| Part 1 Port Charles 2003 The young woman crept through the alley towards Luke’s club. It was dark and damp. She shivered in the night air. Her dark eyes pierced the black night looking for the back door she knew had to be there. She turned the knob. It was locked. Damn! What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t just walk into the club. It was packed with people. The full parking lot told her that. Desperately, she looked around. Then she started pounding on the door. No one came. “Please!” She yelled. “Someone answer the door. Please let me in.” She froze as the feel of hard metal touched her back. Terror filled her heart. Her hand stopped literally in mid air. “Well, well, well,” a male voice said with condescension. “Look what we have here. Madame Cassidine figured it would be a matter of time before you tried to contact Luke Spencer. She was right. You fell right into our trap, Marisa.” Marisa’s mind rattled in thought. She had to do something, anything. “Please,” she begged loudly. “Please let us go. You don’t want to hurt us. Not really.” “Us? Does that mean he is with you?” the man asked. He was tall, over six feet. Compared to Marisa, he was a giant who outweighed her by over a hundred pounds. With his gun planted in her back, she was completely helpless. “He’s in a safe place. I won’t give him up,” She retorted. “I don’t care what that witch does. He’s safe, and you can’t have him.” Marisa cried out as her head exploded in varying degrees of light and sound. Her body slithered to the ground silently. “We’ll just see about that,” the man intoned as he wiped the blood of the handle that had knocked Marisa unconscious. He bent down to pick Marisa up. As he picked her up, he came face to face with Luke Spencer. Luke stood in the lit doorway. He looked in amazement at the man and the girl in his arms. Blood dripped from a wound on her head onto the ground. “Back off, Spencer, or Helena Cassidine will make you pay,” The abductor hissed. Luke was having none of it. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that foul play was going on. He lunged forward pushing the man backward so that he fell to the ground. Marisa fell as well, her body landing a few feet away from the door. She started to come around as the men fought. Crawling towards the door, she screamed and screamed. “Help! For the love of God, help him!” When no one came, Marisa pulled herself up. She was wearing a shoulder bag. Dazed, but aware of Luke trying to save her, she pulled a gun out of her bag. Luke didn’t see the gun, didn’t see her get up. Neither did the aggressive man who had tried to take her back, back to her prison. She pointed the gun, waited, aimed and fired. The sound of the gunshot made Luke stop cold. The bullet entered his enemy’s head. His eyes widened in instantaneous death. As the stranger died, his body crumbling in front of Luke, Luke turned to Marisa. Her hands trembled. The gun dropped to the ground with a clatter. Luke rushed forward. Marisa fainted into his arms. * * * * * She woke to find a woman wiping the side of her head with a washcloth. The sting of the hot water made her cry out. “It’s okay!” Laura Spencer assured the young girl. “You’re safe now.” “Safe, H*ll,” Marisa cried. “You’re hurting me!” “Well, it needs to be cleaned up,” Laura explained. “You were bleeding.” The memory came flooding back. Marisa looked around the bedroom she found herself in. The double bed was warm and clean, the room comfortably furnished. The light on the bedstand next to her illuminated the place cheerfully. She could still hear music from downstairs. “Where’s Luke?” She demanded. “Where’s Martin?” “Martin? You mean…” “That monster who hurt me, yes,” Marisa confirmed. “Luke and Nikolas are taking care of him. Don’t worry. He’ll conveniently disappear.” “You didn’t call the police?” Marisa cried. “Please tell me you didn’t?” Laura reassurred her. “No. Luke said he was one of Helena’s men. He and Nikolas took the man out to Helena’s yacht.” Marisa smiled at the thought. Helena would be furious. Her eyes widened as she realized what else Laura had said. “He got Nikolas to help him?” Marisa queried starting to calm down a little. “I’m surprised.” “Well there wasn’t anyone else in the club and