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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Chapter Fifty
Darwin Australia hotel room. Carly continues to pace but the tv is on and things are looking like hell. The phone rings and she jumps on top of it. "AJ?!"
"Yeah, Baby."
OHMYGOD OHMYGOD I was so scared; where are you?"
"I'm still in Jakarta. Jerry sent a bunch of cell phones with that guy so I'd be able to call you."
"Get out of there-- DON'T be an IDIOT."
"I just love it when you sweet talk me." AJ teases. He feeds another piece of paper into the machine next to him.
"This isn't funny. WHAT IS THAT NOISE?" Carly asks impatiently.
"I finally found a piece of technology that likes me. They got me running a shredder."
"Please tell me that you aren't wearing your tie?" Carly sits down beginning to breath easier at AJ's easy tone.
"I lost that within in ten minutes of getting off the plane. In case you haven't noticed it's hot here."
"Too hot. When are you coming to get me?"
"Might be a while, baby. We are still evacuating but the good news is that Jerry's friend is back. The helicopter is ready to go on a moments notice up on the roof. I timed it. I can be up there is 3 minutes flat. And if there is any incentive I think I can top that."
"Would talking dirty to you be incentive enough?" Carly's voice drops to a seductive purr.
"You are a cruel and wicked woman. I still got people here working."
"How about if I promise to do more than talk dirty when you get here?" Carly suggests softly.
"Tempting-- too tempting. The evacution is half done. The second ship just left port. We need to get the building secured. I need to make some phone calls see if I can get some bridges built here for when we start over."
"AJ, you can make phone calls from HERE." Carly complains. "I'm getting bored."
"You always say that, but you never are." AJ reminds. Closing his eyes he rocks back in the chair shutting out the controlled chaos in front of him. "Talk to me. Tell me what's going on at home. Scratch that... tell me what you're wearing."
Triumph of AJ Quartermaine. 50 Meeting of Minds
There is a knock on the door. Carly jumps to her feet and races to the door. Her face drops slightly before smiling. "Hey Jerry."
"Hey yourself. Got about halfway here and decided I should turn back. AJ seems to be handling things."
"I'm glad you didn't. AJ is still over there. Thanks to the cell phone and the box..." Carly points to the tv. "...I've a clue as to what is going on and I don't like it-- AT ALL."
"What did AJ say?"
"They had three ships in port: the Emily, Monica and the Brooklyn. The Emily and Monica were full of cargo and they couldn't take as many people-- only about half the personnel. The Emily pulled out yesterday on it's way to Sydney. The Monica pulled out six hours later; it's heading to Hawaii. The Brooklyn has everyone else. Everybody but the security personnel, AJ, a bodyguard for him, some technonerd, and the pilot that flew me out of there. Who may I say is a total neanderthal SOB? See what he did to me?" Carly holds out her arm where a clear handprint of a purplish bruise shows on her elbow where the pilot had grabbed her and pulled her to the helicoptor.
"That looks terrible. What did you do to him?"
"Told him that you'd kill him." Carly states smugly.
"He'll have to get in line behind AJ." Jerry says absently.
"AJ? Why are you mad at AJ?" Carly shuts up abruptly as Jerry walks past her to the TV.
"That's ELQ -- Jakarta." Jerry points to a building on the the screen. Heavy trucks circle the building not too close but blocking it from the street. Windows are boarded up. "Someone's been watching too many wild west movies."
Carly stands next to Jerry watching the same scene. "Circling the wagons."
"Yeah, wonder who thought of it?"
"Probably AJ's new best friend and bodyguard-- he was a Marine in Beirut."
"Well that figures then." Jerry nods. "It'll limit property damage if they remembered to siphon off the petrol. The news crews start switching to different sites around the city. Jerry starts whistling under his breath and frowns. "You got a number for AJ?"
"Yeah." Carly hands the phone to Jerry. "Just hit redial."
Jerry grabs a notepad from the desk and writes down an address. Then he pulls a twenty out of his wallet and hands both to Carly. "Here-- go to this address and get me a Jacks special. Ask for Dimitri."
"What is this?"
"Get out of here. You need some fresh air. And I really need that Jacks special." Jerry avoids the question. He looks back at the TV.
