**GETTING TO THE TRUTH**
Chapter 32
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HollyJo@concentric.net (Holly Whiteside)
Jerry led the way, as he and Libby approached the house where Miranda's thugs
had Hazel Winters tied up in the basement. Jerry cautiously peered into a
dirty window and whispered to Libby, "I don't see anyone. They must all be
in the basement. I'm going to open the window and we can get in through..."
he turned to Libby, but she was no longer behind him. He whirled around,
panic racing through his veins, "LIBBY!" he growled. He ran around the corner
of the house, just in time to see Libby beating furiously on the front door.
He grabbed her arm just before she started beating again. "Are you crazy?
We don't want them to know that we're here."
Libby looked at him in exasperation, "Why not?"
"I don't think we really have time for me to give a seminar on the element
of surprise. Just, for once in your life, do what I tell you to do." He said
as he tried to pull her away from the door.
She shook herself loose and began pounding on the door again with her fist.
"Do you ever listen to me?" growled Jerry.
"Would you please do the world a favor and get over this James Bond complex
you have. I say we use the element of surprise by pushing our way in."
"That is never going to work..." he began, but before he could finish, they
both heard heavy footsteps making their way to the door. Jerry ducked back
to the side of the door frame just as the door was flung open. Libby immediately
shoved the large man aside and headed inside the house. Jerry stuck his head
around the door frame just in time to see the man grab Libby and push her
up against the wall, her arm turned roughly behind her back. Jerry saw red
as he saw her grimace in pain and he attacked the man from behind. Surprised,
the man turned to face an angry Jerry who already had a fist swinging towards
his face. The man ducked, turning his face away into another fist...this
one from Libby. The man howled and grabbed his mouth. Libby took advantage
of his distraction with his pain and swiftly delivered a kick to his groin.
The man went down to his knees with a groan and Jerry delivered a chop to
the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.
Jerry turned to Libby, fury still in his eyes, as he grabbed her and yanked
her into his arms. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, "I'd be even better if you would let me breath." He reluctantly
let her go, his hands rubbing her arms.
They both looked at the man sprawled out on the floor, "Maybe I shouldn't
have put him out of his misery." Jerry said, then smiled at Libby, "Nice
kick, Sweetie. Remind me to never get you mad at me."
Libby rolled her eyes at Jerry's familiar statement and started looking for
the basement door. They found it without much problem and made their way
quietly down the stairs.
"Listen, old lady, I'm not buying your story, so why don't you just tell
me who you are or else we'll just kill you and get rid of you altogether."
Miranda snarled at Hazel.
Hazel smiled sweetly at the woman that had caused so much trouble to the
family she loved and considered her own. Miranda raised her hand and slapped
her, but after her initial shock of the blow, Hazel smiled at her again.
Miranda raised her hand to deliver another blow, but the chilly voice stopped
her, "Do it, and I will personally rip your arm from your body." Miranda
whirled around and found Libby and Jerry standing at the bottom of the stairs.
She shivered at the look of pure hatred coming from the eyes of both of them.
She unconsciously took a step backwards as Libby approached her.
Jerry noted Sonny Corinthos leaning lazily against the wall and another thug,
presumably one of the men they had overheard, came towards him. Jerry grinned
evilly at him and stated, "Before you try anything, maybe you should check
out your buddy upstairs....then maybe you'll think twice before you try to
do anything." The man stopped in his tracks and looked towards Miranda for
instructions.
Miranda had her own problems as Libby reached her. Miranda raised her hand
in defense, but before she could ward her off, Libby threw a punch that sent
her reeling backwards to the wall. Libby grabbed her by the throat and slammed
her head against the wall. She leaned menacingly to her ear and whispered,
"Just give me another excuse to slit your throat from ear to ear with my
fingernail." Miranda just stared at her in terror.
From behind her, Libby heard Jerry untying her grandmother, "Your granddaughter
is extremely blood thirsty," he said as he finished untying the elderly lady.
Hazel laughed at him and looked proudly at Libby, "She's been hanging around
you too long."
"Nope," Jerry grinned as he helped her to her feet, "She was like that before
I ever met her."
Libby rolled her eyes, her hand still wrapped around Miranda's throat.
"You're.....grandmother?" Miranda squeaked out.
Libby tightened her hold on her, her nostrils flaring, "That's right. Lucky
for you, you didn't kill her." Miranda's face had turned a deep purple and
she gasped for air.
Libby felt Jerry's arms come around her, "She's not worth it Libs. Don't
kill her in this country, we'll never see you again. Wait until we get back
to Port Charles, then you can kill her. With Mac being police commissioner,
you're bound to go scot-free."
Libby held back a giggle, "Don't make me laugh. In case you haven't noticed,
I'm a little pissed."
"Honey, I think everyone has gotten the idea that you are a little pissed.
Come on now, let her go." Libby loosened her hold just a fraction, "Come
on Libs. If you kill her here, I'll never get you down the aisle. Now what
would that look like? Me, standing in front of the alter waiting for my bride,
who's been locked away in a god-forsaken Philippine jail?" He brought his
hand up to rub her arm, and she loosened her hold a little more.
"You promise, I get to kill her when we get back to Port Charles?" Libby
asked over her shoulder. Miranda shivered.
"Of course I do. We'll have the wedding ceremony in your jail cell. We'll
make the PCPD throw us a wedding Port Charles will never forget...." Jerry
said as he watched Libby finally turn lose of a shaking Miranda. He pulled
Libby closer into his embrace. "Thank you Sweetie. I knew you wanted to marry
me."
