing. Nobody is going to interrupt." Taggart stares sternly at first the Agent and then the Judge and Cook.
"Let's go." Nikolas jumps into the passenger side of the beat up pickup.
"Where to?"
"Where they're holding Emily and Rita." Nik tells Lucky the address. Lucky fires up the truck. It starts at the first and purrs like a kitten. The old truck might look like a rust bucket but internally it was in perfect condition.
Lucky winces when he hears the address. "That part of town sucks." Lucky keeps to five over the speedlimit. Fast enough to get there but not fast enough to get pulled over by the cops. Or at least so he thinks. Glancing back in the rear view he sees the red and blue bubble lights and the Klaxon blaring.
"We don't have time for this." Nik protests even as Lucky pulls over and comes to a complete stop. Lucky is reaching for his wallet when the cop flies by.
"You get the feeling that we're all heading the same direction?" Lucky slams the pickup back in gear and tears after the cop. They pull into the apartment parking lot in time to see the cops escorting the men Sonny had left behind from the building. "I'm not seeing Em and Rita."
Nikolas pulls out his cell phone and dials a number he never thought he would. "Maddy?"
"Oh Eye candy, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me during school hours." Maddy's voice drops even lower. "You trying to get me kicked out of class? Some of us don't have trust funds to pull our asses out of the fire. We have to get an education so we can make decent money."
"Look Maddy, I need some info and quit calling me that." Nik isn't quite pleading but the note is in his voice. Lucky looks over with interest. Who the hell is on the phone?
"It's lucky for you I'm taking study hall in the library." Maddy hisses. "If you had gotten me suspended there would have been hell to pay, Cassadine. What do you want?"
"I'm at the building where Emily and Rita are supposedly being held. The cops are here and... " Maddy can hear conversation in the background before Nikolas continues. "... some of Sonny Corinthos men. But no Em or Rita."
Maddy looks around the library and then ducks into a study cubby. "Okay, here is what I know. Edward Quartermaine and I went down to the police station this morning...."
"What the hell were you doing with Edward Quartermaine and at the police station!"
"Do you want to hear this or flap your gums?" Maddy hisses looking around again. Em was the one with pull with the librarian not her. If she gets caught on the phone she was definitely going to have a few days off. There is silence on the other end of the connection. "Emily's sister in law is there with some Mel Gibson type driving Taggart nuts. Then Em's brother shows up after Edward and I do and he's talking bail and stuff cause Carly got in a fight. Taggart gets torqued and he kicks everyone out but I was sticking around incase Mr. Q needed a ride to the office before I had to go to school. Taggart gets this phone call and it's the Judge. You know, Johnny's father, saying that Rita is home and she wants to talk to him, to Taggart."
"If Rita is free..." Nik says softly.
"Then Em must be too. At least that is what Mr. Q figured when the driving service finally showed up. He was heading back to the mansion. I decided what the hey and headed to school. Whoops ... got to go." Nik is unsurprised at Maddy's abrupt signoff. He hopes she hadn't gotten caught. Cause if she had it was going to cost him.... dearly.
"Where to?"
"The mansion."
"Who is Maddy again?"
"I don't think I can explain."