[At the Port Charles hotel, the elevator opened and a priest stepped out. Wearing a black clerical suit with white dog collar, sporting a close-cropped red wig and rimless glasses, and carrying a small portfolio containing his priestly regalia, Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio, in one of his many disguises, headed toward the docks. His destination, on his mission of mercy, was the Salvation Army Mission on the Docks. A drifter named Punchy Moran had taken shelter there and expressed a wish for his priestly services.]
In the Catacombs, Brenda was sworn in as a temporary WSB agent. The plan is for Brenda and Jax to leave tomorrow, head for Alaska where they will spend a few days, after which they will return to Port Charles. To all intents and purposes, anyone who cares to enquire will find they have been in Alaska since they left Port Charles so suddenly almost two weeks ago.
The planning for the future, in preparation for their departure, continues among the four conspirators.
"Right, then! Down to business." Robert cheerfully reaches for a pad and starts writing.
"Jax, what's the update from your investigators? What have they found on the international angle? And, by the way, I've been meaning to ask you a bit about their background. Are you sure they are the right people for this job?"
"OK! Well, first why don't I tell you a bit about them?"
"It's an idea!"
"First of all, this company is as much into secrecy as the WSB is. This is a well-known, high-profile legal firm with several partners who are specialists in international law. They are very much in demand for their exceptional skills and very few people know about their peculiar specialty. Their secret lies in the kind of people in the partnership. One in particular interests us. This man is a genius. I have to smile when I think of him. He's a little man of uncertain age, bald as an egg, with a face that might be put together by somebody playing a joke with silly-putty and a make-up kit, large head, small ears, little button of a mouth, wistful eyes in a slightly bloated looking rice pudding face. He's well below average height, skinny, and near-sighted. Don't misunderstand me! I know he sounds totally weird, but believe me, he is not. I like him. I read a description of a Sidney Sheldon character once, and this guy could be his twin. And, like the fictional character, our man is also a genius, a genuine all-round, all computer languages expert with a photographic memory. He's an accountant, adept in the accounting systems of several countries which he understands intimately, and, on top of all that, he's arrogant, therefore unpopular! Police forces hate him and usually help and cooperate with him just to get rid of him. When they discover he is investigating someone else and not them, they are so relieved that they open their computers to him in sheer relief. They have no idea how intimate he can become with a computer, how easily and thoroughly he can extract even the most deeply buried secrets! This man, let's call him Aaron Zylenski(which is not his name), is looking into Mr. Corinthos's international activities. He needs a few more days to, as he says, gather up all the loose strings. He did say it is a most interesting case. I can tell you that Aaron, singlehandedly, contributed in excess of four billion dollars to the coffers of five national governments with his skill at tracking irregularities in stock transactions, financial frauds, the ebb and flow of currency in and out of several countries. In one case he brought the smuggling of illegal money almost to a total halt. He has ferreted out millions of dollars worth of illegal financial schemes and put dozens of prominent corporate citizens in jail. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. He will give us what we need. He assures me he is already on the trail, but would prefer to present a full report."
"Good work, Jax! That should be an interesting document! TPTB will thank you!"
"Don't thank me! We have a genuine genius with unlimited patience on the job. Thank him! He will deliver, I promise you! No matter where assets are hidden, mingled with other funds, transferred or re- transferred to the Grand Caymans, Switzerland, Lichtenstein or wherever, through dummy corporations or what, in the end, they will not escape Aaron Zylenski. Rest assured!"
"Then, we can get on to the next phase, to be ready for action when you two return to Port Charles," Anna remarked.
"That is?" Jax asked him.
Robert said: "The war-room here is our most important direct link with everything that is going on. While you are away, we will arrange for all incoming information to be alerted through the hand-held monitor we've been using here, but routed through a location in Port Charles. You cannot keep dropping in here when you return, more's the pity, so you must have a way to pick up incoming data from elsewhere. We still need your decoding skills. Then, access will become essential, as soon as the weather forces Anna and me out of here." Anna picked up the explanation.
"That's where you come in, Jax," she said. "It's also why it is so important to have Brenda fully committed to what we are doing. You have to live your normal lives, stay clear of any hint of involvement in anything out of the usual course of your lives, unless it is something with a logical explanation, like coming into town from Alaska, which will not raise questions in anybody's mind."
"So," Robert continued, "when you return to Port Charles, we expect to have that all important warrant in hand and you will have work to do."
"I'm all ears!" Jax smiled.
"Are you aware that Corinthos lives in the Penthouse that was Sean's and Tiffany's home?"
"I knew that," Brenda told them. "Robin used to visit her Uncle Sean a lot. I went there with her a few times. And, of course, I was there several times when Stone was dying, after Sonny moved in. I know that Sonny really enjoyed living in the home of the former Police Commissioner."
"Understood!" Robert said. "What is not known is that, even when we held the job of Police Commissioner, neither Sean sear nor I ever gave up our WSB affiliation. Sean had a war-room that, except for the more modern innovations that have been added here, matches this one in every way. The room is hidden behind a bookcase wall off the den."
