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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Seventy One
Running Away
The Happy family house.
AJ works on ELQ business via modem keeping an eye on Michael who is playing on the rug. The other phone line rings. Carly checks in. She, Cook and Rita are on their way to the property to check on Mr. Roberts and to go to the spa. AJ reminds her that she is going to watch Michael in the afternoon so he will finally get to see his sister. As soon as the phone call ends there is the slam of the front door. Frowning, he goes to the study door and opens it. "Jerry?"
"Blasted interfering woman!" Jerry snarls. "I tell her to leave it alone but Nooooo, she has to fix it."
"What did Carly do now?" AJ wonders and winces.
"Oh not Carly not this time. Bobbie! My wife! She's got new best mates in town and they go by the name of John and Jane Jacks. Things finally settling down to normal and Bobbie's got to go stirring things up."
"Normal-- my sister is kidnapped. Carly is arrested for assaulting Viki Porter..."
"Yeah, like I said normal." Jerry shrugs. "Emily's back now. Okay so she busted up her ankle, The old goat will love that he'll be able to keep up with her for the next six weeks. And Miss Viki got off light, Taggart showed up too soon. Now I've got Mum here laying on the maternal guilt's and Pop is trying to get me back into J&J and it will be a frosty day in hell before that one happens. Bobbie has no clue what a can of worms she is opening. I told her about Carly and Pop's run in at the horseshow and I swear that just motivated her. I'm fine with my relationship with my parents damnit! Especially when they're three thousand miles away!"
"Jer, you know what it sounds like? You need that belated honeymoon you've been putting off."
Jerry stops pacing around the room to really look at AJ. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well if you happen to be in the area there is a little research, hands on that I need. And I'm kind of on a time crunch here. We're only a few weeks away from having to wait until spring to really get things done."
"Where?" Jerry asks with a suspicious grin already suspecting where AJ's mind was going.
"Reykjavík. You'd fly into Keflavík in the southwest, about 45 minutes' drive from Reykjavík."
Jerry starts laughing almost hysterically. "You want me to take Bobbie to Iceland?!"
"Come on it's not much worse than upstate New York." AJ mutters. "The Government wants to privatize some of their geothermic; it's not going to make billions or anything but it sounded interesting."
"You know Iceland has got some great salmon fishing. I do know a few people." Jerry half grins. "And the place is one big hot tub provided by mother nature."
"And since you'd be doing a little research for ELQ; you'd take the ELQ jet. That way you wouldn't be the one filing the flight plan. Carly and I would kidsit Lucas while you're gone of course. I think Carly would slow down even John Jacks."
"Oh yeah, I have no doubt. But I wouldn't want to cut anything short cause your wife is in jail."
"I'm hoping Carly will have her hands full with Emily, Rita, Michael and then if you leave Lucas with us...."
"Get the jet prepped. I have to make arrangements with Audrey Hardy to get my wife off work. This is a brilliant idea, AJ." Jerry decides quickly. Leaning over, he plants a kiss on the top of Michael's head and strides out of the room. AJ gets on the phone to his secretary so she can make the flight plans.
Still Early Morning at the little no-tel outside of town.
Taggart and Mac have figured out which of the cabins belonged to the kidnappers and with their team are tearing it apart looking for clues. Another team is tearing apart the rental van that was found out front. "This is getting us nowhere." Taggart mutters. "This thing reeks of someone being here before us. And prints... gees we'll probably have hundreds! This place isn't exactly the Hilton."
"Leave the teams here. Lets go up to the office, talk to the clerk who was on the desk last night." Mac offers. Together they walk up to the front office where a uniformed officer is keeping watch on the night clerk. When Taggart and Mac walk in the door, the clerk starts to break out into a sweat. And Taggart's reassuring toothy grin does nothing to alleviate the stress. "We have some pictures we'd like you to look out. See if there is anyone you recognize."
Taggart pulls out two sets of photos all of them mug shots. The clerk picks the photographer with no problem but takes longer with the second set. Finally he picks out Orchid's mug shot. "Yeah, this one was here. She kept to herself for the most part but came in one night for ice. Real stuck up piece of work like she was all that or something."
Mental translation-- He hit on her and she didn't bite. "You're doing fine-- now these." Taggart pulls out another couple pictures. These of Rita and Emily. "Did you see either of these girls here."
