Fic: Out of the Ashes (1/?)
Out of The Ashes
By Constantine
Prologue
“Why didn’t we watch the weather channel before we left Pine Valley,” Bianca asked her sister. The rain fell in heavy sheets around their car.
“Where’s the adventure in that,” Kendall responded. The dark night did nothing to hide the smile in her voice.
Adventure, Bianca thought, as lightning briefly illuminated the ragged cliffs to her left, was often seriously overrated. She should have just said, “No, Kendall, let’s wait until tomorrow morning,” or “No, Kendall I don’t feel like I’m going to die if I stay in this town one moment longer.” But, it was difficult to say no to Kendall. Just ask Ryan, or Aidan, or Ethan.
“Look, this is what these SUV’s are made for, Binks,” Kendall stated with the confidence of a BMW engineer. “No worries.”
“Yeah, no worries,” Bianca repeated weakly as she took a glance at Miranda sleeping comfortably in her car seat. They were only ten minutes away from their new home in Port Charles when a flash of lightning filled the sky with an eerie shade of blue. To her right, Bianca could just make out a person standing on the other side of the railing, which protected the traffic from the ravaging water below. “Oh my God, stop the car,” Bianca yelled as she turned in her seat to look out the back window.
“What? Why?” asked Kendall.
“I saw someone standing on the cliff. We have to stop.” Kendall carefully pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and tried to see what her sister was talking about. As Bianca made a move to get out of the car, Kendall grabbed onto her arm.
“Bianca, I don’t think you should go out there.”
“Obviously that person is in trouble. They need help.” Bianca tried to get out of the car again but Kendall’s grip remained tight.
After a moment of silence Kendall decided to go and see what was going on for herself. “You stay in the car with Miranda.” That was the voice of no more debate. Bianca new her only two options were to stay in the car and argue with Kendall for the next ten minutes only to have her big sister go anyway or let her go now and not waste time. With a heavy breath, Bianca leaned back into her seat.
--))--((--
Kendall couldn’t believe the force with which the rain pelted her bare arms as it dropped from the sky at impossible angles. What she couldn’t believe more was the fact that she was now holding what seemed to be a shaky rail as she walked alongside a cliff in high-heeled sandals and a summer dress. Looking, she might add, for a person her sister thought she saw. They were definitely going to have a talk about her predilection for saving the world. If there actually was a person, maybe they didn’t want to be saved. Maybe that’s why they were hanging off the side of a cliff in a raging storm.
As the thunder became louder and the lightning strikes became more frequent, Kendall began to see the form of a person in the distance. Coming closer she began to see that the person was actually a woman. As Kendall neared, the woman took a step closer to edge. Afraid to startle her into jumping, Kendall wasn’t quite sure about what action to take.
Getting close enough to be heard, she said “Hey,” and put a hand out to grab the girl if she went any closer to the edge. Thinking simplicity was best she followed up with, “What are you doing out here?”
The woman didn’t answer. She continued to stare below her into a blackness that was ready to swallow her alive. “My sister made me stop so that we could see if you were okay,” Kendall tried again. “Okay, so obviously you’re not okay. What’s your name?”
The girl responded in a whisper that Kendall could not decipher so she repeated the question.
“Emily. Emily Quartermaine,” the girl answered a little louder this time. She then turned to Kendall and gave her a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Tell Nikolas I’m sorry.”
With that, Emily Quartermaine jumped off the cliff without a moment of hesitation. Kendall stood there dumbfounded, her heels digging into the soggy ground beneath her feet.
Part I
Chapter One
Kendall
This is bull! A different town and here I am caught up in the same old shit. It was my idea to leave Pine Valley in the first place..
“Hey, Binks, let’s make a fresh start,” I said.
“Things will be different,” I promised.
Now that we’re being held in the Port Charles Police Department for questioning about a mysterious death, I’m sure she can see what I meant by different. At least this time we’re both innocent. I guess that takes the stress off a little. It would be even better if they stopped asking us the same questions over and over again. But that’s one of the cardinal rules of police work. Ask the question until you get the answer you want.
For some reason, the fine officer of the PCPD are having difficulty believing that this Emily Quartermaine took a dive off the side of a cliff. For some reason, they think we should have more answers. The only thing I know is that Bianca is probably dead tired and it is way past time for us to leave.
Bianca
“I don’t know why she would jump off the cliff.” My patience is beginning to wear and I just want to get out of this place. Kendall left for the bathroom ten minutes ago and I’m beginning to wonder if they just decided she did it and arrested her.
“Miss Montgomery . . .”
Oh, right he’s still talking to me. He introduced himself as Ric Lansing, the Port Charles District Attorney. I guess I’m moving up in the city of Port Charles. First it was a uniformed cop, then the police commissioner and now the DA. I take a deep breath and say it again.
