By Audra Beberman

 

Chapter Ten

           

         In the very early hours before dawn, Lucas finished level seven of the game. So many things fell into place in those moments, that as tired as he was, John Jacks saw much more clearly what his son had gotten involved in. Actually what his son had been drawn into was a more appropriate term. It was because Lucas managed to beat the game and rescue one of the Keeper's captives that the next level appeared on the screen. It was a level Lucas knew nothing about, because Jerry hadn't told him it existed. The child was puzzled, but John was not. Whatever lay at the end of level eight, he was sure that only Jerry knew the way in to the secrets. So after sending Lucas to bed, John woke Jane and together they made plans and packed their bags. By ten a.m. local time, John had ushered his wife, his grandchildren, two bodyguards and the two best of his personal collection of Smith and Wessons on board the Lady Jacks, as he fondly called his Lear jet.

          Now he watched as Jane helped Lucas pick a window seat and place Candace, car seat and all, in the seat next to him. She then settled herself in one of the luxurious seats at John's side and took his hand. It had been a remarkable forty-eight hours. Jane and he had alternated between sitting up with, feeding and watching Lucas, and then sleeping, like some weirdo video game groupies. Lucas had barely slept in two days, yet he was so excited to be seeing his mother and father, he probably wouldn't sleep too much on the flight between New Zealand and New Mexico. Given the choice of leaving the children behind, or taking them to New Mexico, it was Jane who had the final say. "We can't leave them, John. The family is spread too thin as it is. Maybe it will help Jerry recover to see the children, and maybe it will help Bobbie to have them with her. Besides, as long as we're together we can fight anything, or anyone who comes along."   He'd agreed only after he formulated a plan and hired two decoy guards and a nanny to stay in New Zealand to protect several ailing lambs. This way it would look as if they'd been preoccupied enough to leave the children behind. Then he filed a false flight plan. The only ones who knew where they were going were Jane and Lucas. And even Lucas couldn't tell anyone the exact destination. John would take control of the plane once they were inside American airspace. He'd memorized the UNI-COM code for Angel Fire airport, one-two-two-point-eight. They would be there in approximately twenty-two hours, after several fueling and rest stops for the pilot and himself.

          Now that Lucas had reached the eighth level, many things made sense, but there were still a few questions that, hopefully, when they arrived, Jerry would be able to answer. John looked over at Jane lovingly, this was the first time they'd become so embroiled in one of Jerry's messes, and although danger and evil permeated the edges, it was an exciting adventure to be on after so many years of the simple life.

          Lucas broke into his thoughts and said, "Grandpa, now that we know where Mom and Dad are, and we know what will save the royal family, what happens in Level Eight?" This was one of the unanswered questions. No amount of passwords or charms would unlock the secret to level eight: The Dungeon at Angel Fire. The answer was in Jerry's head. He'd named the royal family after members of the Jacks and Spencer clans. Mostly they were the names of people recently dead. It was odd, how Jerry's sense of humor showed itself. John stopped his thoughts right there. Maybe it wasn't humor, maybe it was factual. Could Jerry have been insinuating that the people in the game were actually captives of the Keeper, and not dead as everyone believed? Well, in twenty-one hours and forty minutes he might be able to get the answers. If his son was able to speak. If his son was even still alive. Because whoever the Keeper was, he certainly wouldn't stop trying to kill Jerry if he realized that Jerry knew his secrets.

          That night the doctors seemed pleased with the marked improvement in Jerry's ability to breathe, so the next time Bobbie, Luke and Jax saw Jerry it was late the following morning. Jerry was only lightly sedated to facilitate the removal of the respirator. He needed to be awake for the removal to make sure he could breathe on his own. He was now lying in his bed with oxygen being fed through tubes in his nose, but most of his features were unmarred by the machinery that held him in bondage for the past six days. Bobbie had slept part of the night at the hotel; finally able to rest because she knew Jerry was making strides to recovery. Luke had moved his car from the loading zone and stayed awake at the hotel to safeguard his sister as she slept. The only one who stayed at the hospital was Jax. He'd been unable to sleep well, due to the fact that no one seemed to know where Chloe was. So he slept in fits and starts on the chair by the window, and on the couch in the lounge, waiting for the doctors to come get Jerry to remove the ventilator. Jax slept through their departure, and now stood next to the bed behind Bobbie. Luke went back to the hotel to catch some sleep.

