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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Chapter Eighty Four
Seven Jays, Six Knights
"But you're okay?" AJ demands barely allowing time for Carly to get an answer in. AJ hangs up the phone.
"What happened now? I thought that she was just out taking a hike?" Jerry is already getting a bad feeling.
"She and Jordan stumbled onto a meth lab." AJ keeps stuffing files into his briefcase. Grabbing it as he goes he tells his secretary that he is on his cell phone ignoring her protests about his afternoon schedule.
"Bloody Hell." Jerry snarls striding out next to AJ. "And Jax was just saying that my life was getting staid."
"Around Carly? I don't think so. Carly says that the buy on the property is definitely off." AJ pushes the button to the garage floor. As antsy as he is he rocks back on the heels of his feet urging the elevator to go faster. Maybe the stairs would have been faster. "She said that she and Michael were fine. They were on the way to meet the police."
"So she was calling from the car. And she has her bodyguard with her." Jerry exhales. The elevator doors open and AJ leads the way to his car. Jerry climbs into the passenger seat as AJ unlocks the doors. "No need to worry Bobbie yet."
"Yeah, I think that Bobbie is getting tired of you telling her to sit down." Both men fall silent and grim as they make the trip to the Deception Spa.
The Deception Spa parking lot.
Jordan has parked the car in a secluded defensible spot where he can see all the entrances. Carly has crawled into the back seat again to be with Michael who had woken up as soon as the car stopped moving. "Damn."
"What?" Jordan asks glancing back in the rear view.
"We should have taken pictures of the cabin." Carly bites her lip.
"That's the police's job. How did you know?"
"I moved out of my mother's house when I was young, broke and stupid. I didn't live in the nicest neighborhoods. It wasn't the first time I've smelled that smell. I woke up one morning to a guy in a space suit telling me to get my stuff and get out of my apartment. The people next door were using the place for a meth lab. The place was a dump anyway so they tore it down and started from scratch. Everything used to make methamphetamine is a known carcinogen and the stuff gets into everything: the walls, the carpets, the clothes. Not to mention the risk of explosion from the damn chemicals. Scared the hell out of me." Carly sighs and leaning back against the bench seat closes her eyes.
"Then getting us out had to be the top priority. What's his name will take the pictures."
"Taggart. Lt Taggart. He's a pain. And he's going to assume that you work for Jason so he's going to give you a hard time. You need to get rid of the gun."
"Once he shows up." Jordan remains vigilant. He draws Carly's attention to a car pulling into the lot at a high speed. "That doesn't look like someone coming in for a seaweed wrap."
Carly looks at the car. "AJ." Jordan toots the horn to get AJ's attention. AJ pulls up next to the Bronco and is out of the car leaving it running. He comes up to the door closest to Carly and pulls it open.
"Are you okay?" AJ hugs Carly to him. "Only you could go for a hike and find a meth lab." AJ pulls back and looks at Carly. "You are okay, aren't you?" AJ hugs her again.
"I'm fine. Michael is fine too." AJ looks over at Michael who grins at AJ. "I think I want to burn these clothes though and everything that Michael is wearing and I want a shower-- maybe two."
AJ looks over at Jordan. "How did you know?"
"I didn't; Carly did. She knew as soon as we walked into the cabin." Jordan admits. "Bombs and booby traps, I'm your man, but never been around drug houses. And it isn't something that I was trained to detected in either the Marines or the secret service. Car coming." Jordan eyes narrow as he studies the car. Jerry also takes in the vehicle at a glance.
"How did you know, Caroline?" Jerry asks already dreading the answer and not taking his eye off the approaching vehicle.
"I lived next door to one for awhile. I didn't know but it's a smell you don't forget. Taggart was a pain on the phone. He immediately tried to blow me off and then he tried to blame it on Jason and Sonny."
"Undercover cop car. They are so predictable." Jerry comments. Jordan slips his 9mm into a secure place and steps from the car. He maintains his position with the door covering him. Until a bald, permanently constipated looking man gets out of his car.
"That's Taggart, Jordan." Carly confirms. Carly walks out where Taggart can see her.
"Ms. Benson-- always the trouble magnet. Why am I not surprised. And you're constant companions lately: Quartermaine Junior and Jacks." Taggart shakes his head.
