1
Elizabeth ran and
ran, following the sound of the sirens, dread filling her very soul. Something was terribly wrong. She could feel it in the very depths of her
soul. She slowed as she reached the
familiar street she had visited so many times, just that day in fact. She slowed even more, her eyes widening in
disbelief at view of what was left of Jason’s apartment. She looked above to see Lucky’s apartment
completely gone. Which only left one
question. Where was Lucky?
“Lucky?” She asked, her voice on the
edge of hysteria. No, this couldn’t be
happening! She had just spoken to Lucky
a couple of hours ago on the phone. He
was going to go to sleep because they both had to get up early the next
day. “Lucky!”
“Elizabeth, I need you to come with
me,” Taggert wrapped his arms around her, trying to calm her down. He knew
first hand how much Lucky had meant to Elizabeth. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”
“No!
Lucky! Lucky!” She struggled
against Taggert, wanting to rush into the ruined building to search for
him. Knowing that if she could only
reach him, everything would be ok. Her
struggles suddenly still and her eyes widen in horror as two paramedics wheel
out a covered body on a stretcher. She
frantically shook her head in denial and again tries to break loose from
Taggert, wanting to go to the body; but Taggert held her tight and refused to
let go. She had no choice but to stay
where she was.
“You don’t want to see him like this
Elizabeth,” Taggert warned.
“But that’s not Lucky! It can’t be!”
“A witness saw him enter the building
just before the fire broke out. I’m
sorry,” Taggert tried to calm the hysterical girl.
“No!
Lucky! Lucky!” Elizabeth wailed,
her heartbreak taking over finally. The
reality of the situation hitting her like a ton of bricks.
“Elizabeth?” She felt him standing
behind her, the warmth of his closeness calming. She looked up and Taggert and saw how pale he was, like he was looking
at a ghost. “What’s going on? What happened?” He asked.
She turned and saw Lucky. Alive and well and not a scratch on
him. His blue eyes shone with grief
over the loss of the apartment and the concern he felt at finding Elizabeth in
hysterics.
She flew into his arms, clinging to
him tightly. Lucky was alive! He wasn’t caught in that fire after
all! “Lucky you’re alive! Oh God you’re alive!”
“What’s going on here? How did this happen?” Lucky looked at the
gutted bike shop, holding Elizabeth close to his body. Wanting to comfort her and take away the
last thirty minutes of grief.
“That’s what we’d like to know. Where were you by the way?” Taggert crossed
his arms, ready to get this investigation on the road, hoping he could question
the boy without interference from the boy’s father or Sonny and Jason’s
lawyer.
“I couldn’t sleep. So I blew out those candles and went out for
a walk on the docks. I sat out there
for a while staring out at Wyndemere.
When I left, the place was in one piece. What happened?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find
out. I also have another question
Lucky. There was a body found in your
apartment. We had thought it was you,
but obviously we were wrong. Do you
know who it could have been?”
Lucky shook his head. He had no clue. Sure Nikolas had stayed there for a couple of days and even had a
key, but would his brother go there without Lucky being at home? Especially at this time of night? “The only person I can think of is Nikolas,
but we saw each other earlier…he’d have no reason to be there at this time.”
“Lucky!” Bobbie ran and embraced her
nephew. “Oh Lucky you’re alive! I was fearing the worse!”
“I’m alright Aunt Bobbie,” Lucky
reassured here.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.”
“Lucky…did you see anything or anyone
suspicious when you left the building?
People that shouldn’t have been there?” Taggert continued his
questioning.
“No one,” Lucky shook his head. “I saw no one.”
“Lucky!”
Luke rushed onto the scene. He pulled
Lucky in a tight embrace as he saw his son alive and well, tightly holding
Elizabeth’s hand.
“Spencer,” Taggert greeted the relieved man. Not exactly happy to see him. He knew that his questioning of a lawyer less Lucky had now come to an end. The older Spencer wasn’t going to let anyone near his son without a mouthpiece present. He sighed again as he saw Jason and Sonny approach from the other direction.
“What happened?” Luke released his
son.
“I don’t know. I took a walk and when I came back, I found
this. They found a body in my apartment
dad…Nikolas is the only person who had a key what if…”
“Nikolas is safe at your mother’s with
Lulu Cowboy. Don’t worry. Whoever that is probably didn’t belong
there. Jason, Sonny, be in my office in
the morning please. In the meantime, I
want to take Lucky home with me. I
don’t trust this situation. Is that ok
with you Cowboy?”
Lucky nodded. “But I want to walk Elizabeth home
first. I’ll meet you at your
apartment.”
“Hold it. Sonny, can Lucky borrow Johnny and Max,” Lucky turned to the
mobsters.
“Dad!” Lucky protested, but Luke held
up a hand to silence the protests.
“I’m sorry Cowboy, but something fishy
is going on here and I’d feel better if you were protected until I figure out
what’s going on.”
“That’s our job Spencer,” Taggert
warned. The last thing he needed was
Luke Spencer playing amateur detective.
“Well do your job and tell me why a
strange body was found in my son’s apartment?
How did this fire really get started,” Luke crossed his arms. He snorted when Taggert didn’t answer. “That’s what I thought.”
“Lucky I have some more questions to
ask you…”
“Lucky will be at the station first
thing in the morning with Alexis by his side detective,” Sonny spoke up. “There’s no need to keep the kid now. He had just lost his a apartment. Let him go home and get some sleep.”
Taggert just glared at the mob boss
before turning away to fill Mac in on the new developments.
“Lucky, why don’t you go on with Luke
and I walk Elizabeth home? You look
positively exhausted and I can tell Luke won’t rest until you’re all settled in
at his place. Would you mind that
Elizabeth?” Bobbie offered.
Elizabeth looked at Lucky, really
wanting to spend more time with him, but knew that Bobbie’s plan was best. Lucky did look worn and tired. He also looked worried. He knew, as well as she that the fire was no
accident. The body found in Lucky’s
room was proof of that. “I’ll see you
tomorrow,” She kissed him and followed Bobbie back in the direction of the
Hardy house.
“Thank god she wasn’t in there with
you,” Luke sighed.
“What’s going on dad? What’s this about?” Lucky looked to his
father for answers. The world that had
once seemed so safe and secure now seemed dark and dangerous once again. And like old times when the family was on
the run, Lucky turned to Luke for protection.
“I’ll fill you in when we get to the
apartment Cowboy. Don’t worry. I’m not going to let anything hurt you.”
With Johnny and Max following from
behind the two Spencers disappeared into the dark night, both wondering how
things could have ended if Lucky was indeed in that apartment and relieved that
he wasn’t..