          Jax had his hands on Bobbie's shoulders and turned to look at the nurse that had just come in when he heard a scratchy, deep voice whisper, "Take your hands off of my wife." Jax whipped his head around and not only saw his brother struggling to sit up, but awake and alive and talking. Bobbie also turned from the nurse to look at her husband. Jerry could tell she didn't know whether to laugh at his possessiveness, cry at his recovery or get angry at his secretiveness. So what she did surprised him. She pulled back the maze of oxygen and iv tubes and gingerly threw herself into his weakly outstretched arms. He was still heavily medicated, and his burns were healing, wrapped under many layers of light gauze. But he still managed to pull her closer when she came to him. Bobbie had obviously settled on tears of joy, because she was sobbing into his chest, and he could feel the wetness seep through his hospital gown.

          "Shh. Bobbie, it's ok," he whispered although his throat was raw and his voice scratchy. "I'm here. I'm back. It's ok." He kissed the top of her head and breathed in the scent of her. He had actually dreamed of her scent when he was sedated. Now here she was real and in his arms.

          "Jerry, I'm sorry," she said as she pulled away and wiped her eyes. "I half-believed I'd never get to hear your voice again. That you'd never say my name again. You'd never be able to tell me you loved me."

          "I do love you, Bobbie. More now than I have ever loved you in the past. I promise." Jerry swallowed hard. His throat was on fire. Bobbie looked at him as he struggled to swallow.

          "Okay. No more talking for now, the nurse is going to bring to ice chips to help your throat feel better. The doctors will be in shortly and I don't want you to damage your voice anymore than it might already be hurt. Okay?" She smiled tenderly at him and ran her hand across his cheek. He smiled in response. Bobbie's heart leapt at the sight. He frowned very deeply as he moved his arms from around her. With a puzzled glance at his hands and then at her and then back at his hands, she could tell he wanted to know about the gauze and what lay beneath it.

          "Honey, you had some serious burns on your hands and legs." Jerry still looked puzzled and shrugged. "Yes, your suit was flame retardant, but the chemicals burned so hot and fast that the suit practically melted in some spots. You are healing, it's just going to take a while." That seemed to satisfy him for a moment. Until he noticed the IV tubes in his left arm. He indicated it with his right arm and then looked up with another frown. "Jerry, they are giving you intravenous fluids and antibiotics. You've been in this bed for six days." His eyes widened. He hadn't known it had been six days. "The kids?" he managed to whisper. The effort made him cough and he fought back the tears of pain that stung his eyes.

          "They're fine. Your parents are fine. They are working on the computer. John says they made some sort of breakthrough abut two days ago, but he didn't give me details because nothing was concrete, and Lucas grabbed the phone because he had to talk with me to tell me he was playing some new computer game you taught him."

          Thank you, God, Jerry thought. Lucas had gotten to the computer. That must mean Dad knows about the passwords and the game. The only piece Lucas doesn't know is the end game, Level eight. They'll need me when they get there. Jerry refocused on his beautiful wife. Bobbie was talking about Candace's teething and everything seemed almost normal. Jerry looked up at Jax. He motioned for him to come closer with his gauze-wrapped right arm. Bobbie moved away from the bed and went off in search of the doctor to give the brothers some time alone.

          Jerry looked at his younger brother with sorrow in his eyes. His mind was clouded from the medication and the painkillers and the pain itself. But he was not so out of it that he didn't remember Jax telling him that Chloe was missing in his second bout with lucidity.

          "Jax," he whispered hoarsely. "I'm sorry. This is my fault. I should have told you -"

          "Jerry, it's ok," Jax said to cut him off and keep him quiet. "We're sorting it out. I know we'll be able to figure it all out. All that matters is that you are back with us. I missed you, Bobbie and the children missed you, but most of all we need you."

          Jerry responded with one of his expressive smiles. It was tinged with sadness, but he knew he'd be able to save Lucky and the others if he could get the hell out of the hospital before it was too late.