“Mr. Lansing, I really don’t know what else I can tell you. I didn’t even get out of the car.”
“Well, I just have a couple more questions for you. Can you ---”
“Who the hell are you,” Kendall interrupts as she walks up behind him. By the look on her face I can tell her patience is long gone. Even if she won’t admit it, she is exhausted. Her eyes are drawn and tight and her lips are stretched into a straight line that hints at her aggravation.
“You must be Ms. Hart,” Lansing says, elevating his charm.
“We’re leaving.” With that Kendall steps in front of the D.A., picks up Miranda’s baby bag and waits for me to catch up and realize that when she said, “We’re leaving,” she meant right at this moment. Not knowing my sister, the D.A. decides to try again.
“Miss Hart, I’m the District Attorney and I just wanted ---”
“Look,” Kendall says, not caring who hears her, “we are done here. There won’t be any more questions tonight because we are leaving. If that’s a problem, arrest us; otherwise, goodnight.” With that she begins walking, leaving me to follow. Amazing, our fist night in a new town is spent at the police station getting questioned about a mysterious death.
--))--((--
Jason
Here I am looking at this picture of a man I’m supposed to kill tonight. One bullet to the head. No witnesses. No mistakes. Nothing personal.
I’ve never felt anything for these people. Nothing for their lives. Nothing for their families. Their choices in life put them in this moment. The moment where I come and take it all away.
But right now I’m looking at this picture and something is different. It’s a feeling I can’t hold onto as it floats around my brain. Sonny is looking at me silently. Intensely. He stands there waiting for my response.
“I’ll take care of it.” It’s my standard answer.
Sonny just nods his head. In fact, I think he starts nodding before I even speak. It has been my standard answer for the past eight years. He wouldn’t expect anything else.
“Good. That should take care of the Rodriguez family. Without him, they won’t be able to function.”
“Where’s Carly?” I haven’t seen her all day and it’s nearly midnight.
“She’s having dinner with a friend.” Sonny says it as if it were the most normal response in the world.
“Dinner? With a friend?” I stare at him but receive nothing in return. “What friend?” I finally ask.
“Some woman she met.”
“And that’s all you know?”
“Look. After our last breakup I made a promise to Carly that I would trust her. I can’t do that if I know where she is every moment of the day. She said she was with a friend, so she’s with a friend.”
I guess it’s that time in their relationship again. That time when they attempt to act like a normal husband and wife. Get sidetracked by betrayal, and breakup. Before I can say anything else, my phone rings.
“Hello.” It’s Lucky. A phone call from him only ever means one thing. “Is Emily okay?”
“No.” That’s what he says. I never realized two letters could hold so much power. Lucky continues to talk as I flip my phone shut. Sonny’s lips are moving, but I can’t hear anything except the absolute silence in my head.
“That was Lucky. Emily is dead.”
He wants to know if I’m sure. Maybe they just haven’t found her yet. Maybe they are wrong. I’m not sure of anything so I just take a deep breath and turn around to leave. Before I can get to the door it opens and Carly walks in with a huge smile and a doggy bag.
“Hey, Jason, what’s up?” I can’t answer her. I just keep walking through the door and to the elevator.
Elizabeth
This is not happening. It’s not. There’s no way this is happening. It’s a nightmare and in a minute I am going to wake up in my bed, get a glass of water and call Emily.
I keep hearing my name. It’s Lucky. He’s called me at least three times, but I can’t answer him. Now he’s walking over to the chair I’ve been occupying for the last twenty minutes. He kneels in front me.
“Elizabeth.” The anguish in his voice forces me to lift my head, open my eyes and see what I fear. This isn’t a nightmare. He puts his head on my lap and his hot tears burn a wet hole through my skirt.
I look up as Jason walks into the station. His face is as hard as I’ve ever seen it. Unless you know him well, all you’ll ever see in his eyes is coldness. Right now I see desperation and pain. Lucky lifts his head from my lap.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have . . .”
“It’s okay.” Liar. That’s what I just became because it’s not okay. No part of this is okay.
“How did you find out?” I can still hear the tears in his voice.
“I saw it on the news.” This is Sandra Cohen with the latest on the apparent death of Emily Quartermaine. That’s all I remember hearing.
“God, I’m so sorry,” he whispers. “I tried to call but I just kept getting your voicemail and I had no idea where you were.” Now his tears are mixed with guilt.
“It’s not your fault,” I say. “I was having dinner with a friend.”
“Who?”
Of course he would ask. But I can’t answer him right now and I don’t want to lie again.
“Has anyone told Nikolas?” I ask.
TBC...