On Helena¹s yachtŠ

Laura turned the corner and heard approaching footsteps.    "Bobbie?  Is
that you?"    she asked cautiously.

"Yeah, it¹s me."    Bobbie replied from behind.

Laura jumped at her sister-in-law¹s sudden appearance.   "You scared me."
She said as she fell in step with her.

"Sorry.  Come on, we need to find Lizzie B. before Helena does."   Bobbie
said.

Just then, they heard a muffled female voice.   "Didn¹t you hear what I
said?  He has pneumonia.  You have to get him to the hospital."  The voice
said.

A few moments later, they heard the same voice again, only louder this time.

"NO!!  Where is she?!!  I¹m not going anywhere without herŠ "

Bobbie and Laura exchanged a look.

"That¹s Scully."   Laura concluded,   "Do you suppose the Œhe¹ she mentioned
is Nikolas?

"Probably.  I wonder if the Œshe¹ is Carly."   Bobbie worried aloud,   "I
hope she¹s okayŠ"

"Let¹s go see."   Laura suggested,   "It sounds like they¹re just on the
other side of the wall."

"Whoa, what about Elizabeth?  I think we should go find her first."   Bobbie
said,   "Helena could be there by now."

"Or Helena could be behind the wall,"   Laura said,   "Maybe she¹s who
Scully was talking to."

"Yeah, that¹s a possibility, too.  Why don¹t you stay here and wait for me."
  Bobbie said,   "But just listen, and see what you can find out.  Don¹t do
anything until I get back with Lizzie B."

"Okay."
 

 ElsewhereŠ

The guys were now on the move.  Luke and Lucky were out front, while Mulder
brought up the rear.    Sonny was in the middle carrying Robin in his arms,
along with Jason who was by Carly¹s side.

"Robin?  Robin!  Come on, stay Š"

"Give it up, Sonny, she¹s out again."   Mulder said.

"Damn!"   Sonny swore.

"Well, at least, now we know where to find Helena."   Luke said, as they
continued toward the tunnel entrance.

"We should probably hurry."   Lucky suggested,   "If Helena gets out of Port
Charles with Scully and Nikolas, they¹ll be a lot harder to track down."

"She¹s headed for Greece."   Carly informed them,   "I heard her say that¹s
where she was going."

"That could be a plant, Carly."   Jason said, then asked,   "Did she know
you were listening?"

"No, Scully and I had escaped, well temporarily anyway, and we were hiding
in one of the tunnels when we heard her talking to her men."   She said,
"You know, she thinks everyone at the party is dead, including Lizzie B."

Music begins to play.   ŒShakedown¹, by Bob Seger.

Luke chuckled devilishly,   "She won¹t be living that pipe dream for much
longer."   He said, as they reached the entrance.

No matter what you think you pull you¹ll find it¹s not enough
No matter whom you think you know you won¹t get through
It¹s a given L.A. law, Someone¹s faster on the draw
No matter where you hide I¹m comin¹ after you
YeahŠ
 

ElsewhereŠ

<Oh Geez!  I¹m in trouble, big trouble.>   Lizzie B. thought, as she
realized the danger,   <This was definitely not a good place to hide.  I
hope Bobbie and Laura get here soon; I need a diversion.>

Lizzie B. sat crouched down in the center of a tall, circular stack of
bricks.   Two of Helena¹s goons were in the process of manually transporting
the bricks into the tunnel.

No matter how the race is run it always ends the same
Another room without a view awaits downtown

<Damn!  A couple of more passes and they¹ll spot me for sure.>   she thought
nervously,   <I should probably make a pre-emptive strike.  If I disable one
of them I might be able to out run the other one.>

Lizzie B. reached over and picked up a brick, in preparation for her attack.

You can shake me for a while, Live it up in style
No matter what you do I¹m gonna take you down.

Earpiece:   "Elizabeth, can you hear me?"   Bobbie asked in a hushed
whisper,   "I¹m just outside the room, where are you?"

<Bobbie!>   her mind screamed,   <I wish she¹d have gotten here a couple of
minutes ago.  Now, how do I warn her without them hearing me?>

Shakedown
Breakdown
Takedown
Everybody wants into the crowded line

Just then, one of the goons spotted her.

Breakdown
Takedown
..you¹re busted!

<Uh-oh!  This is just going from bad to worse.>  she thought.

"Hey Frank, look who I found."   He said, looking down at Lizzie B. with a
cooked grin,   "The little minx didn¹t drown after all."

A second later, both men were leaning over the edge of the circle, eyeing
her.

Shakedown
Breakdown
Honey, just about the time you¹re thinkin¹ it¹s alright

Lizzie B. suddenly sprang up at them.  She launched her body over the top of
the bricks, while at the same time reaching out to deck Frank on the noggin
as hard as she could.  Frank slumped over backwards, and bricks went flying
everywhere.

