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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Chapter Fourty Four
Meanwhile back home...
The brownstone about 7am the phone rings. Bobbie picks up after a couple of rings. She didn't have surgery schedule for a little while and was up getting Lucas ready for school. Jerry was still asleep. Poor lad, she wore him out. "Hello?"
"Mama, guess where I am?"
"Carly?" Bobbie looks at her watch and then raises an eyebrow. "Honey, don't take this wrong but what are you doing awake?"
"Well I was calling to tell you that I couldn't go estate sale shopping with you. AJ had to go out of town."
"Okay, I'll bite. Where are you?"
"I'm flying over the Atlantic! AJ says will only be in London long enough to refuel before we head to India... but that is just a quick refuel too." Carly tries to sound cool despite this adventure into world traveling.
"Where are you going? And where is Michael?" Bobbie asks frantically.
"Oh, Jason has Michael this weekend. So AJ and I decided to go to... are you ready-- Jakarta. Mama, I'm going to Jakarta for the weekend. Isn't it a scream? AJ has to do some business. But I've been doing some research on Jakarta on the net... you know what they are known for? PEARLS. Big ones. AJ says that Emily got a pearl necklace for her birthday so I was thinking some earrings, maybe a pin or something. You have anything that you want? Or you want me to surprise you? Oh and Lucas, I got this great idea-- I saw some ceremonial type masks at the Jakarta online site-- you know the colorful, sort of scary, ones that he would probably go ape for."
Bobbie laughs. "I can't believe you! But you will be home by Monday right?"
Carly looks over at AJ who is up to his ears in the files. "Mama, that depends on how busy AJ is. It could be a mess, but it could be busy work that Edward made up to get AJ out of town cause he isn't happy with him right now. And there was no way I wanted to stay in Port Charles and let Edward try to play me. I won't know for sure until AJ has had a chance to meet with his people. OH DID I TELL YOU? AJ was voted in as CEO of ELQ last night-- and Edward didn't vote for him. I thought that the old man was going to have a stroke. Jason was there he can fill you in on it when you check on Michael."
"Oh Carly." Bobbie just shakes her head laughing.
"Mama, I have to go; I have no idea how much this is costing. I'll check in though. BYE!" Carly hangs up abruptly.
Bobbie pours herself a cup of tea and relaxes at the dining room table. With a quick shrug she decides and reaches for the phone. "Hey Jason. It's Bobbie; how is my grandson doing?"
"Michael's fine; he's mashing bananas about now. How did you know he was here?" Jason asks.
"Carly just called and let me know."
"I've been trying to get hold of Carly all morning. There was no answer at the house." Jason states bluntly.
"AJ had to go out of town on some ELQ business? Carly went with him; she said something about Edward trying to play her if she stayed in Port Charles. Carly thought that she and AJ would be back by Monday."
"Yeah, that's what AJ said when he dropped Michael off at 4am but he didn't say anything about Carly going with him. Do you know where?"
"Jakarta, Indonesia-- guess saying that they are out of town is a massive understatement." Bobbie looks up to see Jerry standing in the doorway. "Jason, if you need any help with Michael just give me a call. I'll talk to you later." Bobbie hangs up the phone.
Jerry pours himself some tea. "Did I hear Jakarta?"
"Yeah, Evidently Edward sent AJ to Jakarta to deal with some business problem over there. AJ took Carly with him."
Jerry drops the tea cup on the floor and it shatters. "HE DID WHAT? I'LL KILL HIM. Did Carly leave a number where they could be reached? On the plane, a cell phone number anything?"
"No. Jerry, what's wrong?" Bobbie asks confused rising from the table.
"Well Darlin', I'm going to running up your long distance." Jerry grabs the phone and his little black book from his pants pocket and starts dialing. Bobbie is shocked when Jerry starts yammering away in what could have been Chinese. "Hell man, I know I slaughter it, but how am I suppose to get any better if I don't practice? What's the situation over there?... Damn. You heard any rumblings about a company there-- ELQ Jakarta?... You getting out?... The wife and kids?... already in Malaysia. Good, good. I can be reached at this number." Jerry gives the man Bobbie's number. "I got some people on their way to Indonesia. You help them out if it looks critical?... Thanks I'll owe you big on this one, by the way... Happy New Year." Jerry hangs up. Thumbing through the book he comes across another number and swiftly dials. "Bobbie, Did Carly say where she was when she called?"
"Over the Atlantic on her way to London they were going to refuel and then go on to India." Bobbie blurts out fast.
"Hey Buddy, Got a job needs doing.... Need ya to meet a party in Jakarta. I'm going to try to head them off but they're already on their way there. I'll authorize the hazard pay. I want a helicopter on standby to fly them out to Darwin..... Yeah, moment's notice; I know that things are getting hotter there. How's the weather?.... Damn. 'Kay, the party's name is AJ Quartermaine; he's coming in on a private jet. He's got a pretty little sheila with him, name of Caroline Benson. You need to impress on him that it is imperative that he get Carly out of the city FAST and preferrable out of the bleedin' country." Jerry nods acknowledging his contacts concerns. "Listen, use your judgement; it's why I called you, if you have to deck the bloke and stuff them both on the helicopter-- then do it. If you think that things will hold together long enough for him to get his business done then help but get Carly out of there. Right you can reach me at this number." Jerry recites the number off again and then hangs up.
His third call is to London. "Julia Barrett please.... do you know where she is where she can be reached? This is Jerry Jacks. Yeah, have her call me back ASAP-- tell her it's a matter of life or death."
Bobbie pales. "Life or death? Jerry? What's going on? Carly was talking about going shopping; AJ doing a little business. She didn't mention anything about any of this."
"Sit down, Bobbie." Jerry says sternly.
"Jerry, you're scaring me." Bobbie's eyes widen and she bites her lower lip but sits down.
"Bobbie, Indonesia is basically under martial law. The country is coming apart at the seams. The president is holding things together by the skin of his teeth. There have been riots, rapes and murders. The economy is on the verge of collapse. Jakarta is the focal point as it's the main hub of the government, business and transportation. AJ is flying Carly into Hell. And if all that wasn't bad enough-- It's monsoon season."
"Monsoon?"
"Hurricane."
"My God, Caroline, What have you done?" Bobbie blanches even further. "Jerry, she couldn't have known. There was no way that she could have known. She wouldn't have done that to Michael-- neither of them would have."
"Michael is with them?" Jerry reaches for the phone again.
"No. No, they dropped the baby off at Jason's before they left. He gets the baby on the weekends now. Ohmygod what am I going to tell Jason?"
"Nothing yet. There's nothing he can do."