CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

TONY AWOKE TO find himself tied to Bobbie’s bed. Bobbie had straddled a chair and was chewing on a turkey leg as she watched him wake-up. “Bout time you woke-up, Doc.” Sorel replied as he chewed a bite full of meat. “I was beginning to get bored.”

“Bobbie?” Tony asked in shock. “What is the meaning of this?”

“I thought about killing you for a few minutes.” Sorel confided as he tossed the bone of the turkey leg over his shoulder. “But then it occurred to me that you’re a doctor. You must make lots of money. I bet you even got a big wad stashed away somewhere.” He added. “I need lots of money.”

“You’re not Bobbie!” Tony declared in horror. “You look like her and you sound like her, but you’re not her.”

“What gave me away?” He asked. “Was it the fact I tried to kill ya?”

“Who are you?” Tony demanded to know.

“Look, Doc.” Sorel replied. “I’m the one asking the questions here, not you.” He stood up and walked over to Tony. “Now if you want to continue breathing, I want to know where you keep your loot and how I can get my hands on it.”

FAISON NEARLY JUMPED out of his skin when Stefan suddenly popped into his room at the seedy motel he was staying in. “What are you doing here?” Faison sputtered. “How did you find me?”

“Relax, Faison.” Stefan tried to calm him down. “Mother still has no idea where you are.”

“How were you able to find me?” Faison demanded to know.

“I’m an excellent tracker.” Stefan said with no false modesty. “If I want to find someone, there isn’t anyone I can’t find.”

“What do you want from me?” Faison peeked out the window to see if Stefan had been followed.

“I understand you’re the foremost expert on the supernatural.” Stefan explained. “I need use of your expertise.”

“I didn’t think that stuff was your cup of tea.” Faison began to relax as he realized his hiding place was still safe.

“It isn’t.” Stefan replied in affronted tones. “A situation has presented itself to me. Have you heard about what I did to the vampire Sorel.”

“Who hasn’t?” Faison lit up a cigar and took a puff on it. “A witch executing a vampire is big news. You’re lucky Sorel is so universally disliked or you could have quite a problem on your hands from the vampire community.”

“It seems I may not be rid of Sorel just yet.” Stefan continued. “He never made it down to hell, so odds are he’s still here and I need you to tell me just how he might accomplish that.”

“There are several ways he could have done it.” Faison revealed. “But that depends on what form he is at present. He could be an amorphous spirit floating around the Earth without body or form. Or he could have taken on a physical form. Do you know exactly what Sorel was into? Knowing that might give us a clue to what form he’s taken on at present.”

“Tammy Carson said something about Sorel being into out of body experiences.” Stefan informed him. “She said Sorel claimed he could travel out of his body at will and roam around.”

“Astral projection.” Faison nodded. “Well then it could be either one. If it’s spiritual you don’t really have much to worry about. He could take up residence in Wyndemere and make your life miserable, but there’s not really much he can do to you except annoy you. If it’s physical and he somehow manage to possess someone’s body and gain control of it, then you do have something to worry about.”

“How could he do that?” Stefan asked. “How could be possess someone’s body.”

“Well,” Faison exhaled. “He would have to find another body to inhabit before his own physical body died. And that person would have to be willing to let Sorel possess them.” He added. “Considering the odds of Sorel being able to accomplish that in the allotted time, I doubt you have anything to worry about.”

“Just how do spirits go about possessing mortal’s bodies anyway?” Stefan wanted to know.

“They usually pick an unhappy mortal.” Faison explained. “They’re more easy to trick and persuade. They want to escape from their life and the spirit offers that. Just let go and let me take over things.” He asked. “There wasn’t any people like that around at the time Sorel met his demise, was there?”

“No.” Stefan said thoughtfully. “So, I guess I’m going to have to put up with Sorel haunting my home. Well, I suppose that’s a minor inconvenience. At least that way he can’t do any harm.” With that Stefan vanished from the room and Faison made immediate plans to find a new place to hide out in.

LETICIA SAT WATCHING Carly admiring herself in front of the mirror in the translucent night gown she was wearing. It left nothing to the imagination. “So that’s how you intend to get Mr. Corinthos out of the snit he’s in at present?” She asked. “I don’t mean to offend you, Carly, but you’re figure isn’t what it once was. Using sex may not be the way to accomplish what you want.”

“My pregnancy turns Sonny on.” Carly looked at Leticia over her shoulder. “It makes him hot when he looks at me and can see that his child is growing inside of me. And Sonny happens to be one very over-sexed vampire.” She looked back at herself in the mirror. “He won’t be able to resist me.”

“Maybe you should try talking this out with him first.” Leticia suggested. “Isn’t sex what got you into this current mess.”

“No,” Carly answered. “Sonny’s in a snit because I used sex to try and control him. He doesn’t like that I tried to protect him from what I perceived to be a dangerous situation by seducing him. He feels I used his sexual desire for me against him and took away his freedom of choice.”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing now?” She motioned to the transparent nightgown Carly was wearing.

“No, this is completely different.” Carly assured her. “All I’m going to do is where this nightgown in front of Sonny. What he does after that is entirely up to him.”

“What if he doesn’t bite?” Leticia countered. “What will you do then?”

“I know what turns Sonny on.” Carly smiled like a siren about to lure a man into the sea. “And I know how to use it. I’ll just keep it up until Sonny cracks and makes love to me.”

“You’re sure this will work?” Leticia’s voice was filled with doubt.

“I know it will.” Carly’s voice was filled with certainty. “As sure as Sonny has dark eyes and dimples, he’s going to be back in my arms and in my bed in no time, at all. Just you wait and see.”

