15

 

          Luke and company enter the warehouse through a dock door that Helena had left open.  Sure she knew they were on the way, but she didn’t know when or how they’d be arriving and so the element of surprise was still on their side.

          “No one’s here,” Zander glanced around the seemingly deserted  room.

          “Oh they’re here.  We just can’t see them,” Lucky stood behind his father, trying to forget his own fear.  Right now fear would only hinder them.  Make them play into Helena’s hands.

          “Everyone stay behind me.  Nikolas, you get behind Lucky.  That way he’s guarded on both sides,” Luke directed.

          “How about Nikolas?  Couldn’t she grab him as well?” Zander frowned.

          “She hasn’t been brainwashing Nikolas.  I don’t think she has any secret plans but to get her knarled hands on his money.  But Lucky…we still don’t know how deep the programming goes or for what purpose.  Let’s just hope she doesn’t choose tonight to activate it,” Luke replied.  “Let’s move.  The sooner we find the women, the sooner we can get them to safety.”

          Silently the men walked deeper into the warehouse on full alert.  They notice that deeper down , rooms and compartments had been added.

          “Grandmother, what are you up to?” Nikolas wondered to himself.

          “Whatever it is, it’s not good,” Lucky shook his head.

          “Emily!” Zander called as they entered the new addition.

          “Quiet man,” Lucky hissed.  “We don’t want to alert Helena just yet.  We want to get the girls out first.”

          “Sorry,” Zander mumbled.  “I’m just worried.  What if Helena hurts her?”

          “Don’t worry.  It’s not Em she wants.  It’s Gia and Elizabeth,” Nikolas replied.

          “Zander?!  Zander is that you?!” Emily’s called out desperately.

          “Luke?!” Laura’s voice joined in.

          “That’s Em and mom!” Lucky exclaimed.

          “Emily!  Laura!  Hold on!” Luke yelled, pulling at the doors lining the wall.  Finally they came upon a locked door.  “Laura?”

          “We’re in here,” Laura’s voice came from behind the door.

          “How are we going to get in there?” Zander asked.

          “Never leave home without these,” Luke took out some lock picks.  “Stand back boys.”

          After five minutes of working on the lock, the door finally swung open to reveal Emily and Laura huddled together in the corner.

          “Luke!” Laura rushed into her husband’s arms.  “How did you find us?”

          “Helena.  She couldn’t resist bragging.”
          “Where’s Elizabeth and Gia?” Lucky frowned, trying to quill the desperation rising in his chest.  He had a feeling that all would be lost if they didn’t find the girls and soon.

          “We don’t know,” Emily shook her head, clinging to Zander as if her life depended on it.  “Helena had split us up.”

          “Dad…,” Lucky turned to his father.

          “Zander, get Emily out of here.   Things are going to get ugly and it’s best if you both are out of it,” Luke ordered.

          “What about Liz and Gia?” Zander frowned, feeling that he was deserting the Spencer family.

          “We’ll take care of them.  You just get Emily home,” Luke reassured the young man.

          Nodding, Zander turned to Lucky and Nikolas.  “Good luck.”

          “Take care,” Nikolas waved, watching his two friends head for safety.

          “Now for Gia and Elizabeth,” Luke pulled out a gun.  “Everyone follow me.”

          Five doors down, they find another locked door.  Luke heard soft sobs coming from within and knew they had found the girls.

          “Stay away,” a soft whimper was heard.

          That’s what did it for Luke.  Not thinking twice, he gave the door a hard swift kick.  It swung open to a scene that ran Nikolas’s blood cold and made Lucky’s blood boil with outrage.

          While Elizabeth was tied to a metal chair, struggling to break free, Gia was strapped to a hospital bed in stirrups.  The doctor Helena had hired was about to perform the procedure that would purge the new Cassadine Prince from the girl’s body.

          “Nikolas!” Gia cried out in relief.  They were saved!

          “Get away from her!” Nikolas stormed pass Luke and landed a hard blow to the doctor’s face, knocking the elderly man unconscious.

          “Lucky, thank god,” Elizabeth clung to him tightly after he had gotten her untied.  “She was going to  kill our babies Lucky!”

          “It’s a good thing we got here just in time,” Luke nodded.

          “Yes!  You are here just in time!”  Helena stood behind Luke and Laura, her eyes glinting with pure evil.

          “Helena,” Nikolas glared at Helena, pulling Gia close.

          “Oh hello my dear Prince.”

          “Don’t dear prince me Helena!  Not after you tried to kill my child!”

          “I was only doing what was best for the family.”

          “It’s over Helena,” Lucky stood in front of Elizabeth, wanting to shield her from what other trick Helena may have up her sleeve.

