Getting to The Truth-64
Mel pointed her gun at the thug entering the train car.
"Look who we have here," Jeff's voice boomed into the car. Mel groaned inwardly.
The thug twirled around to the voice, his gun pointed at Jeff and grinned evilly. Jeff grinned back and stepped out of the shadows so that the thug could see the gun now pointed at him. Mel swore she heard the gunfight music from an old Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western.
"Seems we are at a standstill," the thug said.
Jeff shook his head while he continued to grin at him, "I don't think so..."
The thug looked confused, but his face cleared as he felt the gun push into his back.
"Lower the gun....SLOWLY!" Mel said.
Jeff stepped forward and grabbed the gun from the thug's hands. He turned slightly, then came back with speed as his fist landed on the thug's nose. Blood went spewing from his nose as he fell back against the crates, dazed, his hand covering his nose. Jeff kneeled down beside him, "that was for manhandling my lady," he drew his fist back and hit the man again, rendering him unconscious. He stood up and wiped his hands, "And that was just for the hell of it."
Mel rolled her eyes and searched for something to tie the man up with. Finding a long piece of wire, she motioned for Jeff to roll the man over as she tied him up to the side of the car.
"What next?" Jeff asked, just as the door opened and two more of Sonny's thugs walked in. Jeff took them by surprise and jumped on them before they knew what was happening...between Mel and Jeff, the two thugs were quickly laying face down on the floor, unconscious. They tied them up with some more wire, being careful to keep them at a safe distance from each other so that they couldn't help each other out of their restraints.
Jeff stood up and brushed his hands together in a flourish, "I could get used to this hero stuff!"
Mel rolled her eyes again and picked up her gun, "Yeah," she snorted, "I noticed you were having fun."
"Now, now....don't get testy just because I had to help you apprehend your man!" he said, a twinkle in his eye.
She looked at him with disbelief, then shook her head at him, "Aren't you forgetting why we're here?"
His face grew solemn, "Believe me....I have not forgotten that Bethany is in need of help. Don't ever doubt that." He smiled suddenly, "But it wouldn't hurt if you mentioned to her all the men I knocked out in my quest to rescue her."
Mel laughed in spite of herself and situation, and lightly tapped him in the stomach, "Come on Superman...let's go do the hero thing and get the hell out of here."
"Any ideas of how to do this?"
"I suppose going in with guns blaring isn't an option," she thought out loud.
"I should say not. I don't want Beth hit in the crossfire. And I don't think Jerry Jacks would appreciate any bullet holes in his wife either," he said indignantly.
Mel nodded her agreement, "Maybe we should think about this for a second...what exactly is Corinthos planning on doing with Libby and Beth?"
"I don't want to think about that," he shuddered.
Mel opened the sliding door of the car slightly and stared outside to the darkness, "Where do these tracks go?"
"West to......Oh God!"
"What?"
Jeff stood next to her, pulling the door open a little wider, and searched the darkness desperately, "I know where these tracks go."
Mel watched Jeff's peculiar attitude, "Where?"
"The Niagara Gorge"
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When Jax, Jerry and Mac arrived at the old freight train depot, just outside of the Port Charles, they found it already crawling with police and county sheriffs.
"Have you got anything yet?" Mac asked.
The sheriff shook his head, "Nothing much here. I don't know what you think you might find here."
"Well, it's about time you people showed up," a crusty voice came through the rushing crowds of police uniforms. Jax stepped back and saw a thin, short, gray-haired, rugged-faced elderly man. His hands were on his hips indignantly as he scolded the police officers that were racing around him without listening to him. Jax stepped closer, his gut instinct telling him to listen to the old man.
"I called you people over 2 hours ago..." the man was shouting at anyone that would listen to him.
"Excuse me...." Jax held out his hand to the man, who looked at him suspiciously but finally shook the offered hand. "Did I hear you say you called the police a couple of hours ago?"
"Yessirree," the man said, "I called the minute I saw that train stop here. I knew something was wrong...a train ain't stopped here in years. Then when I saw those 2 women being pushed on the train, I knew I was right."
"Two women?" Jerry asked, stepping up beside Jax.
"Yep...two women it was...well three, if you count the other one...but she wasn't being forced. In fact, she was laughing about it all. And of course, I ain't countin' the woman that jumped on the train from the roof. I expected to see her splattered under the train, seeming that she jumped on it after it was already building up quite a speed. Didn't know freighters had that much speed...of course I remember the Donner Liner that used to come by here...now that was as fancy and as fast a train as you would ever hope to see...shame it went out of business. And then there was the Silver Streaker...now that was a beaut..."
"I'd love to hear all about the old days of trains, but some other time," Jerry said impatiently. "Could we get back to the train that was here tonight?"
"Well, there ain't no need to be rude about it," the old man complained.
"I apologize for my brother's rudeness, but you see...one of those women being forced on to the train was his wife. And, I'm betting that the woman you saw jump on the train was the woman I plan to marry."
"Ahhhh, I see. Which one is your wife?" he asked Jerry.
"She's blonde...about so high," Jerry held his hand up to his shoulders.
"Is she a beauty? Because I could tell that both of the women were beauties."
Jerry nodded, "Yes, she's the most beautiful thing you'll ever see."
"Well, I'm guessing that was your wife then. And she was giving them hell too."
"That's Libby alright," Jerry said with a quick grin.
"What about the woman that jumped on the train?" Jax asked.