Breakdown
Takedown
..you¹re busted!

"Elizabeth!"   Bobbie shouted as she flung the double doors open.

Lizzie B. hastily scrambled toward Bobbie with the second goon in hot
pursuit.

"BOBBIE, RUN!!!Š"
 

In the tunnelŠ

"What the hell was that?!"   Luke exclaimed, not believing his ears.

Mulder look slightly perplexed,   "If I didn¹t know any better I¹d swear
that wasŠ"   he trailed off.

"Elizabeth!!"   Lucky finished as both he and Mulder sprinted for the yacht
entrance at the end of the tunnel.

Luke, Jason, and Carly, quickly followed, with Sonny and an unconscious
Robin bringing up the rear.
 

ElsewhereŠ

Laura was a nervous wreck.  She¹d heard the screams and the commotion in the
distance, and she¹d seen two guards emerge from the room go to check on the
noise.

"Bobbie?  Lizzie B.?  Why don¹t you answer me?"   She said into her
mouthpiece,   "Are you guys okay?  Please say something!"

Earpiece:   "Laura?"    "Mom?"

Laura nearly doubled over in relief,   "Luke!  Lucky!"    She exclaimed,
"Thank God!"

Earpiece:  "Where are you three?"   Luke asked,   "And what the hell is
going on?"   "Yeah, mom, we thought we heard Elizabeth scream."   Lucky
chimed in.

"Bobbie, Lizzie B. and I are on Helena¹s yacht."   She explained,   "Listen,
I think Bobbie and Lizzie B. are in trouble, but I¹m afraid that Helena will
leave with Scully and Nikolas as soon as I move.  I tried to call them but
they¹re not answering."

Earpiece:   "Can you tell us exactly where you are on the yacht?"   Mulder
asked

"Yes, approximately."   Laura replied, then thought a second,   "Wait a
minute, how did you guys hear Lizzie B.?  Where are you?"

Earpiece:   "Same place as you.  We heard her scream when we were in the
tunnel connecting the island to the yacht."   Luke explained quickly,
"When we got here we found bricks everywhere, and no Lizzie B., just her
headset."

"Where ever she is, Bobbie¹s with her."   Laura asked,   "You guys have to
find them as quickly as possible because Helena sent two guards to find out
what the big commotion was, and it¹s only a matter of time before they find
them."
 

ElsewhereŠ

"You see him yet?"   Lizzie B. whispered to Bobbie.

"Yeah, I think he¹s coming."   Bobbie whispered back as she got into
position.

"You ready?"   Lizzie B. asked.

"Yeah, go for it."   Bobbie said.

Lizzie exited her hiding place, and walked across the open doorway.  The
guard immediately spotted her and headed in her direction.  As soon as the
guard reached the inside of the threshold, Bobbie knocked him unconscious
using a bust statue of Caesar.

"Gotcha!"    Bobbie said, victoriously.

"Great!"   Lizzie exclaimed, then she looked over at Bobbie,   "Say, I been
meaning to ask you, where¹s Laura?"

"It¹s a long story, right now I need to let the others know that we¹re
okay."   Bobbie said, as she reached for her mouthpiece.

Lizzie B. looked confused,   "What others?"   she asked.

"The men are on board.  I heard them talking on my earpiece a minute ago."
 She explained,   "They¹re looking for us."

"Luke?  Are you there?  It¹s me, Bobbie."   She said.

Earpiece:   "Barbara?"  Luke said.   "Bobbie?"  Laura said.    "Aunt
Bobbie?"  Lucky said,  "Please tell me that Elizabeth is with you?"

"Elizabeth is right here beside me.   She and I are both fine."   Bobbie
assured him.

Lizzie B. broke into a grin, immediately knowing who Bobbie was talking to.
 "Tell Lucky I said Œhi¹."   She said.

"Elizabeth just said to tell you Œhi¹."  Bobbie said with a smile.

"Forgive me ladies, but I must ask you to come with me."   a voice said from
behind.

Both Lizzie B. and Bobbie turned to see two more of Helena¹s henchman
standing in the doorway.

Bobbie looked over at Lizzie B. and said,   "This just isn¹t our day, is
it?"

Lizzie B. rolled her eyes.   <Lucky¹s gonna kill me.>
 
 

Chapter 47

On the yachtŠ

"Is Bobbie okay?  Can I talk to her?"   Carly said, looking from Jason to
Luke.

"Yeah, she said that her and Lizzie B. are just fine."   Jason assured her.

"Here, use this one."   Luke offered as he gave her Lizzie B.¹s lost
headset.

She took it thankfully,   "Bobbie?  It¹s me, Carly.  I just wanted to let
you know that I¹m okay."   Carly said,   "You¹re not too mad at me for lying
are you?"

A moment passed and still no answer.