          “Oh on the contrary my dear Lucky…it’s only just beginning,” Helena reached into her purse and pulled out the infamous Ice Princess.  The priceless diamond her husband had once used in his weather machine all those years ago.

          Lucky froze in place.  All thoughts and emotions had fled his features, he was under the diamond’s spell.

          “What the hell,” Luke glared at Helena.  “What did you do to my son?!”

          “Lucky?” Elizabeth looked at him in disbelief.

          Helena laughed maliciously.  “The next phase of my plan.  Instead of destroying you myself Luke…I’m going to have your precious son do it for me.  Tonight the Spencer family dies by the handoff one of it’s own.”

          “You bitch,” Gia gasped.

          “You won’t get away with this grandmother,” Nikolas shook his head.

          “I’ve already have,” Helena turned to Lucky.  “Lance!  Give young Mr. Spencer here your machine gun.”

          “Yes madam,” the young guard handed the gun to the younger man, who was staring straight ahead, ignoring Elizabeth’s pleas to snap out of the trance.

          “Lucky.  You will kill everyone in  this room except for myself and Nikolas.  After that…you will turn the gun on yourself.  Do we understand each other?”

          “Yes,” was Lucky’s flat answer.

          “Lucky no!  Resist!” Luke cried out.  “Resist Cowboy!  Resist!”

          Helena only smirked.  “Start with Ms. Campbell.”

          “Lucky no!” Nikolas shook his head, staring at his brother in disbelief.

          Helena smiled in triumph as Lucky lifted the gun and aimed it at his brother’s fiancée.

          “Lucky no!  Gia’s your friend!  Don’t do this!  Fight Helena!” Elizabeth grabbed his arm.          

          Lucky frowned, still holding the gun tightly. He was supposed to shoot Gia…but he didn’t want to shoot Gia, she was his friend.  But the diamond said so, the diamond was boss.  Gia had to die.

          Seeing the confusion in Lucky’s eyes, thanks to the meddling Ms. Webber, Helena decided to switch things around a bit.  “No Lucky, I’ve changed my mind.  Start with Elizabeth and work your way to your father.”

          “Everyone gasped in shock as the gun swung from Gia to Elizabeth, who took a step back.

          “Luke do something,” Laura grabbed her husband’s arm.

          “Shhh.  Lucky won’t use that thing, not on Elizabeth.  You can see the struggle in his eyes,” Luke reassured his wife.  “Come on Cowboy.  Fight it.  You can do it.”
          “Lucky…don’t do this,” Elizabeth stepped closer, deciding on a new approach. Looking into  the eyes that were once full of life, hopes and dreams, she saw a struggle taking place.  Lucky was fighting, trying to resist Helena’s orders.  But by the look of it, he was losing.  Helena was too powerful.  There had to be something that she could do to override the programming…then it came to her like a bolt of lightening.

          “Lucky…I love you Lucky, the baby loves you.  We’d do anything for you.  Please…put the gun down.  For us Lucky.”

          But he didn’t put the gun down.  Instead  he swung the gun around and fired on Helena.  Helena’s eyes widened in shock and dismay as she performed the dance of death under the onslaught of bullets, dropping the Ice Princess in the process.

          Five minutes later, after the gun had been emptied, Helena Cassadine laid on the floor, her body rittled with bullets.  Luke walked over and kicked the cooling body.  A smile spread across his face as he realized that the witch that had harassed his family for years was finally dead.  He looked up at Helena’s bodyguards, who just stood staring at the grisly scene.

          “We hated her too,” One of the guards explained their inaction on Helena’s behalf.  “We’re finally free to go on with our lives.”

          Lucky dropped the gun; tears were burning his eyes as he turned to Elizabeth, who was crying as well.  She had been so close to losing everything, and it was finally affecting her.

          “Elizabeth…forgive me,” Lucky wiped at his tears.

          “Shhh.  There’s nothing to forgive.  You broke free and freed us all Lucky.  Thanks to you Helena’s dead and won’t come after any of us ever again,” Elizabeth hugged him closely, happy that their ordeal was over with.      

          “Psycho granny is finally gone,” Gia breathed in relief.  “I can’t wait to see my mother.  She’s going to be thrilled about the baby.”

          “I’ll call sonny and have him dispose of the body and gun,” Luke dialed Sonny’s number on his trusty cell phone.  “Laura, take the kids home.  There’s no need for them to be here.”

          Looking back at the grisly scene, the foursome followed Laura out of the warehouse, knowing that now their  children can grow up in a world free of fear.  The Spencer/Cassadine families were finally free.

 

HOME

 

CHAPTER INDEX

 

CONTINUE