Here is chapter 6. Read and reply.
Author's note: Within this chapter is the name 'Kassadin'. There have been comments made about how the name Cassadine isn't very Russian. I'm no expert when it comes to the Russian language, but I agree with that assesment. I have supposed that the name Kassadin is closer to the true Russian name of the family and dropped that in. May be an interesting discussion point and I may delve into it in later chapters or another story.
Chapter 6
Lorenzo Alcazar could count on one hand the number of times he had been at Sonny Corinthos' estate. As he and Diego approached the gate, he made certain that neither of them had any weapons on them. Sonny's bodyguard, the hulking Max, stood in his path. Lorenzo knew how he would get in to see the coffee importer
"Tell Mr. Corinthos I need to see him. I have been sent by Angela Davis," he informed Max. At the young woman's name, Max noticeably softened and told them to wait out in the hall. Two minutes later Sonny Corinthos came out. "You need to come with me. Bring your bodyguards, bring your enforcer, bring whoever you feel you need to be safe. Angela needs you down on the docks, as does the mother of your daughter."
Sonny glared at Lorenzo. "What game are you playing, Alcazar?"
"No game. Helena Cassadine and her gunmen have taken hostage Alexis, her father, her nephew, your nephew and your brother. Angela needs you," Lorenzo implored him.
Sonny caught the look his rival gave him and believed, with every fiber of his being that he was speaking the truth. He nodded to Max and Milo, telling them to call Jason and have him meet them at the docks. As they left Greystone Sonny told Michael to keep an eye on his brother, sister and cousin. "What's going on?" he asked Lorenzo as they left.
Mickey and Sergei rushed into the Haunted Star, the floating casino that occupied a former Cassadine yacht. He found the owner, Luke Spencer, and his partner Robert Scorpio counting out the previous night's tally. Luke looked at Mickey and knew instantly something was wrong.
"What's wrong?" Spencer asked. He looked at the two of them and before either could answer, he responded, "Helena."
Mickey nodded gravely, answering for his father. "She has Mikkos, Alexis, Nikolas, Ric and Spencer hostage on the island."
Robert looked at them. "How do you know this?"
Sergei replied, "The butler, Alfred, escaped and warned Angela before she could go over." Sergei moved closer to Robert. "He seems to have been a former WSB agent."
Robert didn't respond the last comment. He looked at Luke, then Mickey. "Have the police been notified?"
"Ah, no. Angela felt they would be called in if the situation worsened," Mickey answered.
"Good thinking. Port Chuckles' finest would only make the situation go to hell in a hand basket faster. No offense to your brother, Robert," Luke said.
Robert smiled as the four men headed out the door. "Hey you're insulting your son's organization just as much as my brother's."
Luke rolled his eyes. "Please don't remind me." He stopped. "I need to let Laura know. If I don't, there'll be hell to pay."
As he took out his cell phone, Mickey stopped him. "Don't tell her everything. Just have her meet us at the docks."
Luke nodded as Laura answered. He told her just that: meet him at the docks. He told her he would explain all when they arrived. With that, Luke, Robert, Sergei and Mickey left the Haunted Star.
Alexis looked at her father in shock. Had she just heard him correctly? Did he say his wife? Did he mean her mother? Looking at Helena, she knew Mikkos had referred to Kristin.
It was Nikolas who asked the question running through Alexis' brain. "What do you mean your wife?"
"Nothing, Nikolas, he means nothing. He has lived with a delusion for years. That whore was nothing to you," Helena began, directing her words to Mikkos
"SHE WAS EVERYTHING TO ME!" Mikkos bellowed. "Every breath I took, since I was a child, was for her. It is YOU, my dear, who has lived with the delusion. It is a blessing that your brother woke up before you corroded him." Mikkos was so angry he could barely see. "You lived with the fantasy of us as the royal couple, happy with our sons, but that was never the reality. Nikolas, it is time you know the truth. Stavros and Stefan were not my sons. I had no sons." He looked at Alexis. "I had only two daughters, two princesses who were fruits of a promise made centuries ago, between the Kassadin and Romanov families."
"Lies, all lies. Nikolas, you are my beloved grandson, the son of my little prince Stavros," Helena began.
"There is no Cassadine Prince?" Alexis asked meekly, gathering her thoughts. She sat down on the couch as Ric looked on in confusion.
"No, but there is a Cassadine Princess," Mikkos answered.
"Not for long." Helena withdrew a pistol, aiming at Alexis. Ric saw her movement and, without hesitation, stepped in front of her as Helena pulled the trigger. The gun went off twice, striking Ric in the chest and stomach. He flew back at the impact, knocking into Nikolas. It took a minute for realization to hit the Cassadines.
"Ric! Oh, god, he's been hit," Alexis exclaimed. She reached for a pillow, something to apply pressure. Mikkos made a movement towards Helena, but was stopped when a guard came in to assist her. He backed off, looking at Ric. Alexis and Nikolas looked back at him, concern on all their faces.
Even from the distance Spoon Island was to the dock, Angela heard the gunshots in the distance. She ran towards the end of the pier, intent on getting to Wyndemere. Victor ran after her, holding her back. He, too, heard the noise and said a silent prayer that it was a mere warning shot. He then heard footfalls running towards them. He looked up and saw Robert Scorpio and Luke Spencer approaching.