"Bobbie?"   Carly repeated, looking over at Luke,   "Why isn¹t she saying
anything?"

He gave her a confused look, then began talking into his mouth piece,
"Barbara?!  What¹s going on?"   he demanded,    "Can you at least tell us
where you two are?"

"Aunt Bobbie?  What happened?"   Lucky said into his mouthpiece.

"Something¹s wrong."    Sonny stated.

Earpiece:   "What?  What happened?"   Laura asked.

"We don¹t know; Barbara¹s not answering anymore."    Luke told her.

Mulder addressed the group,   "Looks like Helena¹s men must have gotten to
them."   He concluded,   "What do you suppose they¹ll do?"

"They might take them back to where Helena¹s keeping Nikolas and Scully."
Jason suggested.

"Or they might just shoot them and throw the bodies overboard."   Sonny
stated bluntly,   "The Old Lady already has what she wants.  Bobbie and
Elizabeth are just dead weight at this point."

"I¹m with Sonny."   Luke said,   "Extra cargo will just slow her down."

"We have to find them now."   Lucky said, determined.

"Okay, how about this: Lucky and I will go find Lizzie B. and Bobbie, while
you guys go get Laura and see what you can do about Scully and Vlad Jr."
Luke suggested.

"I¹m wanna go with Luke and Lucky."   Carly announced.

Jason immediately shook his head,  "That¹s out of the question, Carly."   He
told her,   "It¹s too dangerous, and plus you¹d just slow them down."

"Jason¹s right, Carly.   It¹s best if you go with us."   Mulder said.

"Yeah, but what if they need help rescuing them?"   Carly asked, directing a
worried look towards Luke and Lucky,   "Shouldn¹t we call the police or
something?"

"That¹s actually not a bad idea."   Sonny admitted, then looked over at Luke
and Lucky,   "You guys get going, and we¹ll take care of the rest."

Earpiece:   "Luke!  Are you going to tell me what¹s going on or do I have to
find out for myself?!"  Laura asked, slightly peeved.

Luke looked sheepish,   "Sorry, Darlin¹, didn¹t mean to leave you hanging.
Lucky and I gotta take care of something right quick, but Mulder and the
rest of the crew is headed your way, and they¹ll fill you inŠ"
 

ElsewhereŠ

Brenda is setting in a chair in Commissioner Scropio¹s office, listening to
V read her statement.  Although she is supposed to be checking it for
errors, her mind has wondered.  She is worried because she hasn¹t heard back
from Bobbie or Elizabeth.

<It¹s been too long.  I shouldŒve heard from them by now.>  Brenda thought
nervously,   <Okay, five more minutes, and then I¹m definitely spilling the
beans.>

"Brenda?"   V said, trying to regain her attention,  "Did you hear any of
what I just said?"

Brenda snapped out of her thoughts, and looked over at V in confusion,
"I¹m sorry, were you talking to me?"  she asked.

"UhŠYeah, for the past five minutes.  I was reading your statement,
remember?"  she said sarcastically,   "The statement that you just gave us,
the same statement that you were supposed to be checking for errors as I
read it aloud.  Any of this ring a bell?"

"Oh, yeah, okayŠwell uhŠ could you just pick up where you left off."
Brenda told her.

V looked puzzled,   "Where I left off?  Don¹t you mean where you left off?"
 she said,   "You were the one in a daze."

Brenda looked slightly sheepish,   "Oh, well, in that case, maybe you should
start from the beginning."   She replied.

V rolled her eyes,  < Geez!  I¹ll never see what Jax ever saw in that ditzy,
brainless, ŒI Dream of Jeannie¹ wanna be.>   she thought.

V cleared her throat in an effort to keep from screaming in frustration.
"Alrighty, let¹s take it from the topŠ.again."   she said, then began to
plow through Brenda¹s statement.

Brenda tried to keep her mind of what V was saying but she couldn¹t.  She
was too worried.

<Why doesn¹t she just shut up and go away?  It¹s not like I can¹t read!>
Brenda thought in annoyance,
<I already have enough on my mind without having to listen to her ramble on
and on.>

Just then, someone tapped into her frequency.

Earpiece:   "Brenda?"   Sonny said,   "Brenda, answer me!"

Brenda snapped out of her thoughts in a flash,   "Sonny!  Oh good, you can
help them."    She exclaimed, then proceeded to explain,   "Listen, I know
they weren¹t supposed to leave the van but Laura, Elizabeth, and Bobbie
wentŠ"

V glanced up from her reading, and looked over at Brenda oddly.

Earpiece:   "Skip it, we already got the low down from Laura."   Sonny said,
  "Look, I need you to get the police over here as quickly as possible, and
call the paramedics too.  Robin¹s been shot, Carly dislocated her shoulder,
and I¹m pretty sure the Cassidine kid is gonna need some mending, too."

"Ah, you mind telling me why you¹re talking to your sleeve?"   V asked,
giving Brenda a strange look.