"Oh man! Is that what this is all about? I mean come on there are more cops here than the time when that guy checked himself out leaving a really groddy mess of brains and blood behind. You think those two had something to do with the Q kidnapping thing? I bet there is a huge reward. The old man's pocket change would keep me in smoke for a year."
"Did you see either of these girls here?" Taggart asks again impatiently.
"No. They weren't here. Believe me if they had been I'd have been making some phone calls." The clerk rubs two fingers together indicating there would have been profit in those calls.
"Okay last set of photos." Taggart pulls out the two sets that are never far from his person. In one set are Jason and Johnny, both have similar body types. And in the other set is Sonny with a collection of other dark haired men. "Do you recognize any of these?"
"Oh no way man!" The clerk really starts sweating. "They weren't here."
"And if they were, your answer would be the same." Mac says disgustedly. "We want to see your registration cards for the last week."
"Don't you have to have a warrant or something for that?" The clerk protests.
"Officer, did you pat this man down for your own safety? Make sure he wasn't holding any weapons or anything?" The officer shakes his head no. Taggart gets a disgusted look. "You should really put yourself on report for that you know." Taggart turns to the clerk. "You don't mind do you? Kind of a training tool for the new guy."
The guy's eyes jump and back forth from Mac to Taggart. "Yeah, I guess whatever." He stands up to let Taggart pat him down. "Just weapons right?"
"Just for our safety you understand." Taggart offers a running commentary to the uniform treating the whole thing like a training exercise. Until he finds what he is looking for... a small bag of weed and a pipe. "Whoa what do we have here?" Taggart sniffs the pipe. "Less than an ounce wouldn't you say, Commish? But smoking at your place of business. That could really mess up your boss' licenses. Illegal drug activity. How fast you think we could get the health department down here?"
"Wait a minute you said-- WEAPONS!" The clerk protests. "You can't use that against me. That's like an illegal search or something."
"Oh Whoops my bad. You're absolutely right. Tommy, tell our legal beagle what he has won!" Taggart makes a Monty Hall style sweep with his hand toward the uniform officer.
The uniform fresh out of the academy starts spouting off his booklearning. "Well since he consented to the search, sir, it probably could be used against him. But if the courts decided that it couldn't then it could definitely be used against his employer-- no search issues there. The search rules apply to the individual not a possible collateral case. The health department is an administrative agency; they don't have the same high standard of proof the criminal courts do. They could pull licenses and permits while they investigated on the suspicion of wrong doing. I'd say they're screwed, sir." what a moron! All he's looking at is a ticket. The officer keeps a straight face.
"I think you just worked your way off of Report, officer." Mac nods. "Any chance we can look at the registration slips?" Mac asks the clerk.
"And you'll forget all about this." The clerk refers to his weed and pipe.
"We do have discretion in these matters." Taggart tells the clerk. "The greater good you know."
"Yeah right." The clerk goes behind the counter to get the 5x8 registration cards and hands them to Taggart.
Johnny comes upstairs from the restaurant kitchen. Emily sits at the dinette still in her flannel PJ's. "Is Monica here?"
"No, she finally had to get back to the house. I think she'll be back later to bring me some clothes."
"Not quite the way I envisioned waking up this morning-- with a visit from your mother." Johnny teases. "Although I did plan on making you breakfast."
"And how did you picture it?" Emily asks curiously.
"Something like this." Johnny tilts Emily's head back and slowly lingeringly kisses her. Emily's breath catches as she returns the kiss holding onto Johnny and damn glad she is already sitting down. John goes from the long, slow, deep, wet kiss (that could have lasted for three days) to a short affectionate peck. "But now I have to go and drop some things off for Maddy down at the docks."
"Tease." Emily protests. Johnny's overt affections combined with her Mom's early morning arrival had knocked the awkwardness of the morning after out of her system.
"Raincheck." Johnny offers. "I won't be gone long. Since I'm not here let me explain the security system. When I'm not here, only keys can open the doors. There is a camera and intercom on the back door." Johnny flips on a monitor by the door of the apartment and sets it to the back door camera. "You can buzz people in from here. Just press this button on the intercom. This button is so you can hear the someone at the back door. And this button is to talk. Frank and Ma have keys since they each open on occasion."
"How did Mom get in?" Emily wonders.
