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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Wake up and Smell the Sumatran
Landing in Jakarta AJ and Carly debark the plane and make their way through customs. As they leave a burly man holds a sign saying Quartermaine/Benson. Carly and AJ make their way to the man with the sign.
"You AJ Quartermaine?" The man's broad Australian accent takes a minute to register then AJ nods. The man hits send on his cell phone and holds it out to AJ. "Phone for you."
The call connects as AJ puts the phone to his ear. "Quartermaine."
"You Idiot."
"Jerry?!" AJ looks over at Carly in surprise.
"Get her out of there now and if you're smart you'll get your sorry ass out of there too."
"What do you know?" AJ moves away from Carly and the man to take the call privately.
"That place is going to explode; unless you want your son to be an orphan get the hell out. I've been in contact with my people; the military is set for a coup, then it'll be a bloodbath. Why the state department hasn't issued a notice yet is beyond me. So far the rapes and murders have been limited to the Chinese population but they're gunning for anyone with money. You have to get Carly out of the city, out of the bleeding country. My man has a helicopter waiting if you can't get the jet fueled fast enough."
"To take her where?" AJ asks softly.
"Darwin is an hour away by air."
"I have to get our people out before the company is nationalized."
"The people fine, but don't stick around for the paperwork. Take the suitcases that my man has with him. They have cell phones in them, communications are gone already. And the other suitcase is money. You'll need to pay your people in cash. When it all goes to hell the local currency is going to be all over the map. It might also come in handy for bribes. I'll help you get the company back if you want, AJ. But trying to ride out this storm is suicide."
"Where are you?"
"Bobbie's, but I'm packed. Can be in Darwin tomorrow morning."
"Keep this line open. I'll have Carly call you." AJ shuts the phone and walks over to where Carly is waiting impatiently.
"Well? Is something wrong with Michael? Has Jason been hassling Bobbie?"
"It was a mistake to bring you. You need to leave now. This man will take you to Australia. I'll meet you in a couple of days."
"What are you talking about? AJ?" Carly looks to both of the men back and forth bewildered by AJ's unfamiliar demeanor.
AJ walks over to Carly and grabbing her by the face pulls her into a deep kiss. "It could have been great. Tell Michael I love him."
"What do you mean-- it could have been?-- AJ, what is going on?"
"Get her out of here." AJ picks up the two suitcases at the man's feet and walks away. Carly attempts to follow him but is restrained by Jack's man. "Let go of me or Jerry will kill you!" Carly tries to pull away.
"He'll kill me if I do. Sorry Lady, we're out of here while the weather still holds."
"AJ!!!" AJ pauses briefly at the doors of the terminal and then continues on not looking back. "Let me talk to Jerry." Carly demands holding her free hand out for the phone.
"You will once we're clear. It's not safe here."
"Then why is AJ staying?" The man shrugs. "He said a couple of days..." Carly looks at the man for reassurance; he shrugs again.
"He's safer if you're not here. Now let's go." The man grabs Carly by the arm and drags her to the waiting helicopter stuffing her in the passenger seat.
"You can't just leave him here." Carly protests.
"Lady, the sooner I get you to high ground the sooner I can get back to help your boyfriend. Now will you please shut your yap and buckle up."
Carly buckles up and stares out the window, tears streaming down her face. The hour long trip to Darwin is made in silence. Once there, the man gets Carly settled in a hotel and leaves with a single warning. "Don't make me have to come back to look for you. Stay put. Jerry knows you're here."
Carly paces the room frantically, impatiently, the walls closing in on her. The phone rings. "AJ?"
"So he's not there." Carly can hear Jerry's sigh through the phone lines.
"What's going on? Indonesia have a rule about mental cases or something that I don't know about?" Carly jokes half heartedly.
"Girl, next time you plan a trip check more than the shopping-- you might check to see what the political situation is. That government is riding the brink of falling over the edge and taking the rest of the country with them."
"What about AJ? He's still there; he didn't leave with me!"
"I know; I'm on my way. Carly, stay put and whatever you do don't watch the news. You'll make yourself nuts." Jerry hangs up.
Carly goes over to the television and turns it on. Jakarta is the top story on all the channels.
The Brownstone half way around the world--
"You shouldn't have done that." Bobbie says.
"What?"
"Told her not to watch television. Now she will." Bobbie shakes her head. "It might not have occurred to her."
"You're kidding right?" Jerry disbelievingly asks.
"No. Carly's a radio person. She would have turned on some music or something. I'll bet you she has the TV tuned to the Australian version of CNN now."
Jerry rolls his eyes but realizes that in the whole time that Carly had been at the brownstone he'd never seen the TV on once except when Lucas was watching. "AH Hell. Bobbie, I told her; I'd go."
"I know. Thank you. I won't worry so much about her if you go get her out of there, AJ either."
"It means I might miss the hearing with Tony on Tuesday."
"Tony won't miss you. But I will." Bobbie kisses Jerry passionately. "Be careful okay? I know it goes against the grain but I've kind of gotten used to having you around."
"You can relax a bit. She's in Australia; she is out of danger."
"Right. Unless I can see my daughter, I don't know what the hell she is up to. And alone in Australia and freaking out... anything could happen including her trying to get back into Indonesia."
"Here is the number that she is at. Call as often as you want but keep the calls short. If by some miracle the communications come back up I want AJ to be able to get hold of her too." Jerry picks up his duffle and leaves without looking back or saying goodbye.