"Yep...I figure she was a beauty too, although I didn't see her face too clearly. Had long hair, but it was back in a plait. It hung all the way down her back. She looked scared to death to jump, but the man with her said something to her. I figure she jumped with her eyes closed."
"There was a man with her?" Jax and Jerry asked at the same time.
"Yep...didn't I mention him?"
"Ummmm, no....you must have forgotten that part."
"Oh...well...I saw those crates loaded on the train and then a time later this big black car...what do they call them? Limozzzzines? Anyway, this dark man stepped out of the car and then several other people got out of the car with him. There were three women and 3 men that stepped out of there. I guess those cars hold a lot of people. Anyway, they pushed two of the women onto the train, and like I said, the blonde one was giving them hell. The other one was very quiet. I could tell she was scared out of her mind. After they were loaded up, the train started moving. I looked down the street and I saw these two people moving quietly up it, like they were sneaking up on something. They saw that the train was moving and I could tell that they were wanting on it. They finally climbed up on the roof of the depot and jumped. The man made it just fine, but the woman...well, she disappeared over the other side of the train."
Jax's heart stopped when he heard those words, "But she made it, right?"
"Well, after the train passed, I went looking for her body, but I didn't find it. So I'm guessing she made it," the man said.
"Who do you think was with Mel?" Jerry asked Jax.
"It had to be Jeff Peters," Jax said. "Mac said that he was following Libby and Bethany."
"Mel said that Jeff had gone after the two ladies," Mac said, making Jax and Jerry aware that he had been standing behind them, listening to the old man's tale.
"Commissioner!" an officer rushed to Mac and handed him a cell phone. "We just found this a little ways down the track."
"It's probably Mel's," Mac concluded. "She must have dropped it when she jumped on the train."
"Do we have any information on where the train was going?" Jerry asked, getting frustrated.
"Not yet," Mac answered.
"Well how about where these tracks lead?" Jax asked. "I mean...if we were to follow the tracks, wouldn't we catch up with the train. Especially if we took a helicopter?"
Jerry was on the phone before Jax had finished speaking, ordering a helicopter.
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Mel went through the door with her gun drawn of the car she suspected held Sonny and his hostages. She had the car sized up with one quick glance. Libby and Bethany sat on the floor against the wall of the car. Sonny sat in an oversized chair that made him appear to be a self-proclaimed king, Miranda standing by his side.
"I was wondering when you would make your appearance," Sonny said with a grin on his face. Jason and another man had their guns pointed at her. Mel looked at Bethany and Libby. Bethany looked as if she was about to faint with fear, although she was trying to put on a serene face so that her captor wouldn't know how scared she was. But Mel knew her sister enough to know it was all an act. She smiled at her, "Are you okay?"
Bethany nodded at her. Mel winked at her then turned her attention to Libby, "Jerry is going to kill you."
Libby laughed at her, "He'll have to stand in line. The pea brain vampire has decided she wants the pleasure of my demise."
"Hmmmmmm...and is she the one that gave you that black eye?"
Libby grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, the little twit sucker punched me while my hands were tied."
"And you let her get away with it?" Mel asked, stalling for time.
"Actually, she got a kick for her trouble. She'll be walking with a limp a lot longer than I'll have this black eye."
Mel laughed with delight as she pictured Libby getting her revenge on Miranda. "Some people never learn," she stated simply.
"Yep...but what can you expect from a peabrain?"
"That's it!!!" Miranda screeched, "That's the last time you are ever going to insult me Libby Jacks."
"For your information, you idiot, my name is Elizabeth Winters Jacks. Only my friends are allowed to call me Libby...and you aren't a friend."
"I'll call you anything I want," Miranda said snidely, "You are in no position to dictate anything to me."
Libby shook her head at the woman, "You're a pathetic excuse for a human being Miranda."
Mel watched in fascination as Miranda's face turned purple with outrage.
"Enough!" Sonny shouted.
"I want to know when I get to kill her," Miranda said. "You promised me that I could have that pleasure."
"All in good time," Sonny said. "You'll get your pleasure soon enough. And I'll have mine."
"And what is your pleasure Corinthos?" Mel asked, her gun still pointed at him.
"My pleasure?" Sonny asked softly, "My pleasure will be envisioning Candyboy Jacks' face when he finds your dead body. Yes....that will be my pleasure. Of course it would be more pleasurable to have him watch me kill the woman he loves...but he's not here, so I'll have to settle for him just knowing you are dead."
"Ahhhh," Mel said thoughtfully. "There's only one thing wrong with that plan."
"And what would that be?"
"I'm not going to die...you see...I told Jax I wouldn't get myself killed. And that's one promise I intend to keep."
"And how are you going to keep it?" Sonny said snidely, "In case you haven't noticed, my men here could shoot you at any time."
"That's true enough," Mel agreed, "But before I hit the floor, you'll be dead."
Sonny smiled slightly and stood up, shaking his head. "I think you overestimate your abilities. Or maybe it's that you underestimate my men's aim."
"Oh I'm sure if they are your men...they are killing machines. Doesn't mean you won't be dead before me though."
"This conversation is a waste of time," Sonny shrugged off her comments. He walked to the sliding door of the car and jerked it open. "Ahhhh, the time has arrived." He turned to Libby and Bethany. "Get up Ladies...it's time to meet your maker!"
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End of Chapter 64
HollyJo