"That's my fault." Johnny admits. "When I'm here I'm more casual. The alarm is set in the restaurant at closing and all access doors are locked. And the apartment door is locked but I normally leave the backdoor of the building open. So Monica had free access all the way up to the apartment door. The same thing will be true after eleven o'clock when the restaurant opens for lunch." Johnny sets the alarms. "Is there anything you want while I'm out?" He offers.
"I'll be fine." Em tells him. Johnny gives her another kiss reluctant to leave but knowing he has a business.
"I'll be back soon." Johnny leaves and Emily decides now is the time to climb in the shower. She is already feeling stronger after a good breakfast and feeling safe for the first day in what seemed like forever. It seems like Johnny hadn't been gone for half of a second when there is a buzz on the intercom. "What did he forget?" Emily laughs and then realizes that Johnny would have just let himself in. She activates the monitor so she can see who is at the back door. It's Nikolas. Nik is looking up at the camera. Emily pushes a button so she can hear him.
"I know you're up there, Emily. I saw Cook leave. I need to talk to you; it's important." There is a long pause as he waits for Emily to answer. "Look, I can wait until he gets back if that is what you want." Nik knows that is exactly what Emily wouldn't want-- a fight between him and Johnny Cook. He is not surprised when the there is a low buzzing sound of the door being unlocked from the inside. Tugging on the door it opens and Nik enters looking around. He sees the stairs that lead to the apartment upstairs. He races up them. Knocks on the first door he sees. Emily opens the other door at the end of the hallway.
"You shouldn't be here." Emily frowns at him.
Nik takes in her appearance from the sloppily pen'd hair at the top of her head to the naked toes peeking out from her casted foot. And then back to the top to check out the flannel PJ bottoms riding low on her hips and the skinny top beneath the unbuttoned PJ top. "I had to make sure."
"I'm fine, Nikolas." Emily backs away from the door on her crutches. Nikolas follows her into the apartment. He is relieved to see the blanket and pillow still on the couch. "And how did you know I was here?"
"Edward and Lila going out to dinner last night. I didn't want to draw attention so I waited until this morning after I saw your mom's car leave."
"And Johnny's van. But you knew he'd be leaving didn't you? Let me guess-- Maddy."
Nik frowns at Emily's coldness. Something was going on. She was keeping her distance from him. Why? "What I have to tell you is better without witnesses."
Emily pauses in putting her crutches down beside her on the couch shoving the blankets out of the way but hugging a pillow to her. "What?"
"Orchid and the photographer won't be a problem... ever. And this will never go to trial. If you're staying here because you're afraid they might come after you... they won't. You don't need to be here. You can go home anytime. I'll drive you if you want." Nikolas offers.
"What do you mean they won't be a problem? What have you done?" Emily's eyes go wide.
"They are... out of the country. And they won't be returning any time soon, if ever. Once we, Lucky and I, figured out who had taken you we tracked them down. But by the time we got to the apartments, the police were already there. So you can go home. It is safe." Nikolas repeats.
Emily watches Nikolas not quite sure what to say. "The press and I really need some quiet right now. I love my family but quiet they are not."
"This is about the drugs isn't it?" Nikolas guesses. "You don't want to go home while you're in withdrawal. Okay, I can understand that. I didn't want to see anyone when I had my stroke remember? You can stay out at Wyndemere in the guest house there. Or how about the summer house. It's nice there too. And if you need medical attention we can go anywhere you want. I stayed at a very nice clinic in Switzerland back when I was tested for being a donor match for Lulu."
"How did you know about the drugs?" Emily whispers horrified not hearing a thing after Nik's comments about withdrawal. She hugs herself close.
"I told you. We found out your location from Orchid and the photographer. I made sure they told us everything: Where, How and Why. Although we had an idea of why before we found them. As soon as I saw the picture of the horseshow and Orchid was there." Nikolas sits down next to Emily.
"Does everyone know? My parents, my brothers, Carly, Sonny, Johnny of course, every cop in Port Charles, Rita, the Judge, Cook. Now you, does this mean that Lucky and Liz know? Maddy? All the kids in school?"
Nikolas shakes his head. "Lucky wasn't in the room. I didn't want him compromised more than he already was tracking them down. He and Liz, Maddy too, might suspect but they don't know anything. And the kids in school-- who cares?"
Emily flips her hand up. "Considering I just started the damn school year and will be there until June-- yeah, I care. 'Scuse me-- Living hell! You know Grandfather has been talking about a convent school in Tibet; it's starting to look really sweet right now." If she didn't have the broken ankle she'd be up and pacing right now.