Luke couldn’t do it alone.” “But Nikolas?” “How do you know Nikolas?” Laura wondered. “I know you,” Marisa evaded, smiling knowingly. Laura didn't miss the look. She stood back as Marisa took the washcloth, rinsed it out, then laid it on the bowl Laura had been using. Laura took the bowl and emptied it out in the bathroom. When she came back into the bedroom, Marisa was sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling on her shoes. “Whoa. Where are you going?” “There’s no time to waste. We have to get help.” Laura could see the girl was determined. “Help? For what? No one is going to hurt you. Luke won’t let Helena near you.” “It’s not me, I’m worried about.” Marisa finished tying her tennis shoes. She started to get up, then gasped as she fell back from the world spinning around her. “We should get you to the hospital,” Laura commented as she rushed forward. She sat down next to Marisa and let her lean against her. “You could have a concussion.” “No!” Marisa protested. “We have to get help. Now.” “Help for who?” Luke asked coming into the room. He stopped short as he really saw Marisa for the first time. He looked from Marisa to Nikolas who followed him into the room. The resemblance was uncanny. Nikolas gaped in shock when he saw Marisa for the first time. When he finally found his voice Nikolas couldn’t believe what he was saying. “Marisa?” He asked in wonder. “Marisa, is that you?” “Nikolas!” Marisa cried. “Oh God, if I had known you were here, I would have tried to get to you. You have to help us, please.” Finally Marisa could stand it no longer. Her head was pounding and her heart was still in fear of her life. She burst into tears. Pushing Laura away, she managed to get up and stumble towards Nikolas. He pulled her into his arms. “It’s all right, Marisa,” He crooned. “It’s all right, little one.” “You aren’t listening,” Marisa sobbed. “If we don’t get help for him, he’s going to die.” “Who?” Nikolas, Laura and Luke all demanded at once. Marisa laid her head against Nikolas’ chest. Then she turned to Luke and Laura. Her words were shocking to all three of them. “It’s Lucky,” She told them through her tears. “Its Lucky. He’s been shot.” * * * * * “Where are you, Marisa,” Lucky wondered out loud. He lay on the floor of the empty warehouse. He knew he was only a short distance from his father’s club, but he hadn’t been able to go further. Marisa had left him here, promising to return as quickly as she could. That had been hours ago. The blood from the wound in his side had saturated his shirt, leaving him weak, weaker than he had ever been. He wondered how long he could hold out before bleeding to death. “You are not going to die, Spencer,” Lucky told himself. “You didn’t get this far to die now.” The words were comforting. Lucky felt a little stronger. He was cold though, and he shivered as he tried to divert his thoughts from his current predicament. Invariably, his thoughts went over the last twelve hours, ever since they had broken away from Helena. The fact that he had been shot in the process was mote. They were free, and Lucky planned to stay that way, even if he died trying. He wasn’t going back. He had a life to live, a life that had been taken over by an imposter, a man who said he was Lucky Spencer, but he wasn’t. He was married to Elizabeth, but he wasn’t Lucky. His real name was David Poole and he was another one of Helena’s pawns. A pawn to make the people of Port Charles think that Lucky had come home when in fact he had been held hostage with Marisa for a total of four long years. “Marisa, you better be okay,” Lucky said out loud. “God I hope you are.” As if in response to his prayer, the door to the room burst open. Lucky hid further in the corner. If it wasn’t Marisa, he was in trouble. What if Helena’s men had found him? “Lucky!” Marisa called out. “Lucky, we’re here.” Lucky heard the wail of a siren outside. Someone had called the police. An overhead light was thrown on. Lucky tried to get up. He couldn’t. Suddenly, someone was bending over him. “Cowboy?” Luke Spencer asked. Helpless blue eyes met his. Instantly, Luke knew Marisa spoke the truth. How could he have been so blind? The stark emotional intensity, the love in Lucky’s eyes was something that Luke hadn’t seen since the night of the fire. Four long years. “Dad!” Lucky cried gratefully. “We tried to get to you, but it took us a while.” “Shhh, save your strength,” Luke ordered his son. He scooped the Cowboy up in his arms. Lucky shivered again in the cold that surrounded him. Luke ignored the blood that lay in mute testimony where Lucky had been lying. Marisa didn’t say anything. She just took Lucky’s hand. He looked at her. “What took you so long?” He asked half in jest, half seriously. “A few complications,” Marisa replied. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t be. You’re here now. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.” “Never!” Marisa said so fiercely, that Luke wondered again who the girl was. After she told them Lucky had been shot and was at the warehouse, she refused to say much more except to tell them that the Lucky they knew was a an imposter and if they didn’t want the real Lucky to die, they had better get help for him fast. Nikolas had called the ambulance from his cell-phone outside the warehouse. He was waiting for them. Marisa still hadn’t offered any information about herself. Luke had his suspicions. “Dad!” Lucky cried as they went outside. “Don’t leave Marisa. If Helena gets her…” “She won’t, Son. I promise. I don’t think Marisa is going to leave you. You’ll be safe at the hospital. She’s safe with us.” “Dad…” Lucky started to warn him. They weren’t safe anywhere, but Lucky was so tired. He leaned his head on Luke until the ambulance pulled up and the paramedics got out. They helped Luke to put his son on the stretcher. Almost reverently, Luke helped Lucky get as comfortable as he could on the hard stretcher. The paramedics hurried to check him over. After a few minutes, they had managed to check him over and put a pressure dressing on his side to stop the bleeding. They were loading him into the ambulance. Luke started to follow his son. Marisa touched his shoulder. “Take care of him,” She begged softly. Her eyes were pleading, her hands trembling just a little. “Do you want to go with him?” Luke asked. Marisa would have said yes if she hadn’t been as compassionate as Luke himself was. Luke clearly didn’t want to be parted from his son. She shook her head a little. “He’s waited a long time to be with you. We’ll meet you at the hospital.” “Sir, we have to go,” The Paramedic urged Luke. Luke squeezed Marisa’s hand, then got into the ambulance with Lucky and the paramedic. “Dad?” Lucky called with a weak voice. “I’m here, Cowboy,” Luke told the young man. Lucky, his heart pounding so hard and fast, he could feel it through his chest, gasped for air as he spoke. “Marisa? You can’t…leave her…can’t…Helena.” The paramedic put an oxygen mask over Lucky’s face while the ambulance sped down the road. Luke took Lucky’s hand in his. “Lucky, she’s with Nikolas. She’ll be safe with the Prince.” “You don’t understand!” Lucky cried, his voice almost hysterical. He tried to sit up, but could barely move. Luke had a sudden fear in his heart as Lucky squeezed his hand with all his might. Lucky took deep breaths trying to get in enough air to breathe. The paramedic was starting an IV, and not succeeding due to the movement of the ambulance. “Marisa,” Lucky whispered. “She…she…” “Lucky, it’s okay,” Luke said. “Just rest, Cowboy.” “Dad,” Lucky cried one more time. “Save her!” He fell unconscious as the ambulance drew up in front of the hospital. The paramedics rushed Lucky into the ER, leaving Luke outside, torn between waiting for Nikolas and Marisa and being in with Lucky. He was still standing outside when Laura arrived. Her hair mused, her face anxious, Laura Spencer fell into Luke’s arms and gave him a hug. Then she pulled back. “Where is he?” she demanded. Silently, Luke took his wife’s hand and led her into the ER. * * * * * Nikolas gently led Marisa to his Jag. He had followed Luke from the club. Leaning against the Jag, she put her hand on her head. “You should have gone in the ambulance,” Nikolas scolded. “You’re not going to faint on me are you?” “I think I’ve fainted enough for one night!” Marisa snapped. “Thank God!” Nikolas expostulated. “Marisa, what the hell is going on?” Marisa turned, leaning her body against the car, fixing Nikolas with a gaze that he