Brenda didn¹t even glance her way, she simply held up her hand,   "Shhhhh!
He¹s talking!"   she said.

V rolled her eyes,   "Forgive me, shall I leave the two of you alone?"  she
asked, sarcastically.   <Okay, I think she¹s been to one mall too many.>   V
thought.

"What do you want me to tell them?"   Brenda asked, ignoring her.

Earpiece:   "Anything, everything, it doesn¹t matter,"   Sonny said.   "Just
get them over here, now!"

Brenda nodded wildly,   "Okay, okay, I¹m on it."   She assured him in
closing.

As soon as she¹d finished her conversation, Brenda immediately dropped her
sleeve, and all but leaped up from her seat.

"I need help!"   she exclaimed, looking over at V.

"You most certainly doŠ."

ElsewhereŠ

Elizabeth and Bobbie sat on the floor side-by-side.  LizzieB.¹s right hand
was handcuffed to Bobbie¹s left one.

"Who else is here?"  one of the henchmen asked,   "How many?"

Lizzie B. and Bobbie both looked at one another, and then back at the goons.
 Neither said a word.

One of them moved closer to Lizzie B.,   "You either tell us or we kill
you."   He said menacingly,   "It¹s your choice."

"You¹re going to kill us anyway, so why should we tell you anything."
Lizzie B. stated, defiantly.

At this point, the other goon spoke up,   "Because you might live a little
while longer if you tell us what we need to know."   He informed her.

"Go to hell!"   Bobbie aimed at them.
 

A few yards awayŠ

"Damn!"   Luke swore softly, as he lowered his gun,   "She¹s in the line of
fire."

"What do we do now?"  Lucky asked in hushed tones,   "We can¹t sneak up
behind them; this area¹s too open."

Luke took a quick look around,   "We need a distraction.  Something that¹ll
get them away from the women for a second or two."

Just then, something occurred to Lucky,   "Hey, dad, you think maybe Aunt
Bobbie still has her earpiece in?"  he asked,   "Before when Carly was
talking to her, maybe she heard us, but she just couldn¹t answer."

"It¹s worth a shot."   Luke agreed, and then began speaking into his
mouthpiece,   "Barbara?  Barbara, Lucky and I are about four or five yards
away from where you are now.  We¹re over to the left.   Listen, if you can
hear me cough or sneeze or something, okay?"

A second later, they heard Bobbie clear her throat rather loudly.

Lucky smiled at his dad,   "She definitely heard you."
 

MeanwhileŠ

Bobbie¹s mind was going wild.   <How do I get Lizzie B. to understand?>  she
thought.

"Alright, time¹s up.  It¹s now or never."   One of the goons said,   "How
many?!"

Lizzie B. looked over at Bobbie once again, at which point Bobbie took the
opportunity to roll her eyes in the direction of the Luke and Lucky.

Lizzie B. looked at her oddly, as if trying to figure out what she was
trying to say.  Bobbie then scratched at her ear, and again rolled her eyes
in the direction of the men.

Just then the one of the goons yanked them up off the floor, but not before
Bobbie saw Elizabeth¹s eyes widen with understanding.

All four were now standing, and both goons had their guns trained on Bobbie
and Elizabeth.

"Wait!"   Elizabeth exclaimed,   "UhŠI uhŠI¹ll tell you what you want to
know."

"I knew she¹d be the one to crack."   One of them said, as they both threw
their heads back and laughed.

Lizzie B. and Bobbie seized upon this slip.   Bobbie punched one goon in the
jaw with her free hand, while LizzieB. kicked the other in the groin, and
then they made a dive for the floor.

Shots rang out, and everything went blackŠ.
 

ElsewhereŠ

"Jason!  You can¹t just leave me here.  I wanna help."   Carly pleaded,
"And beside, what if someone finds me?"

"They won¹t, if you be quiet and stay out of sight.  Now, CarlyŠ"   He
began, pausing to get his point across,   "I have to go help Sonny and
Mulder, but you stay here and wait for the police and the paramedics.  I¹ll
work a lot better knowing that you¹re safe, okay?"

"But, what about Robin?"   Carly asked, pointing downward,   "What if she
dies?   You can¹t leave me here with a dead body.   The police will think I
did it; she tried to kill me last night, remember?  If that¹s not motive
enough I don¹t know what is."

Jason laughed,   "Okay, Carly, now you¹re being ridiculous."   He told her,
then added soberly,   "As far as Robin¹s concernedŠI¹m beyond caring what
happens to her.  Look, I have to go now, so for once just do what I say."

"You¹ll bring everybody back with you, right?"   She asked, worriedly.

Jason leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then looked into
her eyes, and said confidently,  "We¹re all coming back."
 
