An Autumn Dream

Chapter One: The Shot Heard Around the World… or at Least Port Charles 

Halloween Night… 

Feel it comin' in the air
Hear the screams from everywhere
I'm addicted to the thrill
It's a dangerous love affair
Can't be scared when it goes down
Got a problem, tell me now
Only thing that's on my mind
Is who's gonna run this town tonight...

He wasn’t a stupid man. He never had been. Sure perhaps he had once been naïve and allowed the ways of a woman to influence him in his younger days but he learned quickly that life was hard. It was harsh and sometimes completely unforgiving. It was the reason why he had lasted as long as he did in his position of power. Life had made him who he was. If the world around him was going to beat up on him then he in turn would learn to fight. He would become worst than what existed around him. A pity that once he started he couldn’t stop. He ruled everything the way he ruled his business… with an iron fist and without compromise. He held onto everything as tight as he could, kept it under his thumb, refused any allowances. Perhaps that was the reason for his current predicament…

Is who's gonna run this town tonight...
We gonna run this town

The thought brought a ghost of a smile to his face. Even as he lay in a pool of his own blood, he smiled up into the face of his killer. His grin was as maniacal as it was haunting. He gasped as his lungs began to fill up with his own blood. He coughed and it came out as a gurgled laugh. “You think you’ve won… but you haven’t! Oh… this is… this is just the beginning.” If it had been anyone else the words would have come across as an empty threat. A dying man’s words filled with nothing… but this was Anthony Zaccahara and as his accuser raised their hand, pointing the pistol straight at his chest he only laughed harder. His breaths rasped against his chest seeing the fear in the eyes of his murderer. “Oh there it is… there’s the fear… you’re as dead… as I am. You just… just… wait. You’re time is coming… when you least expect it.” The pistol went off cutting him off. The gun was dropped by his dead body and his killer walked away not understanding the events that they just set in motion.

Life's a game but it's not fair
I break the rules so I don't care
So I keep doin' my own thing
Walkin' tall against the rain
Victory's within the mile
Almost there, don't give up now

24 hours later…

Jason sat handcuffed to the Police Commissioner’s desk awaiting his turn to be questioned. He looked up and watched Alexis grill Sonny in the interrogation room. His face remained expressionless and as passive as ever.

He didn’t even flinch when Mac slammed the cup of coffee on the desk beneath his nose. “I thought you could use this.” He stated roughly. 

Jason barely looked at the cup before settling further down in his seat and staring down at his chipped fingernails. He heard Mac snort in righteous indignation.

“That’s fine! You can give us the silent treatment if you want to. It’s not going to change anything! Anthony Zaccahara is dead and you and Sonny are the number one suspects! You know perhaps you might want to do yourself a favor and cut a deal with us and salvage what’s left of your life!” He suggested. 

There was something in his voice that made Jason look up. It almost sounded like concern… and perhaps a soft plea. “There are a lot of people in this town that wanted Anthony dead.” He shrugged with an air on nonchalance. 

“And you and Sonny are the only ones we have in for questioning.”

“That’s because you don’t know how to do your jobs! Whenever there is something foul in the air the first thing you do is call in Sonny and Jason, never mind that they’re innocent!” Carly corrected as she slammed into the police station. Her stomach barely hidden beneath her dark red sweater and black coat. 

Exhaling deeply Jason looked over his shoulder as his friend came to stand by his side. “Carly… what are you doing here?” He asked already exasperated. “You should be at home resting.”

“Right; I’m going to be at home with my feet propped up while you and Sonny are down here being railroaded by the likes of Alexis Davis?! I don’t think so!” She remarked matter-of-factly. Coming to stand in front of him he could see the concern shining in her eyes. “What do you need me to do? Has anyone called Diane? Why isn’t she here?”

Sighing heavily he shook his head putting up his cuffed hands to put a halt to her questioning. “Stop… just stop. Diane is stuck in Jamaica because of the impending hurricane”

“What? So what are you supposed to do?! What about Sonny?”

“Carly you need to go home and relax.”

Leaning down so that she was close enough she whispered. “Anthony is dead and from what I’ve heard on the news neither one of you have alibis. How do you expect me to stay calm and not do something?” She asked

“Because I’m asking you to. I need you to trust me and to believe that I’ve got this under control.”

“How Jason; come on… you have to tell me something. You can’t just expect me to…”

He could see her getting worked up and sighed. “I’ve made a call… and someone is coming… someone to represent me and Sonny until Diane can get back.”

“Okay so you have a lawyer. Well where the hell are they?” She asked annoyed.

“I’m right here.” Evangeline stated seeming to appear from nowhere at all. She felt the blond give her the once over before turning her eyes on her newest client. “Jason Morgan I presume?” She reached for his hand seeing that they were cuffed and sighed. “I hear that you’re in need of a lawyer… and I’m in need of a few new clients.”

“Thanks for getting here so quickly. I wasn’t sure that you would come.” He remarked meaningfully.

Looking over her shoulder her eyes locked with Lainey’s who remained hovering in the archway of the police station. So many questions… so many secrets!

“Let’s just say that you have some extremely persuasive friends Mr. Morgan.” She remarked before turning back to him. “Now first things first…”

“I’ll tell you anything that you need to know.”

“Hold that thought. Let’s get your boss out of that interrogation room.”

“Good luck with that! Alexis is like a dog with a bone when it comes to raking Sonny and Jason over the coals!”

Looking at the blond again she smiled. “Yeah… well I’m pretty damn good… and I don’t like to lose!” She stated and was off leaving a slightly impressed Carly in awe.

Only thing that's on my mindIs who's gonna run this town tonight...