"You said "matches", present tense. Are you saying it still exists? How could Corinthos not know?"
"You've got it! It does still exist. And Corinthos will never know! Even if he were to rip out the book- case wall, which I doubt he would even consider doing, there is nothing to find. It is fully secured from the other side."
"How?" Jax was puzzled. "You said the entrance was from Donelly's den?"
"It was! When he left, he had been shot. Tiffany was everywhere, so he couldn't handle it even if he were physically able. He notified the Bureau and they took care of it."
"How?"
"The place was empty for a while. The book-case wall was secured from the inside and sealed, the secret entrance release was disabled, and all evidence of access was removed."
"From the inside? That means there is another access?"
"There is! And that's where you two come in!"
"Robert, do you realize how late it is? We've been talking for hours! Why don't we postpone this discussion until the morning? I'm for dinner! Something special is called for, don't you think, in honor of our departing guests?"
"Good thinking! I am a bit peckish, myself! There's still a lot to cover, so the morning it is! And some quality champagne from our cellar here!"
"When does the jet arrive in Port Charles?"
"Around 2.00 p.m. tomorrow. That will give my secretary a few hours to go to the office and play her particles She will make a point of mentioning what she's doing at the hotel desk in case anyone should ask. Also, she will inform the hotel that we will be back in four days and would like to have the penthouse serviced before our return."
"Good. You will leave here more or less as you came, through the sliding slab entry, into the caterer's van, which will take you directly to the airport. An order of caviar, wine and some general food staples will be picked up openly for delivery to your jet in the evening, properly packaged, sealed and identified for shipment to the Jacks estate in Alaska. You will be aboard before Addie comes back from the office." Robert was satisfied that all was well.
"I get the feeling we've covered a lot of ground," Jax remarked.
"We sure have, and things will move faster every day now," Robert confirmed.
Anna gathered the coffee cups and, picking up the tray, she said, "Brenda and I will have dinner ready in thirty minutes. Pour us a drink! We don't need any help, thank you both for offering!" The men stood up, grinned and set about preparing drinks, as Anna and Brenda left, laughing together. After a great dinner and several relaxing glasses of the cellar's best champagne, their progress was toasted and, by common consent, an early night was declared, preliminary to a very early start in the morning. There was still much work to do and Jax reminded Brenda that, when they reached Alaska the next afternoon, they were heading into Pacific Time, which meant another very long day for them.
In the Jacks bedchamber, Jax and Brenda were cuddled up in bed. In spite of the warmth from the fireplace, the temperature outside had dropped significantly, and there was a slight nip in the air in the Catacombs. Because the area was underground, it was always a little colder in there than it was outside. The heating system was so efficient, however, that they rarely thought of how incredible the whole system really was.
Jax, leaning back, propped up with several soft cushions, had his arm around Brenda, who, wearing a lovely white negligee, was lying with her head on his chest. As she shivered a little, he pulled the duvet over her shoulders and she snuggled closer to him, beneath the soft, down-filled warmth. Both were silent for a while, thinking their separate thoughts. Jax leaned over, kissed her on the forehead and asked her, "How does it feel to be a secret agent, a member of the infamous WSB?"
"Nothing special, really," she told him. "I don't feel different or anything. It does feel good, though, to be a real part of the team and to think that maybe I am doing something to help you guys. Really, when you think about it, you've been doing it all and I've just happened to be there."
"It's not that simple," Jax told her. "You've been here with me and I cannot begin to tell you how much that means to me. I could never have agreed to spend all this time here, regardless of the importance of the caper, if you hadn't been with me. I couldn't have stayed away from you that long"
"You couldn't? Brenda looked up under her lashes, with a little grin, and their eyes held for what seemed like a long time.
"You know it!" Jax said to her, as he leaned over quickly and claimed her lips and pulled her into a deep, passionate embrace.
Brenda finally pulled back, and putting her hands on her husband's face, she told him, "I love you so much, my husband!"
"And I love you," he told her, kissing her again with possessive passion. Then, holding her close, he said, "I don't know if we will ever come back here, sleep in this bed again, but I want you to know, Mrs. Jacks, these have been the best two weeks of my life, having you here, away from the world, the people and places that fill our lives every day, loving you, holding you in my arms night after night..."
Brenda puts her finger to his lips, then her arms circling around his heck, she pulled him down to her and kissed him with all her heart. "It's been sheer heaven, Jax, and I am so happy. I cannot tell you how happy you have made me these past two weeks!"
"Only this past two weeks?"
"Always, but I think you know that, don't you?"
"Maybe, but I like to hear it from time to time!"
"Well, you do! Being in your arms, loving you, being loved by you, falling asleep with you at the end of the day, in all of my life I want nothing more..."
"What about the mornings? Waking up together, greeting the day together, don't hey count for anything?" Jax was grinning at her, nuzzling her face with soft kisses.