 
 
 
 
 

Chapter 48

On the yachtŠ

There was a faint haze of pistol smoke in the air.   Bobbie, Lizzie B., and
the two goons lay on the floor in a tangled heap, while Luke and Lucky stood
a few yards away with twin guns still leveled in the direction of the
floored foursome.  A second later, they lowered their weapons.

"Elizabeth?  Aunt Bobbie?  Are you guys okay?"  Lucky asked as he advanced
towards the heap.

Luke followed behind cautiously,   "Watch yourself, Lucky."   Luke warned,
"Just because they¹re down doesn¹t mean they¹re out."

As Lucky approached, he could see that Elizabeth lay face down half on top
of his Aunt Bobbie.  He reached the heap and immediately bent down to access
any possible injuries, while Luke relieved the goons of their weapons.

"Baby?  Are you hit?"   Lucky asked, as he gently rolled Elizabeth over onto
her back.

Luke retrieved the keys to the handcuffs from the pocket of one of the
guards, and then joined Lucky next to the women.  He looked at the two, and
then over to Lucky.

"They okay?"   Luke asked, unaware that he was holding his breath.

"Yeah, I think they¹re just out."   Lucky said, pointing to side of his
aunt¹s head,   "See that bump forming?  She must¹ve hit her head on the
floor when she went down.  Elizabeth probably did, too."

Luke let out a sigh of relief,   "Man, that was close."   He said,   "When I
saw them laying there like thatŠ."

Lucky caught his father¹s glaze, and they exchanged a look of understanding,
  "Yeah, I know, I thought the same thing."   He admitted.

"Well, let¹s get¹em unhooked."   Luke said, as he reached over to unlock the
cuffs,   "You get the little darlin¹, and I¹ll take care of Barbara."

Once the cuffs were off, Luke bent over his sister in an effort to wake her,
as did Lucky with Lizzie B.

Earpiece:   "Hey, Guys!  A status report would be nice."   Mulder said,
"What¹s with the shooting gallery we just heard?"

Luke smiled as he answered,   "Everything¹s fine.  Lucky still has a
girlfriend, you still have an assistant, and I still have a sister."   He
said flippantly, then added devilishly,   "Oh, and tell my wife that she
still has one Hell of a husband."

Several chuckles followed Luke¹s comment.

Earpiece:   "Well, tell my husband that if wants to keep his wife, he¹d
better not ever scare her like that again."   Laura replied, joyously.

"Sorry, Darlin¹."   He said, with a grin.

Just then, there was a low moan coming from the floor.

"Listen, it¹s looks like the girls are coming around, so we¹ll be with you
in a few."   Luke said in closing.

Lucky had already lost interest in the conversation, as he looked down at
his Baby.   Her head moved slightly followed by a crinkle in her brow.  A
moment later, she began to squirm, as she slowly became aware of the aches
and pains in her mid-drift.

"Elizabeth?"

Her eyes immediately flew open at the sound of his voice,   "Lucky!"

He smiled down at her,   "Hey, Baby."  He said softly, as he touched her
face,   "I thought I told you to stay put."

She made a face.   "No, I think your exact words were ŒElizabeth, you¹re not
setting foot back on that island¹."   She mimicked.

Just beside themŠ

"Ugh!"

"Sis?"  Luke inquired as he tapped Bobbie on the side of her face.

Bobbie still had her eyes closed, but she recognized her brother¹s voice.

"Luke?"

"The one and only."   He replied, then he helped her sit up,   "Glad to have
you back, Barbara."

Just beside themŠ

"How¹s the pain?  Can you stand up?"   Lucky asked.

Lizzie B. winced at the mere thought.

"I don¹t know, my sides hurt a lot and my head¹s a little sore too."   She
said, then tried to move.

"Hold still, let me take a look first."   Lucky said as he raised her
sweater up.

From what he saw, she had indeed re-injured her ribs, and there also
appeared to be a few new bruises forming as well.

"HmmmŠ."

"Well?"   Lizzie B. inquired,   "What¹s the verdict, Doc?"

He looked up, and smiled,   "Let me put it this way; at least now, your
right side won¹t feel left outŠ."
 

ElsewhereŠ

"How long do you think she¹ll wait?"   Laura asked.

"Not long."   Jason answered,   "I¹m sure Cassidine¹s figured out by now
that someone¹s on to her."

"I say we make our move now."   Mulder suggested,   "Four of her men are
down, she¹s blind to our position, and plus the PCPD will be here soon to
back us up.  This is the best chance we¹re gonna have at nailing her and
getting Scully and Nikolas back safely."

"Let¹s do it."   Sonny said.

Laura stayed crouched down some ways back from the door, while the three men
each took position in front of it

A minute later Luke and Bobbie arrived on the scene.

Luke took a quick look around, and instantly realized what was going on,
"You guys weren¹t thinking of starting without us, were you?"   he asked
quietly

"No, actually, you¹re just in time."  Sonny replied.

