My Slumbering Heart - Chapter Seven

Ric, startled, at first, by his unexpected guest but more especially by the revolver that was so precariously pointed towards his head, recovered quickly and proceeded to offer the intruder one of his most devious, full on smiles. White teeth glaring, the lawyer tepidly made his way down the foyer landing and into the living room, casually seating himself on the couch. Turning to look at his visitor, Ric, with all the control and confidence he could muster with the open ended barrel of a gun glaring in his vision, waited for the gentleman to speak. When he didn't, the lawyer decided to start.

Trying not to sound nervous but not particularly succeeding, Ric, with a smile still on his handsome face, shakily greeted, "Anthony, it's nice to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Joggling the gun back and forth, relishing in Ric's unease, Anthony, in return, gave Ric one of his own devilish smiles and responded, "Ah, Ric, you foolish man. I think you know exactly why I am here."

Crossing his legs, Ric leaned back, draping his arm along the edge of the top of the sofa. "Well, so there is no misunderstanding, why don't you enlighten me?"

Anthony, enjoying this cat and mouse game, laughed at his onetime lawyer. "Ric, you amuse me so, you really do. Trying so hard to play it cool, but you were never one to play the game well. You betrayed me, and, now, you will have to pay the price."

Ric, still grinning but starting to sweat underneath his suit, removed his arm from the back of the couch and lowered it to smooth his tie down his chest and stomach. He then uncrossed his legs and rested both elbows on his knees, biding his time before he spoke, contemplating his words carefully. He had to figure out a way to hold off Anthony from killing him and then somehow kill him first. Ric was not going to let some crazy old man ruin what was finally within his grasp.

"Anthony, it wasn't really me who betrayed you, was it? No, it was your conniving, backstabbing daughter who did that. So, if you are to blame anyone, it really should be Claudia. Lucky for us, she's dead." Pausing and taking a deep breath in an attempt to gauge the older man's reaction, Ric continued, "unless… you are actually morning her death?"

When Anthony remained silent, Ric, knowing his life was on the line, kept talking. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Ever since I met you, you have wanted to be rid of your first born."

"Enough!" Anthony yelled, quickly silencing the younger man. "Ric, you betrayed me by sharing confidences with Claudia. Now, Corinthos wants me dead. That is a most regrettable thing. So, I am now forced to leave my home and my business to save my life, but, before I leave to escape my fate, and, yes, Ric, I will escape, it is your turn to die."

As Anthony cocked the gun, readying it to fire, Ric jumped up, bringing his arms forward as he yelled at the man. "Stop! Just stop, Anthony, before you do something foolish!" Starting to breathe heavily, Ric tried to quickly let the man know he had the upper hand on Sonny and Jason. "I have something that can solve all our problems, something that will see to it that you won't have to flee town, something that will both regain control of your organization from Sonny but also give you Jason's as well. Just let me show you. I promise you that won't be disappointed. It is the answer to both of our problems."

Keeping the revolver fixed right between the lawyer's eyes, the Zacharra head responded, "how do I know you're not lying, trying to bide your time so you can try to kill a crippled old man?"

Nervously laughing, slightly confident the crazy don wasn't going to fire, at least not yet, Ric lowered his arms and said, "come on, Anthony. We both know you aren't crippled or weak. Why would I lie now when my life is on the line?"

"Why indeed. If I knew how your mind worked, Ric, we wouldn't be in this situation now, would we? You were fooled by a woman, and that makes you weak. I don't trust weak men." But the older gentleman had become intrigued by Ric's statement nevertheless, so, wanting to gain more information before killing the lawyer, the mob king disengaged the gun and lowered it to his side. "Alright, Lansing, tell me what it is that is so valuable that it will save your life."

Ric, letting out a deep breath in relief, said to the older man, "not it… but who. I have the one person that can bring Jason Morgan to his knees. You wanted to know the enforcer's weakness. Well, I have it, and, with it, we can force the thug to finally turn on Sonny and soon be rid of both men for good, leaving the territory to us."

