Chapter 25
Jason wrapped his arm around Elizabeth and looked at Sonny and Carly. They both shook their heads; they didn't know what to do either. The silence stretched for out until Jason finally said, "I'm going down there, if he has Cam down there I'm going to find them."
Wiping her face off hastily Elizabeth nodded and said, "I'm going with you, Cam doesn't know you and I want to be there in case he's scared." Pausing and shaking her head she said, "What am I thinking, of course he's scared."
Trying to help Carly put her hand on Elizabeth's arm and held up the photo that she'd picked up from the desk. "It should help Elizabeth," she said softly, "to look at this and see that he doesn't look scared, he looks like he's happy. Whatever else Manny has been doing these last few days he has been taking care of him and keeping him safe."
Elizabeth pulled the picture out of her hand and studied it for a minute until she could nod and say, "Yeah that does help, seeing his smile and knowing he isn't afraid of missing me, as much I'm missing him and as afraid as I am, I'd hate to know he was crying for me."
Jason hugged her close to his body and said, "I promise you will be reunited with your son, with our son, and I'm going to spend all the time I can with the two of you getting to know him and getting to know you again."
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close nodding her head into his chest. She had absolute faith in Jason that he would bring their son home, but she wasn't going to sit uselessly on the sidelines. She was going to be involved in this the whole way. Cam would see her and know that he was going home, that was what she wanted and what she was going to make sure happened.
Carly and Sonny watched the couple in front of them and then looked at each other. Putting his arm around his ex-wife Sonny suddenly yearned to hold his own sons in his arms. He cleared his throat and asked Jason, "Do you want to go in through the Cellar or down by the docks? It seems that he must be somewhere between the two entrances if he's using them both. I'll send Max and Milo in through the other entrance and between the two of you Manny should be trapped."
Jason pondered the question for a few minutes before saying, "I'm going in through the Cellars. I think if he had Cam in Kelly's he's probably closer to there. He wouldn't want to travel very far with him."
Since that made sense to everyone in the room they all nodded and set about arranging for the things that they would need. New guards arrived at Sonny's door and Max and Milo joined them in the planning session. Flashlights and water canteens were gathered together along with rope and gloves in case they had to do any climbing. As soon as they were all set Jason nodded to Max and Milo and told them to contact Sonny as soon as they found the entrance. He'd make sure to get word to Jason.
*********************
Entering the Cellar Jason and Elizabeth moved as silently as they could, making their way down the stairs so they could search the area to figure out where the entrance that Manny was using was. Making their way through the main room Jason had theorized that the tunnel would open into the storage area, or what used to be the storage area. Moving behind the bar he went into the kitchen with Elizabeth close on his heels. A quick search of that area didn't reveal anything so they made their way into the store room.
Jason went over the walls and floor quickly but thoroughly. Shaking his head at Elizabeth they moved onto Carly's office, the last space to search back here. Going into the room Jason was sure that they'd found what they were looking for. It took several minutes but they finally located the trapdoor under the area rug in front of the bookcases. He'd noticed that the dust in this room was stirred up more than the other rooms so he'd known that this was where Manny was coming and going from but the other man had kept his entrance well concealed.
Pulling the door up he paused when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out he saw that Sonny, "Did they find it?" he asked by way of greeting.
"Yeah they've gone in already. It was pretty badly overgrown and if they weren't looking they never would have found it. Some broken branches helped point the way," Sonny informed him.
Jason thanked him and told him that he and Elizabeth were entering from the Cellar. Hanging up he took the flashlight from her and started down the stairs. Elizabeth was right behind him peering into the dark and trying to make out everything that was around them and more importantly, beyond the circle of light shining from the flashlight.
Making their way down the tunnel they came to a fork in it. Jason shone the light on the floor for both of them, and they could make out the footprints in the dirt on the floor. Glancing at Elizabeth over his shoulder she shrugged and Jason pointed to the left. Following along behind him Elizabeth took a hold of his belt and kept as tight to him as she could.
*******************
Cam opened his eyes and looked around for his new friend. He wasn't here and Cam wanted to find him. Picking up a banana from the table on the side of the room Cam toddled off down the hallway. He didn't like the dark but the nice man with the funny pictures on him had left some lights glowing for him.
At the end of the hall he looked in the three openings trying to pick the right one to take. With a smile and a giggle Cam turned to the one with the most lights in it and he headed down it. This looked like a fun adventure to him.
********************
Manny snuck out of the tunnel and into Luke's old club. He was frustrated that he hadn't been able to locate Jason and he wasn't in a good mood anymore. The man wasn't where he was supposed to be.
Stalking through the room he froze when he heard the snick of the gun being cocked to his right. Turning slowly he saw the sloppy grin on Luke Spencer's drunken face. Raising his head he asked him, "What are you planning to do with that gun?"
"I'm planning to kill you," Luke said with a shrug.
"You better do it now because if you wait much longer I won't give you the chance," Manny threatened him.
Laughing like a hyena and shook his head, "Not sure you noticed this but I'm the one with the gun. I'm not afraid of you; you don't scare me or particularly interest me. If you'd left my boy alone I wouldn't have any beef with you, I'd let Morgan deal with you."
Manny smiled at the drunk in front of him and said, "That boy of yours would have died a lot sooner if his beautiful wife hadn't begged me for his life. And what did he do, he cheated on her with a whore like Samantha no less."
Coming to his feet Luke yelled, "He never cheated on her, she left him, she walked out with Jason and left Lucky. He would have found their boy but she never had any faith in him."
Shaking his head Manny had to ask, "Did you have any faith in him? He seemed pretty useless to me, a cop without a clue. I did him a favor letting him live and he had to go and defile his love for princess like that, so I killed him for it. Now what do you plan to do to me?"
Luke's breathing was harsh as he got angrier and angrier. Manny was working him into a rage and in his drunken state he didn't see the trap ahead of him. He weaved a little closer to him and yelled, "Cowboy didn't deserve to die, he was my son, he was a Spencer!"
Lunging forward suddenly Manny grabbed the gun and twisted it out of Luke's grasp shoving him backwards with all of his strength and laughing as he watched him stumble and fall. Turning the gun around on the man he smiled and said, "So explain to me why you were waiting here for me."
Luke sneered at him from the floor and said, "As smart as you think you are Jason and Sonny already figured out where you're hiding. They told me and I took a little look-see around here and decided you've been coming and going through my place too. I just figured I'd sit here and wait for you."
Manny growled when he learned that his hiding place was compromised. Furious he stared at the waste of a man in front of him and just shook his head. There was no reason to keep him around any longer or to spend time on him like he had with Sam and Lucky. Pointing the gun he fired once, watching the neat red hole that appeared in the middle of his forehead leak a little bit of blood.
Shoving the gun into the back of his pants Manny turned back to the tunnel opening and rushed inside. He navigated the twists and turns down the tunnel at a run as he worked his way back to Cameron. He had to get him and he had to get out, they were going to have to find another place to hide.