"Fine. Whatever. But I'm going to need money for a cab too."
"Right." Jerry pulls out more money. "Now shoo." Carly takes the money and her purse and glaring at Jerry slams out the door. As soon as she is gone Jerry picks up the phone and hits the redial. "Well, this is another fine mess you've gotten us into."
AJ is getting a little punchy from lack of sleep and too many decisions and gets a little loopy. "I'm sorry, Ollie." He pulls back and rubs his eyes tiredly. "How's Carly?"
"Bummed that I was the one walking through the door instead of you. You using this to get on the girl's good side?" Jerry quips.
"Would have, if I'd thought of it." AJ replies. All of a sudden the lights go off in the building. "Whoops there goes the power." After a moment the emergency generator kicks in supplying a dim light.
"Time to get out of there, man. You probably haven't been able to see it there but CNN has been all over it. You can always tell the war zone cameramen; they get the pictures of the fuel and the fuse before the bomb goes off. I'd say it's about to hit. There is nothing more to do there that you can't do from here."
"You have any idea who is going to be calling the shots on Monday?" AJ sighs.
"A couple but it's just guessing at this point. Need to see how the hand plays out. Carly told me that you've got all but the security personnel out of there. So what's the plan?"
"Security flying out to Darwin via the ELQ jet. Which is ready and more than willing to go. The rest of us flying out by coptor.-- Thanks for that by the way."
"Well I really wish you'd wind this up. Bobbie has a custody hearing with Dr Jones on Tuesday and I'd rather be there."
AJ winces. "Carly too, I think. Okay I'll order the final evacuation." AJ looks over at the head of Security and nods at him. Security gets on the phone and starts rounding up his troops for the ride to the airport. "Grandfather is going to hate this. He's probably going to chew my ass for not staying and fighting this out."
"And how long was Vietnam, Afghanistan? That whole not manly to pull out thing is BS and you and I both know it, shame Edward hasn't figure it out yet. Find out what is important and get it... one way or another, but know when to pick up your chips and play another day. You've already gotten way more done than I thought you could. Smooth move getting the families out on the ships. What did you do with the riggers?"
"Sent them out to the platforms. They were easy enough to find. Just rounded up the local bar."
Jerry laughs. "Yeah, those guys know how to party. Which reminds me... I think I'm going to give Carly a party to plan here. Something to take her mind off things. Wanna throw a blast for when you get in?"
"Sounds good although I'm not going to last long. Tell her to book rooms for..." AJ does a quick calculation. "About 30. And to set up a dinner for about two hours from now. Nothing formal I think everyone is ready to blow off some steam. How were things in Port Charles when you left?"
"Well you aren't the lead story. Edward stole your thunder on that one."
AJ groans. "What did he do?"
"Carly didn't tell you?"
"Nah, we talked about other... things."
"Had him arrested for breaking into your house." Jerry states flatly. "He was evidently trying to get over on Carly knowing that you were out of town. Showed up with flowers and the whole nine yards. Security caught him half in a window."
AJ starts laughing and has trouble stopping. "Anyone get pictures?"
"Same thing I asked. He's really messed it up this time. Talked to Bobbie once I was in the air. She says Carly tore him a new one. Threats about throttling him and skinning him alive then taking over ELQ if anything happened to you. I think that she dropped her pretty party girl image with him."
"I was afraid of that. The mask was going to come off sooner or later. She's been great, Jerry. She was a real asset on the plane making sure that I was up to speed on the way over here. Carly and Ned's secretary made sure I had all the information I needed. I might not have known that things were going to hell quite so quickly but I knew what assets I had here. I'm glad you called me at the airport. You were right; I was an idiot."
"Maybe, but you learn fast enough. But it wasn't just what I told you, was it?"
"Nah. This place has me jumping at shadows. From the minute I stepped out of the airport I've just been having a bad feeling. The security people are jumpy and when I told the Head of Personnel that she was heading home, I though that she was going to cry she was so relieved. I'm going to have her reassigned to Port Charles. I think that she'll find Quartermaine politics a walk in the park after this." AJ pauses listening to his head of security.
"What's up."
