by Lisa B
I can hardly believe it's true…lol…in my wildest imagination, I never dreamed Pieces would hit the 100-chapter mark. To everyone who has stuck with this story for the past year, I thank you. Your words of encouragement and friendship have been greatly appreciated! I hope you all have been having as much fun with this as I have.
Lisa B
Chapter 100
Shaking her head to clear away the fog, Brenda tried to figure out where she was. Then she remembered the call and rushing to find Julia only to be met with a nightmare. Jason Morgan… why did it seem so appropriate that Jason Morgan was tangled in this web of deceit that had snared the Jacks family. Her body ached in every joint and muscle. Brenda smiled thinking she had produced a fair amount of damage on Jason's pretty boy face.
Concentrating, the room came into focus and she finally noticed that someone was talking to her.
"Bren…Bren…are you alright?"
Julia always worried but never around when you needed her.
Grabbing onto the chair, Brenda pulled herself up. Looking around, she decided it must be the master bedroom. A love nest, if ever she saw one. The bed was piled high with throw pillows and bathed in romance. How fitting Brenda thought, it seemed her insatiable desire for one Sonny Corinthos had dragged her family into this mess. The "love" which was only a façade barely able to with stand any scrutiny. Once again, her past had reared its ugly head.
"I'm fine, no thanks to you." Brenda answered in a weary voice. She had gotten over her malice towards Julia months and months ago. Each sister was a unique individual with faults and facets molding them into two caring women. Brenda always rushed in without taking the time to think or breath. Julia hung back evaluating and re-evaluating a situation before making a focused attack. They were two sides of one coin. It had taken Brenda a lifetime to understand and accept this.
Julia rushed to Brenda's side. "I've never seen anything like it. You moved so fast. Before I had time to react it was over and Jason had locked us back up in here. I'm sorry Bren."
Patting Julia's hand, Brenda realized the callousness of her remark. "I know Julia. It isn't your fault. I should have waited for Brian. He's is going to flip when he gets back to the apartment. Will I ever learn not to jump in with both feet and my eyes closed?"
Julia hugged her sister. "No point in dwelling on it. Maybe between the two of us, we can think of a way out. If we play this right, we may be able to confuse him." Julia noticed Brenda's questioning look. "He doesn't want to hurt me, only you. I think it has something to do with Sonny but I'm not sure."
"Sonny, Sonny, Sonny…if I hear that name again, I will scream! Will he ever stop ruining my life?"
Julia raises her finger to her lips, silencing Brenda. Moments later, the door sprung open and Jason Morgan sauntered in.
"Well, I see Brenda has entered the world of the waking again."
Julia held her sister back as Brenda geared up to start round 2 of the Jason-Brenda slugfest.
"Control yourself." Julia hissed under her breath and Brenda settled down.
"You should have let her go Julia. You want a piece of me Brenda, is that it? Well, not half as much as I want a piece of you. To bad your sister had to be dragged into this. First I'm going to have my fun with you and then your candy ass husband. Sonny should have killed the two of you a long time ago."
Calmly, Brenda answered. "I see Sonny has you doing his dirty work. Where is the little man…hiding in his Port Charles penthouse? He never was any good at taking care of business just ask his wife…oh" she laughed ruefully. "That's right she's dead."
Jason charged across the room grabbing Brenda by the neck. Julia jumped on his back plummeting him with punches, trying to loosen his hold on Brenda. The color drained from Brenda's face as his fingers closed around her throat choking off her air supply.
Spittle forming on the corners of his mouth, Jason loomed above her. Brenda had hit a nerve.
"I could snap your neck like a peppermint stick, you bitch. I'll never understand what he saw in you. You were never more than a whore. He could have had it all. But you poisoned him with your flesh and turned on him every chance you had. You killed him and now I'm going to kill you." Taking one of his hands away from Brenda's throat, he wiped the spit from his mouth. Rising, he continued. "But not like this. I want you to suffer like he suffered. I want you to lose it all and then some. By the time we're through you'll be glad you and candy boy are dead."
"We're?" Brenda questioned. "Don't tell me Sonny actually bothered to drag his sorry ass over here to watch the show. What's the matter he's still not man enough to take care of things himself?"
Jason slapped her across the face leaving a welt across her cheek. "He's dead you stupid bitch. I told you that you killed him. Don't you ever listen to anything but your own voice?"
