CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

SOREL WAS IMMEDIATELY on guard by Stefan’s presence. Why was Cassadine here? Did he know? Did he suspect? And what would he do to him if he did? Until Sorel knew for sure, he’d just play innocent. “Stefan, what are you doing here?” He said in his best Bobbie impersonation. “After all I’ve been through recently, you nearly scared the life out of me.”

“That’s why I’m here.” Stefan lied. “I wanted to make sure you were all right after all you’ve been through.”

“You know.” Sorel sighed. “I know I’ve been through a lot, but I still don’t remember much about what happened. Do you want to fill me in?

“I think it probably best if you remember what happened on your own.” Stefan suggested. “Actually, I came by to see if you’ve been examined by a doctor about your memory loss.”

“I don’t really think that’s necessary.” Sorel retorted. “I’m sure when I’m ready to remember I will. There’s really no need to see a doctor about it.”

“Are you sure?” Stefan decided not to push the issue. A medical examination wouldn’t prove if Bobbie was being possessed by Sorel’s spirit or not.

“I’m sure.” Sorel smiled, still wondering what the witch was up to. For he knew with a certainty he was up to something.

“Well then.” Stefan stood up. “I guess I’ll leave. I just wanted to make sure you were adjusting back to your normal life after all you’ve been through.”

Before Stefan made it to the front door, there was a knock at it. “I wonder who that could be?” Sorel asked. “It’s so late. Who would expect me to have so many visitors.” He went and opened the door. Mac was standing there. “Mac, what are you doing here?”

“Bobbie, I don’t know how to tell you this?” Mac began.

Sorel had a hard time retaining his smile. He knew exactly what this was about. But Cassadine and Scorpio were watching and if they detected his glee they’d become suspicious. They’d want to know why he was so happy about such a tragic event. But as soon as they were both out the door he intended to party like it was 1999. “Tell me what, Mac?” He asked in a concerned voiced edged with a tinge of worry. “Has something happened?”

“It’s Tony.” Mac swallowed deeply before plunging ahead. “There’s been an accident. It looks like he’d been drinking and he drove his car on the train tracks and passed out.”

“He’s dead?” Sorel asked with an emotional crack to his voice. “Oh, how am I going to tell Lucas.”

“No,” Mac corrected Bobbie. “He’s still alive.”

“He’s not dead!” Sorel exploded in shock. Stefan noticed his reaction and immediately got suspicious. Sorel tried to catch his faux paus. “I’m sorry, the way you acted just made me think you’d come to tell me that Tony was dead.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Mac apologized. “Tony isn’t dead, but he isn’t far from it. By the time they were able to pull him out of his car he was burned over ninety percent of his body.” He added. “The doctor’s say it’s a miracle he survived up until now and they don’t expect him to survive much longer. I just wanted to come here and get you so you could go to the hospital and say goodbye to Tony while there was still time.”

“Of course.” Sorel turned to Stefan. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to get to the hospital to say my goodbyes to Tony.”

“Barbara, I can’t let you go through this alone.” Stefan declared. “I’ll come with you. Then afterwards I can drive you back home.”

“Thank you, Stefan.” Sorel barely managed to get out. Great, this is all he needed. If Jones regained consciousness he could tell everyone his accident was no accident. And if that wasn’t bad enough he was going to have Cassadine breathing down his neck watching every move that he made. Could things get any worse?

TRACY TOOK THE elevator that lead down to the gates of Hell with great trepidation in her soul. It was never far from her mind that she could become trapped down here and she would never see the light of day, again. Most people prayed never to be sentenced to this dark domain and she was foolishly entering it of her own freewill. Was she mad? No, she was just greedy. If she and Faison managed to pull this off immense power would be there’s. On the other hand, if they failed, they would be trapped down here for the rest of their lives.

It still wasn’t too late to turn back now, a cautious voice echoed inside her head. Then the elevator doors swung open and she stepped out to the car watching as the doors closed behind her and the elevator traveled back up to the surface.

As she headed to Damian’s private domain, she looked around for any sign of Faison. He’d traveled down here earlier in preparation for her arrival. One of his people had helped him slip down here undetected. But maybe he’d gotten caught as he slipped down here, she couldn’t help but thinking hopefully. If he had she could call this whole thing off.

She quickly realized that wasn’t the case as she saw Faison lurking outside of Damian’s private chambers waiting for her arrival. She was supposed to make sure the door was unlocked so Faison could slip into Damian’s chambers and make his way to the pit to release all the demon’s imprisoned there.

Tracy did just that as she entered Damian’s private chambers. She had just passed the point of no return. If she didn’t want to be trapped down in this pit for the rest of eternity, should would have to make sure Faison’s planned worked.

Damian looked up at Tracy as she entered. “I was surprised when I heard you were here and wanted to see me.” He told her. “I can’t think what we could possibly have to talk about.”

“I know how you feel about my father.” She told him as she strutted forward with a purpose to her step. “That’s why I’ve come to make a deal with you.”

“Are all you witches such a treacherous lot?” Damian asked. “I’ve lost count at how many different deals you people have tried to strike with me as you plot to plunge a knife in each other‘s backs.”

“Damian.” She laughed. “I’m sure you didn’t get to where you are by playing by the rules, either. Sometimes you have to take great risks to get ahead that other people wouldn’t even think of taking. That’s what separates the haves from the have-nots.”

“So what risk are you taking?” He asked.

“If my father ever learns I’ve come here to see you.” Tracy replied. “He’ll turn on me as quick as it takes a rattlesnake to devour it’s prey. My father is not the loyal kind. He doesn’t believe that blood is thicker than water. His motto is every man from himself.”

“That’s Edward, all right.” Damian laughed. “So what kind of deal do you want to strike with me.”