Laura smiled at her husband, then looked around,  "Where¹s Lucky and Lizzie
B?"  she asked.

"Oh, we sent them up above to wait for the ambulance."   Luke informed her.
 

Mulder immediately looked to Bobbie.

"Elizabeth was a little worse for wear."   Bobbie explained,   "But she¹ll
be fine."

Mulder sighed in relief at her words.  Luke joined Sonny near the door while
Bobbie took up residence beside Laura.

"So what¹s the plan?"   Luke asked softly.

"She¹ll probably have a guard on the door, so we were going to draw him out
first."   Jason whispered.

Just then, they heard approaching sirens in the background.

"I¹ve got an idea."   Sonny said, as he reached into his pocket and pulled
out a lighter,   "I need something that¹ll burn."
 

Inside the roomŠ

Nikolas lay feverish and unconscious on a bed set up near the back wall of
the room.  Scully sat beside him on the bed.   Ari stood by the door, while
the other guard kept his eyes on Scully and Nikolas.

"It¹s over.  The police and the FBI are probably outside getting into
position as I speak."  Scully informed them,   "You have no choice but to
release us, and turn yourselves in."

Ari glanced around nervously,   "She¹s right, Vincent.  Why else would Frank
and the others have been gone this long."   He said anxiously.

Vincetnt shook his head in denial,   "I¹m not buying it.  No one could
possibly know we¹re here; everyone from the party is dead!  I say we wait
for Helena to return."    He said.

Just then, Ari spotted smoke coming from beneath the door.

"Look, they¹re using tear gas on us!"   he exclaimed,    "You can stay here
if you want, but I¹m not waiting around to go to prison."

Ari then dropped his machine gun, reached down, and grabbed one of the gas
masks on the floor.  He then yanked open the door and fled.

He got no further than three feet outside the door before Luke stepped from
the side and knocked him out with the handle of his pistol.  Jason and
Mulder caught the body, and pulled him over to the side.

The second guard eyed the open door suspiciously,   "Ari?"  he called, but
to no avail.

He took a step forward, and looked out cautiously, but he couldn¹t see
anyone.

He then turned the gun on Scully,   "Up!  Get up, and closed the door."   he
ordered.

Scully hesitated for a second.

The guard then pointed the gun at her head,   "Now!"   he shouted.

Scully got up slowly, and walked towards the door.  Vince had the gun
trained on the back of her head the entire time.

"That¹s far enough.  Just kick it closed from where you are."   He told her.

She did as she was told, but not before she caught a fleeting glimpse of
Mulder through the crack where the hinges connect the door to the frame.
 

Up aboveŠ

The police and ambulance had just arrived on the scene.   As soon as the
first car came to a halt, Brenda, Mac, and V. exited the vehicle, and
quickly headed towards the yacht.  Lucky was the first person they saw.   He
came down to meet them on the shore.

"Lucky!"   Brenda exclaimed,   "Where is everybody?  Sonny said that Robin
and Carly were hurt."

"Yeah, and you can add Elizabeth to that list."   He said, as he directed
them to where the injured lay.  "Follow me."

Lucky led them up the ramp onto the ship, and walked over to the lifeboats
sitting nearby.  He then pulled off the flap that covered the two small
crafts.

There was a chorus of gasps, as the three women became visible.

In the first boat, Lizzie B. lay on her back, awkwardly.  She was conscious,
but obviously in pain.  She winced with every breath she took, and there was
an obvious lump forming on her right temple.

In the adjoining boat, Robin lay on her side, while Carly was crouched down
next to her in a seemingly uncomfortable position.  Both women¹s clothes
were torn and bloody.  Carly was fully conscious, her arm still in a sling,
while Robin was completely out of it.

Mac immediately turned towards the fleet of emergency vehicles and squad
cars on shore,   "TAGGART!  Get some paramedics up here now!"   he shouted,
 "And get some more men up here too."

"Everyone else is down below."   Lucky said, looking at Brenda.

Mac pulled Lucky and Brenda over to the side as the paramedics and the SWAT
team began to file in.   "I need to know exactly where they are, and what¹s
going on."   He said firmly, looking from one to the other.
 
 

Chapter 49

Down below, on the yachtŠ

"How many?"   Sonny asked.

"Just one that I could see."   Mulder replied softly,   "And he had what
looked like a machine gun."

"I figured as much."   Sunny returned,   "What else did you see?"

"Nothing, Scully was blocking my line of sight."   he replied,   "Although,
I think it¹s reasonable to assume that he¹s the last one, why else would he
send Scully to close the door."

"He has to know something¹s up."   Luke said,   "There¹s no way he¹s going
to be lured out as easily as Ari here."

Just then, Jason thought of something.  He immediately looked over to
Mulder.

"Mulder, did Scully see you?"   Jason asked.