Libby stifled another giggle and turned in his arms, "Keep dreaming, Bird
Brain. I only let her live because I don't want to spend eternity in this
hell hole."
"Whatever you say, Sweet Cheeks." Jerry grinned at her as they pulled apart.
Libby looked around his shoulder and saw her grandmother standing there grinning
at her as she pointed a gun at the thug and a grinning Sonny.
"Granny?" Libby said as she went to her and pulled her into her arms in a
fierce hug.
Jerry took the gun from Hazel and pointed at the thug, motioning for him
to join the other two against the wall. "I trust you three will stay standing
there like nice little goons, while we leave." He motioned for the ladies
to head up the stairs.
Once out of the basement, Jerry looked around for something to hold the door
and found a chair to prop under the doorknob.
Downstairs, Miranda rubbed her neck and glared at the still grinning Sonny.
"You could have done something to help," she snarled at him.
"And missed the show? I don't think so." Sonny said with a grin.
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Dr. Bethany Mason stepped out of her patients room and ran right into Dr.
Pierce Dorman. Dorman straightened her and grinned at her. "Seems like we've
been running into each other a lot here lately."
Bethany smiled faintly at him and thanked him for stopping her fall.
"No problem, any time." He flirted. Bethany looked at him for a moment then
turned to head for the nurses station, Dorman followed. "So do you think
you might have the time to discuss a couple of cases with me now?"
"Excuse me?" Bethany asked as she pulled her patient's chart from the slot
at the nurse's station.
"Remember? I had asked you to go over a couple of patient's charts?"
"Oh, right. You mean, you still have questions about those patients? I would
have thought you would have cured them and sent them on their way by now."
She said as she wrote on the chart, not looking at him.
"Why do I get the feeling that you don't want to help me?"
Bethany looked at him, "Maybe because I don't." she said as she shut the
chart and returned it to the slot.
"Now my feelings are hurt," Dorman said, still trying to charm his way.
Bethany turned and looked at him, "I thought you had to have feelings in
order for them to be hurt."
"Ouch! What did I ever do to you?" Dorman said with a smile.
Before she could answer him, Ned Ashton interrupted.
"Dr. Mason?" Ned asked.
Bethany turned to him and gave him a smile of gratitude, "Yes?"
"Well, if it isn't Ned Ashton," Dorman snarled.
Ned ignored him and took Bethany by the arm, walking her away from the obnoxious
doctor.
"I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have interrupted, but it looked like you could
use some help," Ned explained his actions to Bethany when they were out of
ear shot of Dorman.
"Well, I could have handled him. But....thanks for the help any way." Bethany said as she turned to look at the departing Dorman. "That guy gives me the creeps."
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Detective Mel Langley looked at the little man that was lying on his cot
in his jail cell. She cleared her throat to get his attention. Wayne Ables
turned to look at her.
"How you doing in there?" Mel asked.
Ables got off the cot and slowly approached the bars that separated them.
His eyes darted nervously around the open airway. Mel watched him as he looked
to see who else was around.
"Don't worry, it's just the two of us." Mel said, trying to calm the nervous
little man.
"What do you want? I'm not going to tell you anything without my lawyer being
present." Ables said.
Mel shook her head at him, "Now Mr. Ables, would I try to question you without
the presence of your lawyer?"
"I wouldn't put anything past you cops," he said, taking another quick look
around.
"Who are you looking for, Mr. Ables?" Mel asked.
Ables jerked his head back to her and looked at her, "No one. Is it a crime
to look around?"
"Nope"
"Then what do you want with me?" Ables asked, his voice raising in his fright.
"I thought you might be interested to know that I'm getting close to finding
the 3 men you hired to rob your store."
Ables licked his lips nervously, but said nothing.
"In fact, I'm closer than they think I am," Mel said.
He shrugged his shoulders, "Then I guess you don't need me for anything."
"The court would look a little kinder on you, if you cooperated." Mel said.
"I can't tell you."
"Why not? It's not as if keeping quiet is helping you out here."
"No, but it's keeping me alive," Ables said before he thought.
"Ahhh, so you fear for your life. Is that it?" Mel asked, but the man refused
to elaborate. "Are you scared of someone getting to you in here?"
Ables looked closely at her and finally spoke, "You do know, don't you?"
"What do I know, Mr. Ables?" Mel asked, leaning closer into the bars.
"You know that...."
"Hello Mel! What are you doing down here?" a male's voice interrupted Ables.
Mel closed her eyes for a moment, then turned with a smile to Del. "Hello Del. I could ask you the same question."
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Jax laid the flowers by Brenda's head stone. He kneeled down and brushed a speck of dirt off of it. His hand caressed her name. "Brenda," he whispered, "I miss you so much. It takes all I've got to get out of bed in the morning. I just want to lay there and hold your pillow, smell your scent and pretend you are there with me. Janet thinks I'm nuts, because I won't let her wash your pillowcase. But I just can't let her, not just yet. Not while I can still smell you on it." Jax turned and sat down on the grave, leaning his head into the headstone. He sat quietly for a few minutes. "We're getting close to tracking down your killers. Mel...ummm, Detective Langley, well it turns out that she's pretty good at her job. Amazing considering who her boss is....but she's okay. I think you would like her. She's smart and feisty (Jax gives a small laugh), and she's nice. You know? She really cares about people." He turned his face into the headstone and sighed, "I miss you.....I miss waking up beside you.....I miss your smile....." Jax choked back a sob, "Oh God Brenda! I wish you here....I need you so much."
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End of Chapter 32
HollyJo