“I gave birth to Ned, not my father.” She declared. “So I think if anyone should benefit from the birth of Ned and Alexis’ child, it should be me. Unfortunately, as long as my father is around he’ll never let that happen.” She added. “So I need your help in disposing of my father once and for all.”

“This gets more and more interesting.” Damian smiled. “Just how could I help you to get rid of Edward?”

“My father is one of the most powerful witches around.” She reminded him. “He and Helena are equal in power. I would never be a match against him. But if we were to join forces together, I’m sure I’d have no problem disposing of my father for once and for all.”

“Why not go to Helena?” Damian suggested. “If you aligned yourself to her you could accomplish exactly the same thing.”

“Then I’d have the problem of Helena wanting all the power for herself.” Tracy retorted.

“With Edward gone,” He reminded her. “Helena will naturally assume the power at stake will be hers.” Then he realized the full magnitude of her plan. “You want me to help you dispose of Helena, as well.” He added. “And why would I want to do that?”

“Damian, you’re not a fool.” She countered. “Surely, you must realize that once you give Helena supreme power over the witches she won’t be satisfied. She’ll want more. She’ll want the power you gained from the child she delivered to you.”

“But you won’t.” He raised an eyebrow in question.

“I’m not that greedy.” She assured him. It was a lie. She was already looking ahead to the day when she cut Faison completely out of their partnership and took steps to dispose of Damian as well. “If you help me gain the power my father will obtain if he succeeds in delivering Ned and Alexis’ child to you, I’ll be grateful and loyal to you.”

“Sure you will.” Damian wasn’t buying it for a second. “If you can’t be loyal to your own blood, what are the odds you’ll be loyal to me?”

“Well, something would have to be in it for me.” She replied.

“Such as?” His curiosity was aroused, among other things. Manipulative back-stabbing women always did that to him.

Tracy took a deep breath as she played her gambit. “If I were your wife my loyalty to you would be unquestionable. We would be partners in the future together. To betray each other would be to put our own best interests in jeopardy.” She added. “So what do you think?”

What Damian thought was Olivia would skin him alive if he dared to marry Tracy. That was a position she had in mind for herself. And she was one demon he didn’t want on his bad side. But there was nothing to stop him from only letting Tracy think he would marry her and stringing her along until he got everything he wanted from her. He could help her dispose of Edward and Helena, then he could give her a test to prove her loyalty to him. He could promise to marry her if she handed Ned and Alexis’ child over to him once he was born. And once she did that, he’d dispose of her, as well.

“I think we should go into my boudoir and discuss this matter further.” He suggested as he took her by the hand and lead her into his bedroom.

Faison watched them walk into the bedroom with a look of distaste then he rushed over to the entrance to the Pit. Then he pulled up the trapdoor and a stagnant mist arose from the hole. He leaned his head down into the pit and yelled down to the demons imprisoned there. “It’s me, Faison. I’ve come to rescue you. Grab the rope when I feed it down to you and I’ll pull you back up.” Faison began to feed a rope down into the Pit. Since he didn’t know who far it was to the bottom, he used his witchcraft to conjure up a rope that was infinity in length.

SOREL AND STEFAN watched Tony through the window of the ICU unit he was being kept in. The sound of his heart rate was getting slower and slower as each minute passed. It was only a matter of time before Jones would kick the bucket, Sorel assured himself. Still, it was too dangerous to wait for nature to take its course. He could still wake-up and tell everyone the truth about who caused his demise. Leave it to that annoying pest not to die they way he was supposed to. Now he was going to have to go in there and finish him off, himself.

He glanced over at Stefan, but first he was going to have to give Cassadine the brush-off. “Stefan, you’ve been so good to me.” Sorel said in what he considered to be a simpering female voice. “I was wondering if you could do me a favor?”

“Anything.” Stefan replied. “You only have to ask, Barbara.”

“Could you go and call Felicia and her girls for me.” Sorel asked. “I know Felicia and Tony are no longer related, but the girls are his nieces. I really think they should be here to say their goodbyes to Tony, as well.”

“Of course.” Stefan didn’t want to go since he suspected the thing occupying Bobbie’s body was up to something and wanted to get rid of him so they could do it. Even though he couldn’t prove it, he was positive Sorel was possessing Bobbie’s body. But if he refused to do what Barbara had asked, he would only succeed in arousing Sorel’s suspicions that he was on to him. And it would be better in the long run if Sorel continued to believe he was fooled by his charade. “I’ll be right back.”

Sorel watched as Stefan walked around the corner to where the bank of pay phones were located. “Finally.” He muttered. “Alone at last.” Then he entered Tony’s room. Amy Vining was the nurse on duty. “Amy.” He made his voice quaver a bit. “I was wondering if I could have a moment alone with Tony.”

“Of course, Bobbie.” Amy replied tearfully. “Just call me when you’re done.”

Sorel watched her leave the room and disappear from sight. “Well, Dr. Jones, you are a stubborn one, aren’t you.” Sorel leaned down and whispered in his ear. “Just look at you. You look like a charbroiled piece of meat. By all accounts you should be dead. But here you are desperately clinging to life. No doubt so you can tell everyone I was behind what happened to you. Well, it’s not going to happen, do you hear me, Jones. You’ve struggled to hang on for nothing. The time has come for you to say bye-bye.” He looked around to make sure no one was around, then he yanked the pillow out from under Tony’s head and held it over his face. “Die, you SOB, die!”

He was so caught up in the frenzy of the kill he never notice Stefan return and watch as he smothered Tony. As for Stefan, he now had all the proof he needed. Sorel was indeed possessing Bobbie’s body. The question was what was he going to do about it.