"Yeah, why?"   he replied.

Jason didn¹t answer right away.  He glanced at Sonny, and then exchanged a
look.

Mulder noticed the silent communication between the two.   "What¹s on your
mind?"   he asked.

Sonny looked at Mulder,   "How close are you two?"   he inquired seriously.

"What?"   Mulder returned perplexed.

"I think I know where he¹s going with this."   Luke said,   "What Sonny
means is, how good are you and Scully at reading each other?"

"We¹re usually on the same wavelength."    He stated.

"Good.  Here¹s the planŠ."   Sonny said.
 

Inside the roomŠ

"If that¹s the police up above then why is it so quiet out there?"   Vincent
said nervously.

As if on cue, a small scratching noise broke the silence.   Vince jumped
slightly in response to it, and immediately looked over at Scully.

"Did you hear that?"  he asked, then continued without waiting for answer,
"Go open the door, and see if someone¹s out there."

Again, Scully stood up, and slowly walked over the door.  She was halfway
there when Vincent blocked her path with the machine gun.

"WaitŠ"

He then quietly walked over, and stood directly to the left of the closed
door, so that when the door was opened he would be able to look through the
crack.

He then silently beckoned for her to continue.   As ordered, Scully
continued towards the door.  Once there, she reached down, turned the knob
ever so slowly, and began to pull the door open.

Meanwhile, on the outside, Mulder was standing flat against the wall to the
left side of the door.  He held a revolver in his right hand, and he watched
silently as the door slowly opened.

Scully had only pulled the door open about a foot when Vincent silently
instructed her to stop.  He then peeped through the crack, while Scully
looked out the open door.

Her eyes immediately fell on Mulder.   His eyes widened, and then quickly
rolled around in every direction, silently asking where her captor was.

Scully understood his body language perfectly, and she darted her eyes over
to the left in response.

Vincent, oblivious to their exchange, was still busy peering through the
crack when Mulder quickly stepped out from his hiding place, aimed at him
through the crack, and pulled the trigger.

Vince dropped his gun, and yelped in pain, as the bullet caught him in the
stomach.  Scully knocked the machine gun out of his reach with her foot.
She then headed back to check on Nikolas.

"Scully, you okay?"   Mulder asked.

"I¹m fine.   Mulder, we have to get him to the hospital as soon as possible.
  He¹s still suffering from the effects of that gas, and I think he may have
pneumonia, too."   Scully called over her shoulder,   "And we need to find
Carly.   I¹m fairly certain Helena left her and Robin down in the catacombs.
  Helena¹s goons are bricking up the tunnel entrance as we speak."

"Hey, somebody go up top, and get the paramedics down here!"   Mulder
shouted, then turned to address Scully,   "Don¹t worry, we already found
Carly and Robin.  Carly¹s okay, but Robin took a shot to the chest.  They¹re
both probably on their way to GH by now."

Luke, Sonny, Jason, Laura, and Bobbie all began to file out of their hiding
places, and into the room.

"Nikolas!"   Laura exclaimed as she brushed passed everyone to get to her
son.

"Where¹s Helena?"   Luke asked, glancing around.

"I¹ll get the paramedics."   Bobbie announced as she turned to do just that.

"Don¹t bother.  They¹re right behind me."    Mac said, as he entered the
room along with Lucky and Brenda.  Two heavily equipped EMT¹s followed close
behind.

"Sonny!"   Brenda shouted at he launched herself into his arms.

"Whoa, Baby, relax.  I¹m fine."   He told her softly, then he pulled back
and look into her eyes,   "You did good."

"How is he, Mom?"   Lucky asked looking from his mother to his brother.

"Lucky!  I¹m so glad you¹re here."   Laura said, looking at him with pure
fear in her tear-filled eyes.

One of the paramedics headed towards the bed to care for Nikolas, while the
other crouched down near the door to attend to Vince.  Outside, V was
reading Ari his rights while Garcia put him under arrest.

"Okay, folks, we need to clear this room."   One of the paramedics said,
then glanced at Scully,   "Can you give me a status report?"

Scully relinquished her seat to the EMT as she updated him on Nik¹s
condition.   "He¹s had a prolonged exposure to an as yet unidentified gas,
more than likely toxic.  His breathing is labored, and he¹s been in and out
of consciousness.  There¹s also some congestion in his lungs; possibly
pneumonia."

"When was the last time he was lucid?"   he asked.

"Fifteen, maybe twenty hours ago."    Scully replied.

Jason looked down at Bobbie,   "There¹s nothing more we can do here.  Why
don¹t we go check on Carly."   He suggested with a smile,   "I know she¹s
dying to see you."

Bobbie readily complied, giving her brother a reassuring smile on her way
out.

Afterward, Luke came up behind his wife, and pulled her into his arms.
"Darlin¹, you have to let the Docs do their thing, okay?"   he told her
soothingly.