He turned and walked out of the room. Round 2 had ended as swiftly as it had started. Words hitting harder than fists ever could.
******************************** Damascus Syria ********************
Jax waved as Emily Thompson made her way through the immigration gates. Tucking her passport back into her pocketbook, she nodded to let Jax know she had seen him. She rushed across the crowded airport with her carry-on slung over her shoulder.
"Let's get your bags and head back to the apartment." Jax grabbed her by the elbow and steered her towards baggage claim.
Emily stopped in her tracks. "I have my baggage, you damn fool. Let's get the heck out of here and start working on finding that hard headed brother of yours." Emily pointed to her carry-on.
Shaking his head, Jax knew he had met his match and instantly saw what had bonded his brother to this woman. She had a lot of Lady Jane in her. Her no nonsense approach was something he and Jerry had quickly learned was sorely lacking in many women and men for that matter.
"This way." He guided her through the automatic doors to a waiting car.
Settled into the back seat, Emily closed her eyes. "Wake me when we get there. I suspect this will be the last bit of sleep I get until we find Jerry."
Jax patted her gently on the hand. "I suspect you're right."
The two traveled in silence, lost in the reasons that had brought them to the strange and exotic land. Jax was fighting to preserve his family and his life. Emily was trying to regain hers.
********************** Boston, MA ****************************
Jock McGillan struggled to sit up in his bed. He had been coddled and manhandled by every pair of female hands in the family but still no Joanne. The anxiety over her where abouts kept building inside of him. He knew she was afraid of meeting the entourage, figured she'd make herself scarce when the hoards descended but he never imagined she would disappear.
Hitting the buzzer, he watched as the guards outside his door reacted to the noise. Sean secured the area and sent some young woman off to fetch a nurse. Jock felt like he was in prison. He winced as he tried to straighten himself up again in the bed. The tubes hanging out of him, at what seemed to be 1-inch intervals were driving him crazy. A nurse came crashing through the door as he grabbed a handful of tubes.
"Drop those this instant!" the woman barked.
Jock sneered at her and tightened his grip. The nurse lunged across the room and dug her nails into his forearm until he dropped his stronghold on the lifelines to the various bags pumping into his body.
"What is all this shit anyway?" He grumbled.
The nurse gritted her teeth. "I can't believe you made me do that. I left marks; at least I didn't break the skin. Your mother warned me about you but I didn't listen. I couldn't believe that anyone would be stupid enough to start tugging at his IVs."
"Ma talked to you." Some how he wasn't surprised.
"Yes, your mother is a lovely woman and so is the rest of your family." She cracked the door and whisper something to Sean.
"When the hell can I get out of here?"
"Yeah right. You almost died, had major surgery and you just came out of a coma. I get Dr. Goldberg. He's been waiting for you to wake up again."
John Jacks brushed by the nurse as she headed out of the room.
"John!"
Pulling up a chair, John sat next to the bed. "How you feeling Jock?"
"Been better, been worse." The two men laughed. "So why you really in here John?"
"So you're ready to get right down to work are you. Okay, here's how things stand. We know it's Bodega behind all of it. Jerry has a thing for his wife. "
"There's more."
"Jerry's missing. Jax went to find him. They're chasing Bodega." John noticed Jock's handball up into a fist. "They're smart boys. Jax has a team of men with him."
"I should have seen it coming. I screwed up. John, where's Joanne? I've asked and no one's seen her."
A gray cloud passed over John's face; he hadn't seen Joanne since the airport. He hadn't even thought of her. "I don't know. There was so much confusion at the airport and then this stuff started with Jerry. I haven't seen her."
"Damn!"
Rising from the chair, John decided it was time to do some investigating of his own. "I'll see what I can find out. Rest now. I'll be back later tonight." John's brow furrowed as he left the room. Joanne Fambrough, now he had something else to worry about. Where the heck was she?
Jock waited patiently as the doctor checked him out. He questioned innocently to find out what was in the various IVs pumping into his body. He nonchalantly grilled Dr. Goldberg about the extent of his injuries. He humored the doctor by tentatively sitting up in bed and dipping his feet to the floor. He was weak but his years of weight training, running, racquetball…actually any sport he could find time for had given him stamina.
So he pretended to drift off to sleep. He watched the guards at his door.
In the dead of the night, he placed a phone call. He had to get out of this
hospital. Jock McGillen knew exactly where Joanne had gone after all he's
the one who told her where to look.