knew only too well. Nikolas stood firmly, but he was still the same empathetic soul she had known since before she could remember. “Helena kidnapped us, Nikolas!” “I know that!” came the exasperated reply. “No, you don’t know anything. You don’t know what Helena has done to the Spencers, to me, to you, to all of us. If I have my way, I’m going to kill her someday.” “Marisa?” Nikolas had never seen the girl so fierce, so intense. “I just need to get to the hospital, Nikolas,” Marisa insisted. “I don’t want to talk about this now.” “Marisa. You’re not making any sense. You come to Port Charles where as far as I know, you’ve never been before, with a man who…I can’t even figure that part out.” “With your brother who has been missing for 4 years,” Marisa finished. “Lucky has been here,” Nikolas started. “No!” Marisa snapped. “He’s an imposter…” “Nikolas?” came a voice that stopped Marisa’s heart. She looked over Nikolas’ shoulder, and stared in absolute shock. “Oh God,” She breathed. Staring at Lucky’s face, knowing he was an imposter sent shivers through the girl’s heart. She felt far away as Nikolas turned to talk to him, to the man who had kept Lucky’s family appeased for so long. Nikolas, his own body filled with confusion was unable to respond at first to the imposter. He looked past the man. He shoved Marisa into the Jag. Throwing the keys in her lap, he yelled at her. “Go! Drive. Get out of here,” He told her. Marisa flew over the passenger seat into the driver’s seat. Nikolas tried to throw himself inside but was grabbed by two armed men while a stunned fake Lucky watched the scene unfold in front of him. Nikolas was pulled to his feet. The fake Lucky looked from Nikolas to the two men in confusion. “Nikolas? Let him go!” “No, Lucky. Not now. Not when we are so close,” said a voice that both the fake Lucky and Nikolas hated. Helena’s voice. She joined the group, then raised her own gun on both the young men. Nikolas was loosened. He stood enraged as his hands were tied. “Grandmother, you’ve gone too far this time,” Nikolas told the old woman. Helena, dressed impeccably in a black suit merely smiled in smug satisfaction. “On the contrary, Nikolas. I’ve just begun.” She turned to the young man who was so confused as he stood in front of her, his own hands being tied, his face contorted with worry and a silent rage. “Well, David,” She said softly. “I guess the game is up.” “David?” He asked. Clearly the man was as confused as Nikolas. In that instance, Nikolas knew this man truly believed he was Lucky. He had been brainwashed, whatever. Now Helena held both their lives in her hands. Nikolas’ stomach churned as one of the men grabbed him by the arms and held him still. The other man held David against him as Helena approached the two young men who stood facing each other. She looked from Nikolas to David, then back to Nikolas. “Pawns are so easily disposed of,” She told Nikolas who was chilled by her words. “It’s the King I need to take of, but ultimately it will be Lucky who decides your fate.” “Grandmother, you are making no sense.” “If Lucky and Marisa are not returned to me by tomorrow night, you will both die.” “Lucky’s practically dead now, Grandmother,” Nikolas snapped. A gag was placed over Nikolas’ mouth. He watched in stunned silence as Helena took her gun and put it to David’s temple. A look of panic flew across David’s face…Lucky’s face. Nikolas struggled to free himself, to save…In a split second the shot rang out, and the body crumbled to the ground. Nikolas swallowed the bile that rose in his throat at the sight of his brother, of the man who had been one of his best friends for three years. He loved him. He did. Or did he? The confusing emotions left Nikolas overwhelmed. He barely protested as he was led away. He knew now, his grandmother would kill him if she didn’t get what she wanted. With the gag rubbing on his mouth and gums, with his hands bound behind him, Nikolas felt like cattle being led to the slaughter. He could only hope and pray that Helena would be stopped before his life was sacrificed for Lucky’s. Walking through the darkness, his world crashing around him, the young Prince was only relieved that his sister and brother were safe, if just for the moment. |
| Part 2 |