"Ah, the mornings!" Brenda exclaimed. "Now those are something else again! Sometimes, Mr. Jacks, thinking about early mornings spent with you makes me blush!"
"It does? Tell me more!"
"Don't you know what you're like in the mornings?"
"Well, I wake up... and I maybe stretch a bit... and then it suddenly comes to my attention that there is this female person who has a tendency to sleep with her head on my chest, or my shoulder, or maybe throw her arm across my waist or some other part of my anatomy, so I sort of check her out..."
"And?"
"Well, and then, I seem to recall that this amazingly beautiful woman is none other than my wife, and every morning, I look, and I marvel, and I study her beauty! Then, I quickly remember the previous night, the incredibly beautiful experience of loving her, of being loved by her, and my heart fills to overflowing..."
Brenda's eyes are shining as she and her husband gaze deeply into one another's souls, and move closer together.
"And then what," she whispers.
"Then, I am lost! I know that soon this beautiful creature will awaken, she will stir in my arms, open her eyes, realize where she is, a beautiful smile will light up her face her eyes will fill with the awareness of love, and a I will have no choice at all!"
"No choice?" she asks in a very low whisper.
"None! While this slow metamorphoses from sleeping to waking is taking place at my side, somehow my arms always manage to surrounding her, she manages to snuggle closer to my heart, and the only thing I can possibly do is to love her with all my being, my soul and my body. You see, she is irresistible, and she can only blame herself, her beauty, her lips, and the love shining in her eyes, the way she curls herself around me, all of that and more, and I tell you, I am lost!"
"Me too! Isn't it wonderful?" she exclaims, as she reaches to kiss him with passion and purpose.
"Wonderful!" he agrees, leaning back a little, "And that's the reason for those mornings! Brenda," and he is very serious now, "the way we start each new day with such a joyous affirmation of our love for one another, that is something I never want to loose! It is our strength, our power, our rock in our daily lives! Tell me it means as much to you as it does to me?" There is just a hint of urgency, as his eyes are searching her face, his lips are caressing her cheeks, her brows, her ears...
"It means everything, Jax!" She kisses him and whispers, "Won't you love me now, so that we can sleep after a while and then, when we wake up in the morning, we can do it all over again?...
And so, this last night in the Catacombs, Brenda and Jasper Jax celebrate their mutual love with a depth and intensity of passion that seems to only grow and grow with each passing day. And, in the morning, Brenda, the first to awaken, is intently studying her husband's face until, with a soft sigh and a gentle movement, Jax tightens his arms around her and slowly opens his eyes.
Seeing Brenda, wide awake and watching him, he focuses on her, smiles, and says "Good morning sweetheart!"
"Good morning to you!" she says, smiling shyly. "It's morning again... our last morning here!"
"Our last morning! Is there something special we should be doing about that, do you think, Mrs. Jacks?"
"Well, we could get up really early, like right now, grab a quick shower and get lots of work done before we leave this afternoon. What do you think?"
"Sounds industrious! Tell you what! I have a much better idea!"
"You do?"
"Yes!" Jax adjusts their position on the bed a little, not giving up his hold on his wife for even an instant, but settling her head comfortably on his shoulder.
"Here's what I intend to do," he told her. "I'm going to celebrate this last morning in this amazing place where we have learned a new level of loving and caring for one another."
"How? You want to drink champagne this early?"
"Yes, but not champagne as you know it! The champagne this morning is the light in your eyes, the tender curve of your lips, your smile, your skin, the feel of your body stretched here beside me, the longing I feel to hold you close to my heart forever! You are my champagne, Brenda, my love, my life, my everything!" and he kisses her with sweet tenderness which grows quickly into a fiery passion.
Soon, they are soaring to the heights of joy and delight in one another as they celebrate the last and truly the most memorable morning of all the mornings they have spent in this memorable chamber, deep in these Catacombs.
A long time later, they drifted back together to the mundane reality of their surroundings, still clasped together, still surrounded by the bright aura of their lovemaking, but knowing that an era had ended and they would move forward, together.
The time they had spent here in this special place had served them well. It allowed them to fortify themselves with a depth and breadth of loving that far exceeded anything they could have imagined possible. From this place, they would go out into the world where they lived their lives, secure in the knowledge that no thing and no person would ever have the power to enter into that secret, private world where they lived, and loved and celebrated their joy in one another to the exclusion of all else in the universe.
Slowly, reluctantly, they drew apart, got up from the bed and moved to the shower together, as they prepared to go from this wonderful place. Silently, seemingly slowly, they dressed, moved throughout the area, packed their bags, checked the drawers and the wardrobe, as if in a dream. From time to time, their eyes met, they smiled, but they just moved about, doing what had to be done. Their love, their oneness of being was palpable in the air, no words were needed.
Then, when all was ready, the bags standing together, their coats draped over, they reached for one another, their lips touched and, hand in hand, they went to join Robert and Anna for breakfast.