"Security is gone. The building is wired up to the emergency generator. All that means though is that the alarms will go off when someone enters the building. It'll sound like San Francisco after a big one. Alarms going off every where and nobody here to shut them off. I'm just waiting for them to get in the air and then we'll take off."
"'Kay, well I'll let you get to it. I have to call Bobbie and let her know that things are moving along."
"Have her call Jason let him know too. Hopefully we'll all be back in Port Charles in time for Bobbie's custody hearing but he's going to get to keep Michael for an extra day."
"Carly hasn't called him?"
"You'd have to ask her." AJ shrugs. "I'm just covering the bases."
"Call back when you can give an ETA or if there are any delays. We'll be watching the news from here." Jerry hangs up. Calling Bobbie he leaves a message with AJ's directions. Then he starts making calls to all of his local friends checking to see what the gossip and rumors are. Spotting the laptop, he logs on and starts checking around for the minutia of information that can make all the difference in a negotiation. Already he is planning on how ELQ Jakarta can be up and running as soon as the winds calm. He is emersed in his net surfing when Carly huffs back into the room.
"LUNCH?!" Carly hollars. "You sent me out FOR YOUR LUNCH!" Carly slams the door and throws the bags at Jerry who catches them smoothly.
"Yep, and if Dimitri hasn't changed any I'm sure that he sent along enough for two." Jerry opens the bags and inhales deeply. "Ah heaven. Makes the whole trip worthwhile." Jerry starts unpacking the bags dividing the stuff up on the table. "Aren't you going to sit down? AJ left some things that he needs you to get done for him." Jerry doesn't say another word until Carly sits down grumpily across from him. Soon the aroma of the food gets to her and she takes a bite. She groans after the first bite and quickly takes another. "Told you so. That's the thing about traveling with a Jacks. You always find the best places to eat."
"What did AJ say?" Carly mumbles around a mouthful.
"Says that he and his crew are on the way out of there. He's just waiting for the jet to get off the ground before he and the remainder fly out on the helicoptor."
"Why isn't he going out on the jet?" Carly demands.
"Last one out turns out the lights. Although that won't be a problem since the power is already out over there." Carly pushes the food away losing her appetite. Jerry continues to chow down oblivious. He looks up to see Carly not eating. "This is best. I don't know anything about the ELQ pilot but I know the helicoptor pilot, so do you. He'll drag AJ out of there one way or another." Jerry takes another bite. "Now what AJ wanted you to do..." Jerry outlines what AJ wanted for his staff that were hopefully already in the air and on their way to Darwin.
"And while I'm playing Martha Stewart what will you be doing?" Carly grumbles.
"Research. AJ's going to want to get things up and running again ASAP."
"Well then he can just set up ELQ-- Darwin." Carly demands. "Jakarta is too much of a pain to be anyone's headquarters. This is much nicer and close enough."
"I don't know, Carly. He could make a real power play here. Be part of the rebuilding could be really profitable to get in with the new government. They are going to make all kinds of concessions to get their economy jumpstarted."
"Well they wouldn't be having a problem if they didn't keep driving out the investors."
"It isn't that simple."
"It is to me." Carly rises ignoring Jerry's protests and going to the phone starts to make the room reservations for the security personnel then she reserves an available conference room making sure there will be an open bar available. After she is done there she grabs the courtesy menu that came along with the take out. "Dimitri please, " She holds for a second. "Yeah, Dimitri this is the crazy american blonde that was just in your deli. I see you remember me. I'm catering a party for about fifty tonight over at the hotel. I know it's short notice but what can you give me? I've tried the hotel's room service and may I say-- it sucks. Whatever I don't have to order from them will be a blessing." Carly starts buttering Dimitri up as only she can. Remaking his first impression of her in a heartbeat. "Yeah, the party if for some of the staff of ELQ; have you heard of it? Yeah, their top local brass are going to be there. It would be great advertising for you since I'm trying to get their new CEO, who will be here you know, to relocate his Jakarta offices here to Darwin. Even if I can't convince him to move everything here I'm sure that we could convince him that your Deli should be the first stop whenever they are in Darwin on R&R...."
Jerry starts laughing, shaking his head.