"Dad¹s right, Mom."   Lucky agreed,   "Let¹s head back up top, and then you
can ride with Nik to the hospital."

Laura reluctantly agreed, and the three of them exited the room.

"What happened here?"   Mac asked, addressing Mulder and Scully.

Mulder blew him off,   "Later."   He replied without moving from Scully¹s
side.

"NOW!"    Mac shouted, then continued angrily,   "This is all your fault.
If Robin, Miss Webber, or Nikolas Cassidine dies I will hold you personally
responsible.  You just couldn¹t stay out of it could you?  I put included
you in the search party, but that just wasn¹t enough, was it?   NO!  You had
to put together you own SWAT team, and go off half-cocked.  Hell, you¹re
lucky I don¹t hall your ass in for interfering with an on-going police
investigation."

At this point, Sonny stepped in,   "Ease up there, Commissioner."   He
directed at Mac.   "Look, I know that finding out about Robin was hard,
especially now that she¹s been shot, but don¹t take out your frustrations on
the detective here.  He, his assistant, and Dr. Scully have not only solved
your case for you, but they also saved the lives of you, your wife, your
niece, your friends Taggart and Garcia, and half the rest of the town, but
if you¹re still looking for something to do or someone to blame why don¹t
you do us all a favor and go find the Old Lady."

Mac was slightly put-off by Sonny¹s comments, although he seemed to back
down.

"First thing tomorrow morning, I want to see you two and Miss Webber for an
official debriefing."   Mac stated sternly, looking from Mulder to Scully.

Just then, the more paramedics arrived, and began transporting Nikolas and
Vince out.
 

MeanwhileŠ

Jason and Bobbie have just arrived up top, with Luke, Laura, and Lucky
directly behind them.  There were people everywhere: paramedics, policemen,
FBI, SWAT teams members, and the media covered the top area, while curious
on-lookers gathered on the shore.

Jason and Bobbie made their way over to the lifeboats.   Once there, they
learned that Carly and the other two women had already been shipped off to
the hospital.

"Come on, let¹s take the Van and head over to GH."   Jason suggested to
Bobbie.

"Wait, let me just see if they want to ride along with us."   Bobbie
replied, looking over at Luke, Laura, and Lucky.

Lucky decided to ride with Jason and Bobbie, while Luke stayed behind with
his wife to wait on Nikolas.

Laura looked up at her husband rather oddly.  Luke noticed her expression,
and his curiosity got the better of him.

"What?"

"Nothing.  I was just wondering why you didn¹t go with Lucky to the
hospital."   Laura replied,   "Could it be that you¹re a little worried
about Nikolas, too?"

Luke rolled his eyes at his wife¹s comment.   "Don¹t kid yourself, Angel,
I¹m just here for moral support."  He informed her, then added flippantly,
"And if I were worried, and I¹m not saying that I am, but if I were, it¹s
only because I know how much the little vamp means to you, Lucky and Lulu,
that¹s all."

Five minutes later, the paramedics appeared with Nikolas, and Vince,
followed by Mulder, Scully, Brenda, and Sonny.

Mulder told  Sonny and Brenda to wait for him, then he and Scully came over
to Luke and Laura.

Scully looked at Laura, and said confidently,   "Don¹t worry.  Your son will
be fine; he¹s youth, strong, and healthy and I see no reason why he won¹t
come through this.  Pneumonia is very rarely fatal."

Laura stepped forward, and pulled Scully into a hug,   "Thank you."   She
said emotionally,   "Thank you for taking care of him."

Luke held out his hand, and him and Mulder shook hands,   "Nice work, Man."
 Luke said,   "If you ever need a favor don¹t hesitate to call."

"The feeling is mutual."   Mulder replied with a smile.

With that, Luke and Laura headed off toward the ambulance that now held
Nikolas.

Mulder looked down at Scully worriedly,   "Are you sure you¹re okay?"   he
inquired, then suggested,  "Maybe you should have the paramedics take a look
at you."

Scully smiled at his over-protectiveness,   "I¹m fine, Mulder."   She
assured him.

Mulder reached out and rested his hand in Scully¹s hair.   "Listen, I¹m
gonna head over to the hospital with Sonny and Brenda to check on Lizzie B."
  He said, looking at her tenderly.   "Why don¹t you let us take you over to
the Penthouse; you must be exhausted.  It¹s like Fort Knox there, so you can
rest easy."

"I¹d rather go with you, Mulder."   She said shakily,   "I want to make sure
Carly and Lizzie B. are okay, and plus IŠI would just prefer not to be alone
right now."

His other hand found it¹s way into her hair, and he pulled her into a
much-needed hug.  Scully¹s arms encircled Mulder¹s waist, and she rested her
head on his chest.  She was happy for the strength he provided.

"I missed you too, Red."   He whispered emotionally.

To be continued...



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