          The Keeper may have wanted Jerry Jacks dead, but if that was not to be, it wasn't worth the risk to make another attempt. Before he was through with the Jacks and Spencer families, Jerry would suffer heartache like none he'd ever known. Everything he loved, his family and his money would be gone...taken away, never to be returned. He whispered instructions to one of his employees, a onetime Green Beret, currently a bounty hunter with a price on his head. The price affixed by his former employer: the US government. He was considered armed, dangerous and just on the far side of sane. The man was dressed all in white and clipped a laminated ID card to his pocket... Arapahos Memorial Hospital it said in bold letters with a Native American motif in the background. His instructions were clear in his mind as he walked to the elevator and out into the refreshing air of Angel Fire New Mexico and headed towards his car.

          "Brenda? Brenda Barrett?"

          "Yes. Who are you?"

          Chloe sat down on the stainless steel and black leather chair nearest the door. She felt if she hadn't she'd have fainted. Chloe Morgan was not a woman predisposed to swooning.

          "My name is Chloe. Chloe Morgan."

          "Morgan? Like Jason Morgan?"

          "Sort of."

          "What do you mean?"

          "We're distant cousins. I was Lila's cousin Eleanor's niece."

          "Was?"

          "Yes. Lila died about a year ago, I'm sorry to say. I grew to love her quite deeply when I came to Port Charles." Chloe spoke in an odd, detached tone. She was still shocked to be speaking to Brenda. What should she say about Jax? What could she say? She settled for asking another question, feeling that was a safe avenue of discussion.

          "Have you been here since your car went off that cliff?"

          "Yes. How do you know about the accident? Do you know Jax?" Her expression was unreadable, as if she had no personality left within her to illuminate the still-beautiful face.

          "Yes. I do know him. I heard about the accident very soon after I met him. About two years ago." Chloe swallowed, unwilling to reveal much more to the former fiancée of the man she was now engaged to herself.

          "Oh." Something inside of Brenda wanted to hear all of the rest of what Chloe knew, but at the same time she was terrified of the answers. Brenda walked to the far wall of the stainless and antiseptic chamber. One thing piqued her curiosity more than all of the other burning questions she had to ask, "How did you wind up here?"

          "To tell you the truth I'm not sure. I was in Egypt this morning... or yesterday. I was kidnapped."

          Down the corridor in a similar chamber, two men were playing an intense game of chess. Each one clinging to the frail joy that came from being in the company of another human being after so long. Lucky looked over at Tony, and thought again about the possibilities and the reasons he and Tony would have been put together now, after so much time had passed. His only thought was that what ever plan was set in motion over three years ago, the end game was drawing near. With that in mind, he said aloud, "Checkmate," and moved his piece across the board to trap his opponent's king.

          Tony smiled ruefully at Lucky and began to reset the board. After all, what else was there to do?

          Jax sat at the foot of Jerry's bed. The doctors had completed their examination and Jerry was resting. Suddenly Jax' cell phone rang. It was a shrill tone in the quiet of the hospital room. Jerry's eyes flew open at the sound and Jax answered with a brief "Jax here."

          "Jax, this is Samir."

          "Yes Samir, I figured as much." Samir didn't hesitate and stated the reason for his call quickly.

          "I am still in Egypt, but I think my people have found Chloe." Jax pointed to his phone and then to his watch and gestured eastward to let Jerry know it was Samir calling from Egypt. Jerry nodded and looked at Jax eagerly.

          Jax stood, "Did I hear you correctly? You found her?" Jerry sat up straighter.

          "Well we traced her as far as bribes and informants would take us. We know for certain she is in the United States."

          Jax frowned. "Samir, you said that before. The United States is a big place. Could you be any more specific?"

          "It seems she's, how do you say it? In your neck of the woods."

          "What?"

          "She's in New Mexico, the last place anyone saw her was the airport at Angel Fire."

          "Angel Fire?" Jax looked up at Jerry as he hung up the phone. Brown eyes bored into clear blue. "She's here?" The blue eyes were clouded with confusion.

          Jerry frowned and nodded knowingly. The Keeper's plan seemed to be picking up pace. It was about time he told Jax the entire story or at least all of what he knew and the rest of what he speculated.

          The only people the Keeper had not located in this latest shift of his plans were the Jacks children, Lucas and Candace. Patience, he thought, patience. Eventually they would come to him, just as the others had. If not willingly, then by force.