The lawyer's smugness intrigued Anthony. "Alright, Ric, let's see what it is you have to show me. Just remember the fate of your life is in the hands of this mystery person. I hope they don't let you down."

Ric nodded at the older gentleman, turning to lead him up the stairs to Elizabeth's room, thinking I hope she doesn't let me down either.

~~~

Elizabeth finally heard footsteps coming up the stairs. The brunette wasn't sure how long she had lounged there waiting for Ric to enter her bedroom. Anticipating his arrival had been torture on the young woman. She knew, at this point, that her ex-husband was unstable and preventing him from going over the edge would take all of the acting skills she possessed. But, then, the young mother heard something she didn't expect; she heard more than one pair of footsteps heading down the hallway towards her prison, and the brunette couldn't help but begin to feel hope that someone had followed the lawyer to his Martha Vineyard's home. That someone, hopefully, would discover she was alive, and they would help her escape so that she could return to the life waiting for her in Port Charles.

Deciding it was best to still pretend to be asleep, the young mother stayed in her fetal position, underneath the covers, her arm restraints making it difficult to get comfortable. However, the ruse was enough so that it appeared she was still unconscious. Working hard to even out her breathing, Elizabeth heard the door start to open, and her heart started to beat rapidly. She began to pray that Ric wouldn't hear the telltale sign of edgy alertness.

Then she heard Ric whispering to the other person, and she was shocked when she heard Anthony Zacharra's voice. Of all the people that would find her, why did it have to be that crazy loon? Silently sighing at her bad luck, Elizabeth began to try and think of how she could use this to her advantage. She was a woman; the man hated women. Plus, she foiled his plans at the Black and White ball. That was certainly not a good thing. He had also previously approached her at the hospital, and she was less then welcoming. Inwardly groaning, the brunette kept trying to come up with anything that might help her. She then realized they were talking, and it would probably prove her well if she tried to listen to what they were saying. Closing off her mind, Elizabeth tried to just focus on what the two men were discussing just outside her door. She could feel their gaze on her body. Her skin began to crawl, but she still remained motionless, not giving anything away to the men.

As Anthony peeked into the room Ric had started to enter, the Zacharra head couldn't believe his eyes. There, tied up, was the pretty brunette nurse from General Hospital. Hmmm, he thought to himself smugly. This might be a good thing after all, a very good thing. But Anthony knew how to play his cards close to the vest, so he would wait and see how Ric played this out before showing his own hand.

Whispering to his onetime lawyer he wondered out loud, "so, Ric, what does some nurse from General Hospital have to do with Jason Morgan?"

Elizabeth silently gasped, thinking that Ric was somehow going to have Anthony hurt Jason because of her. But, then, Elizabeth realized that Anthony not remembering her and Jason from the Black and White ball could be a good thing. When she heard Ric's sneering voice, her skin began to crawl all over again.

Ric, glad that Elizabeth still hadn't woken up from the drug he had given her the night before, turned to his former employer and whispered, "Ah, Anthony. What you don't realize is that Elizabeth Webber is Jason Morgan's one true weakness."

"What would this pretty young thing have to do with a mob enforcer turned mob king, and doesn't the woman have two small children from other men? Explain, Lansing, make me understand. I'm losing my patience with you very quickly." Waving his gun maniacally towards the younger man, he threatened, "and that doesn't make me very happy."

"Anthony, all you need to know is that the brainless thug would do anything for her. He thinks she's dead. We use that to our advantage, and the rest will fall into place."

It took every ounce of Elizabeth's self control not to scream at the man she once called her husband. How dare he! He would be sorry for the day he ever thought he could manipulate her. Wait it out, just wait it out, she started chanting in her mind. Ric was overly smug. He was going to make a mistake. Elizabeth only hoped that she could hold out until that point. Clearing her mind again, she tried to focus on the conversation that was going on just a few feet away.