"This was Not my fault." Carly snarls.
"Nope. I can vouch for that." Jordan confirms. "Besides don't you like to know where the drug houses are? Doesn't it make it easier to take them down?"
"Oh that makes too much sense for the PCPD, Jordan. They like to have a picture drawn for them or to hassle law abiding citizens." Carly bitches.
"This whole law abiding thing is a new leaf for you, so lets not get too righteous." Taggart gets down to business. "Where is it; how did you find it; was there anyone else around? And who the hell are you?"
Jordan extends his hand to Taggart who shakes it reluctantly. "Jordan, I'm a security trouble shooter for ELQ; I was assigned to Ms. Benson since the local constabulary was having some difficulty dealing effectively with the press presence." Taggart drops the man's hand at the slam of the PCPD.
"You're a babysitter." Taggart sneers.
"I'm really getting sick of everyone calling him that." Carly flares.
"Sir, if you'll accompany me I can take you to the location. But we would be better taking Ms. Benson's four wheel drive."
"Carly, you bought a car?!" AJ looks at her questioningly.
"I'm leasing it. I haven't decided. Don't worry; Jordan has been doing all the driving. Taggart, I want to take my son home. And I don't want my name connected to this. It might mess up some plans I have."
Taggarts eyes narrow. "Plans for whom?" Taggart looks around and laughs when he sees the spa's name. "You are trying to piss off the commissioner, aren't you? I've heard he is still kind of fond of Ms. Bell."
"What do you care? She got her fortune on mob money you should be jumping for joy if I make things... uncomfortable for her."
"Do I look like I'm protesting?" Taggart breaks into a grin that lights up his whole face. "I'll call you tonight. That way the press will have nothing to chat about until we're ready for them. I have to get some things from my car." Taggart tells Jordan. Walking back to the trunk of his car, he pulls out a shotgun and pockets extra rounds as well as pulling out a bullet proof vest. Hesitating he then pulls out the other vest. Walking back across the lot, he tosses the vest to Jordan. "If we're going, let's go."
AJ hands Michael to Carly and pulls out the car seat transferring it to his car. Jordan and Taggart pull out of the parking lot heading up the road. AJ puts Michael in his car seat. Jerry stands next to Carly. He rubs her back. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, but it was scary there for a minute, Jerry." Carly leans in against Jerry taking strength from him as the adrenalin wears off.
"I guess the question now is what are we going to tell your Mum." Jerry says softly. Carly groans. "This has kind of put the kabash on the whole plan; she's going to want to know why."
The Morgan/Corinthos Coffee warehouse.
Johnny walks back up the stairs to the office. He is dragging and stressed and really not in the mood to be nice. He raps on the door once and enters. Jason is looking over some inventory sheets. "How did it go?"
"She followed me from the courthouse this morning and I never saw her." Jason winces at Johnny's glum tone. "She announced to the whole warehouse and the PCPD that she is my sister and that Judge Porter is my father. And then once we got to the restaurant.... my mother was there threatening my chef with a butcher knife because he put too much dill in a sauce."
"You're having a bad day." Jason commiserates but can't help a (very small) grin.
"A very bad day, Boss." Johnny sighs. "When I left my chef was still thisclose to quitting the only thing he is holding out for is one of my mother's recipes. Rita was scrubbing pots and pans while moaning that she had saved our bacon here at the warehouse. And the Judge had shown up to talk to my mother. Can't I just go out and shoot something-- anything?"
"Your sister did come in handy today." Jason admits. "Not that they would have found anything but they would have made a hell of a mess that we would have been up all night cleaning."
"Where is Sonny?"
"Down filing a complaint on Taggart." Jason shrugs. "I think it's a waste of time but it's what a legit businessman would do, so he's doing it." Sonny strides through the doors with a concerned look on his face.
"What's up?" Jason asks rising from his chair.
"Carly called Taggart while I was there at the PCPD. He rushed out of there like his hair was on fire; if he had any."
"Ms. Benson was at the restaurant with Michael and some security guy. My waiter said they were going out to the country somewhere to look at some property." Johnny inserts into the conversation. Jason gets on the phone and starts calling around to the HF house, Carly's cell phone, finally he connects on his call to AJ.
"Where is she and what does Taggart have to do with it?" Jason demands.