"Was that a gunshot?" Luke asked as he came to Angela.
"Definitely sounded like one," Robert replied.
Angela turned to the two men, fear in her eyes. "My...my mother and grand...grandfather and Nikolas and little Spencer..." She couldn't continue.
"What about Nikolas?" a voice asked. Luke turned and saw Laura and Lulu at the top of the stairs. They rushed down and Lulu approached Angela.
"They're over there, darlin', with the witch. I just found out," Luke told them.
"Helena took them hostage. She's after the princess," Angela said, staring across the river.
Mickey embraced Angela, as she collapsed into him. He looked at Victor. "We heard two gunshots," Victor explained. "Angela, she ran. She would be swimming over there right now, but I stopped her."
Robert stared at the Cassadine. He was about to comment when Sonny Corinthos, Jason Morgan and Lorenzo and Diego Alcazar returned. "What's the situation?" Sonny asked.
It was Mickey who answered, Angela nearly weeping on his shoulder. "There were two gunshots fired out on Spoon Island. We heard them as we approached."
"Which means if you heard them, others down on the lower piers heard them and the cops are probably coming," Sonny assessed.
Angela pulled herself together. "Can you cut off access to the piers?"
Jason shrugged. "It's a lot of manpower."
Lorenzo answered. "If we combine our men, we may be able to."
Angela nodded. "We can't have any cops over there. They could make this worse." She turned to Lorenzo. "Do it," she ordered. Lorenzo nodded a made the call. Jason stared from Sonny to Lorenzo to Angela and back. Sonny nodded and Jason placed his call.
However neither man was quick enough, as Lucky Spencer came across the motley group assembled on the dock. Sonny Corinthos, Jason Morgan and Lorenzo Alcazar together were fishy, but then he saw his parents, sister and lastly, Angela. "What's going on? We got a call about gunshots out on Spoon Island."
No one answered at first. Then Luke looked at him. "It seems Helena's back and causing chaos."
After a refreshing breakfast in his suite, Darius Carleson settled in to make some phone calls. He dare not risk eating at the restaurant, fearing someone may recognize him, even after all these years. After finishing his calls, there was a knock at his door.
Wondering who would be there to see him, he approached the door. The knocking got louder and more insistent. Carleson opened the door to find Sergei Villianov outside. Sergei smiled, nodded his head and entered the room uninvited. Carleson checked outside before closing the door. Villianov fixed himself a cup of coffee and sat down. "I knew you would return."
"And how did you know that?" Carleson asked.
"You were tracking her, as was I. She has returned to finish a job she began as a teenager." Sergei took a sip. "She's over there now, causing more chaos, I'm sure." He laughed. "Even as a baby, she caused chaos."
Carleson began to pace. "Is there anything being done about it?"
"By now, for sure. Lorenzo Alcazar and Sonny Corinthos will certainly be joining forces. My son and I got Luke Spencer and Robert Scorpio to assist," Sergei replied. "Angela is frightened, though. She is blaming herself for setting this in motion."
"Angela is like her mother, always protecting her. Gate-keeping is what Alexis used to call it." Carleson looked out the window. In the distance, he could see Wyndemere. "The gatekeeper, no matter how despised, is the most important piece on the board. She know where all the bones are buried, all the moves to come."
"Who said that?" Sergei asked.
"Alexis quoted it once to me. I don't know who originated it. I'm not sure if that is even the correct phrasing." Carleson looked over at Villianov. "It was said in another lifetime, when we had different roles in life."
"You were master of the house, and she was your loyal subject," Sergei replied.
"How could I not see who she was? She, who held herself with such poise and such great dignity. When she went after what she felt was hers, what did I do?" Carleson turned back to the window. "When she lost Kristina there was a nest of vipers waiting to devour her and her daughter. Where was I?"
Sergei stood up and took Carleson's arm. "Blame yourself for anything. The inability to control Helena, the crimes against the Spencers, but do not blame yourself for not being there for Alexis. That was Helena." Sergei took Carleson's face in his hands. "Do something now. If you return, they will accept you. You were never far from their hearts. Nikolas needs you, to guide him in fatherhood. Angela needs you to be the protector, to school her further in strategy. Melanie needs you to be a father for her, hers is barely a memory to her. The little ones need their uncle. And Alexis," Sergei sighed. "Mikhail told me Angela visited the family cemetery there, hoping that it is true that Stefan Cassadine is truly alive."
Darius smiled. "I saw Melanie yesterday and I am certain that she saw me." He turned to Sergei. "What must I do?"
Before Sergei could answer, his phone rang. Opening it, he asked, "Has the situation changed?"
Mickey answer from down on the docks. "There were gunshots heard and the cops have arrived." He looked around. "Where did you disappear to?"
"That is on a need to know basis. At this time, for your own protection, you do not need to know. I will return shortly." With that, he hung up on his son. Turning to Carleson, he answered him. "What must you do? Return to your family. They need you now more than ever. Stop the fiend who tried to destroy you from your birth."
The other man nodded, a plan forming. He would at last avenge himself on Helena Cassadine and make her pay for all her crimes. Sergei saw the proverbial wheel turning, a smile forming on his lips.