AFTER A LITTLE friendly persuasion by Sorel, Tony eventually told him that he kept all his bank records in his office at General Hospital. Sorel promised once he had all his money in his possession he would let him go. Of course, Sorel had lied. As soon as he bled Tony dry-------Sorel chuckled at the irony of that. Whether he was vampire or mortal he was still bleeding someone dry-------he would dispose of Jones without haste.

Sorel entered the lobby of General Hospital and the first person he ran into was Lila Quartermaine. Which lead him to some very unpleasant thoughts. All of them centering on Edward Quartermaine and the way he treated him. He wanted to pay Quartermaine back as much as he did Cassadine. Maybe he should just kill Cassadine then marry Quartermaine. Of course, there was the problem of the old lady sitting in front of him. He’d have to dispose of her first, but that shouldn’t be difficult. All it would take was giving her wheelchair a shove down a flight of stairs.

“Hello, Lila.” He smiled. “How are you doing, today?”

“I’m just fine, Bobbie.” Lila replied detecting nothing wrong with Bobbie or so it seemed. “And just what are you doing here?”

“Tony asked me to pick up a few things for him in his office.” Sorel replied. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” Lila said to Sorel’s departing back.

“What do you mean?” Sorel turned back to her.

“Try to push me down the stairs.” Lila smiled back serenely. “Unlike you, Mr. Sorel, I still retain my full powers and if you try to do me harm, I‘ll use them.” With that she pushed the button on her motorized wheelchair. “Now you have a nice day now, won’t you.”

“Angels!” Sorel spat as he punched the elevator call button. “I hate those sanctimonious twits. What good are they anyway? Unless they’re appointed someone’s guardian angel they don’t interfere in matters preferring to let destiny take it’s course.”

He got on the elevator and got off on the floor that Tony’s office was located on. Within five minutes he was seated behind Tony’s desk and going through his personal papers. He stopped when he came across Tony’s insurance policy. “So, I’m Tony’s beneficiary.” Sorel smiled. “Or should I say Bobbie is. And if he dies in an accident I get double the money.” He added as he stuck the policy and other papers in his purse. “This should be a nice start. But when I’m through I’ll be more rich and powerful than the Quartermaines and Cassadines put together. I’ll own this entire town before I‘m through.”

SONNY STARED BROODINGLY into the flames burning in the fireplace. Aside from having sex, brooding was what vampires did best. Carly sat across from him in a matching armchair trying to turn on the sex. Who was he kidding? Sex was as much a part of her nature as it was his and all she had to do was walk into the room for you to feel her sexuality. He didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to resist her, especially in that nightgown she was flaunting her body in. With the flames from the fire shining on her it was like she wasn’t wearing anything at all. The only thing preventing him from grabbing her up in his arms and making love with her was his stubborn determination to teach her a lesson for using sex to try and control him. Unfortunately, he was punishing himself as much as he was punishing her.

The sexual tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Finally he could take it no more. He stood up suddenly. Carly smiled like a cat that was just about to have some cream. She was sure Sonny was about to pick her up in his arms and carry her up to bed where he would make mad, passionate love to her until the sun began to rise and they had to retire to their chambers until sundown.

It was that smile that stopped Sonny dead in his tracks. Carly had over-played her hand. “If you’ll excuse me.” Sonny was proud that he made his voice sound so cold when his blood was on fire for her. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” With that he stalked out of the room and run up the stairs.

Carly threw the book she’d been pretending to read at the wall in anger. “You’re not getting off the hook that easily, buddy.” She snarled. Carly wanted Sonny and she wanted him now. She didn’t have the patience to wait him out. He almost lost control a few minutes ago and before this night was out she’d make sure that he’d lost it completely.

She jumped to her feet and followed him up the stairs. When she walked into his bedroom she was treated to the view of his bare backside as he climbed between the sheets of his bed. “What are you doing in here?” Sonny snapped when he noticed her presence.

She slid the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders and it cascaded to her feet in a puddle of lace and chiffon. Ever since they’d been together they took to sleeping together in the nude. She saw no reason why they should change that tradition at this late date. Then she walked to the bed and climbed in next to him.

“It’s ridiculous for us to retire to two separate chambers.” She told him. “It’s also dangerous. We should sleep together don’t you agree?” She added quickly. “If only for the protection of our baby.”

“You’re not going to win, Carly.” He declared as he rolled over in bed and turned his back to her. “I’m not going to give into you.”

“We’ll just see about that.” She threw back at him. “It’s a long night Sonny. The sun won’t be rising for hours yet. Anything could happen between us between then and now.” She smiled to herself as she settled herself more comfortably in the bed. Even if Sonny didn’t give into her, tonight, she’d made a lot of headway. At least they were back to sharing the same bed together again.

STEFAN ENTERED WYNDEMERE with great trepidation. He wondered if Sorel’s spirit was hovering around somewhere in the mansion watching him. How did one tell if they had a spirit living in their house with them? Perhaps Mrs. Lansbury would know. Stefan found her in the kitchen and he filled her in on the Sorel situation.

“Forgive me for saying so, sir.” She replied once he was finished. “But Mr. Sorel just didn’t strike me as the type of person who would be satisfied making things go bump in the night.”

“Yes, Mrs. Lansbury, you have a point.” Stefan agreed. “Sorel was a greedy little bloodsucker in every sense of the word. He wouldn’t be satisfied being a benign spirit. Besides, if he were here I think I would feel his presence.”

“Then where do you think Mr. Sorel is?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” Stefan admitted. “But I think while he laid there waiting for the sun to rise and destroy him he had a definite plan in mind.” He added. “All I’ve got to do is figure out what it was.”

“Do you have any idea how you’re going to do that?” She inquired.

“Aside from me, there are other people Sorel would want revenge on.” Stefan said thoughtfully. “I’ll just have to watch those people and wait for Sorel to make his move.”