"Lansing, you still haven't told me what your plan is."

Ric then motioned Anthony with his head out into the hallway, gently closing the door behind them.

"It's simple, Anthony. We use Sonny's need for power and control to our advantage. We bring him into the fold. No matter what Jason thinks… Well, the brain damaged thug really can't think, and that is our edge. "

Anthony was quickly getting bored with Ric, so he took his gun and pressed it right up into the lawyer's nostrils. Allowing the man to smell death, having him fear what may happen at any moment, he warned, "Ricky, old boy…" Flailing the gun back and forth only to then return to rest it against the lawyer's nose once again, he mob boss said, "I am getting impatient with you, and, when I get impatient, my hand starts to twitch. We wouldn't want me to accidentally set the gun off now, would we? After all, this is a nice place you have here. I'd feel downright terrible if your blood were to stain these beautiful hardwood floors."

Swallowing, Ric quickly finished explaining, at least enough to appease the old man. "Jason thinks Sonny forgives him for forcing him to sign his kids away and turn over the business. If I know Sonny, and I do, that is the one thing he will never forgive. We need to use the animosity that still festers between the two of them, and, by using Elizabeth, we can make that happen."

Before Anthony could respond Ric's cell phone went off. Ric, eyeing the older gentleman, raised his eyebrow, questioning where he could pull the phone out from his breast pocket to answer it or not.

Anthony, nodding his head in acquiescence, shoved his revolver one more time against the lawyer's face and forcibly whispered, "no funny business or bye-bye pretty boy Lansing."

Ric, fumbling around his coat pocket, the sweat again starting to trickle down his trunk, found his phone and quickly answered it. "Lansing." After a few minutes, Ric hung up, replacing the phone back in his pocket and whispered to Anthony, "Elizabeth's probably going to be sleeping for a while longer. Let's go downstairs, have a drink, and finish this conversation."

As they made their way downstairs, Anthony took a quick glance at the door that hid a most precious treasure indeed, only Ric didn't realize that the treasure was going to be suited for a much bigger purpose. The Zacharra don now knew exactly how he was going to escape, and he had Lansing to thank for it. It was sad really. Without knowing it, the attorney truly had become an asset to the mob king. Too bad he wasn't going to live long enough to realize it.

Ric, reaching the living room before Anthony, started to fix him a drink at the bar. Once the old man had sat down in the chair the lawyer had only just a short time ago found him in, he handed him the drink. Then fixing one for himself, Ric toasted to their new and improved alliance. Turning to face the mob king, Ric raised his glass and said, "To the start of the Lansing/Zacharra Empire!"

Simultaneously, the two took a sip. Once Anthony had lowered his glass, Ric began to speak once again. "That phone call was from my father's lawyer. I need to return to Port Charles for the reading of his will. I trust that you will keep an eye on our precious jewel upstairs."

Anthony, taking another sip of his drink, nodded in agreement. "I'll tend to her more carefully than I ever did Maria's roses."

Ric waited for a few moments as he watched the old man's eyelids start to flutter close. Once assured that the drug he had administered in the man's drink had taken effect, the lawyer removed the gun from Anthony's grasp as well as the glass, dumping out the rest of its contents. Although he placed the glass on the bar, he kept the gun with him as he headed to the door. He then turned to face his adversary, knowing he didn't have time to kill him and efficiently dispose of the body. Ric contemplated whether he should tie him up or not. The lawyer came to the conclusion that most likely Zacharra would still be asleep by the time he returned, and, then, he would finish the job of eliminating yet another obstacle in his quest for the power he had craved his whole life.

Glancing towards the stairs, Ric knew he would have to leave his safe haven here and take Elizabeth to a new location. His home has been compromised, and that was not a good thing, for, if Anthony had found him so easily, so could someone else.

With one last look, he left to go meet with his father's lawyer.