Chapter Fifteen

THE CASTLE WAS deserted when Sonny and Jason arrived. "So," Jason asked as they drove through the gates of the castle. "Is this the place you were held in?"

"I don't know." Sonny looked around the grounds. "I only got to see the patio of the place. I was kept inside most of the time I was here."

"Then let's go inside." Jason suggested. "And find out." He added. "Do you think if we go inside you could find the place you were kept in when you first arrived."

"I think so." But Sonny didn't sound too sure. "I was taken through the house from the dungeon once, but I was too busy fighting to break free of the guards, I'm not sure if I could remember the way."

"I wonder when they left." Jason looked around the empty house. "And just where they are now."

"Maybe they were never here." Sonny was getting discouraged. Nothing looked the least bit familiar to him. "Maybe I was never here, either."

"We haven't searched the entire place." Jason urged him on. "Let's look around some more. Maybe you'll notice something that seems familiar."

They walked through the pantry and into the kitchen. Jason put his hand to the stove. "It's still warm." He looked at Sonny. "That's proof someone was here not that long ago."

"But not proof that I ever was." Sonny began to open doors and look inside them to see where they lead, but he was beginning to get more discouraged with each passing minute. The problem was he'd been out cold when he was taken into the dungeon and he hadn't noticed much when he'd been dragged out. "If there is a dungeon here, it would have to be below ground. They located the basement stairs and went down them.

Sonny was giving up all hope when he suddenly spotted something that seemed somewhat familiar. It was a cobblestone passageway. His mind flashed back on being dragged through a similar passageway. He began to walk down it. At the end was a door. He opened it and went in. "This is it!" He looked at Jason and smiled.

Sonny ran down the stairs into the pit, excitedly. "Sonny, are you sure." Jason tried to caution Sonny in case he got his hopes up and they found out this wasn't the place, after all.

"This is the place, Jason." Sonny laughed. "And I can prove it." He went over to the cobblestone wall and dislodged two stones. "I did this when I was being kept in here. That's how I was planning to escape. It wasn't a dream. I was here. I was actually here."

"Then that proves it." Jason replied. "You were kidnapped and held prisoner here."

"And Brenda's alive." Sonny sighed happily. "Everything I thought happened between us really did."

"So," Jason asked. "What's our next move?"

"Let's look around." Sonny suggested. "Maybe there's some clue to where they went. Some clue to how I can find Brenda."

When they arrived back upstairs, Sonny headed upstairs while Jason searched the ground floor. Sonny found his way to Brenda's bedroom and was swamped by the memories they had shared there. The things they have done together in the bed and in the tub. He walked on to the terrace and stared down at the patio. He could see them dancing by the pool, then shedding their clothes and making love.

He walked back into the bedroom and stared at the bed trying to remember how he got from here back to Port Charles. He remembered them been laying in bed sipping wine. The way they couldn't stop touching and kissing each other. Then he'd suddenly felt so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open. The next thing he knew he was waking up in the hospital back in Port Charles.

Then the truth hit him like a ton of bricks. She must have drugged him. It was the only thing that made sense. He remembered there'd been a funny taste to his wine and he'd commented on it, and she'd claimed that was because it was so old. My god, she'd drugged him. Then another horrible thought occurred to him.

What if everything she said and they did together had been one big lie. She'd told the guards her husband had set her up to taking him to bed with her. What if that hadn't been a lie. What if everything she had said to him had been the lie to get him to trust her and to go to bed with her. She'd claimed they only had one more night together before Alcazar returned and killed them both, but when he came back he didn't kill him. He'd let him go. He returned him back to where he had taken him from. If she had been telling him the truth, then why did she feel the need to drug him. God, had she played him for a complete fool?

"Sonny." Jason stood in the doorway. "Are you all right."

"No, I'm not." Sonny replied. "I'm not all right, at all. I just remembered something." He turned to look at Jason. "I think Brenda drugged me."

"Why would she do that?" He was stunned.

"I don't know." Sonny replied. "I don't know anything anymore. When I first arrived here she slapped me and told me she was going to make me pay for everything I had done to her. Then she said she loved me and it had all been a lie about wanting revenge." He added. "All I do know is Alacazar kidnapped me because of her. Everything he's done to me has been all because of her. Because he promised her he'd help her get revenge against me."

"Are you still in love with Brenda, Sonny." Jason asked pointblank. He prayed to god Sonny wasn't. Brenda had always been nothing but trouble for Sonny as far as he was concerned.

"I don't know." Sonny lied. "I don't know anything. All I know is everything that happened wasn't a dream. But that's all I do know."

"You really think Brenda could have played you?" Jason replied. "That what she did to you was all part of some elaborate plan she and her husband cooked up together?"

"I think it's a definite possibility." Sonny declared as he banged his fist against the dresser. "I can't believe I was so stupid. I can't believe I fell for it." He added. "I wasn't even suspicious that he left us alone together. I can't believe I'm still so susceptible to that woman and her tricks."

"So, what do we do now?" Jason wanted to know.

"We go home." Sonny replied. "And wait."

"You think Alcazar and Brenda will come to you?" Jason replied. "That this isn't over?"

"Oh, yeah." Sonny smiled bitterly. "I'm sure they will. This isn't over. This isn't over by a long shot." He added. "Neither one of them are finished with me, yet."

~ ~ ~

WHILE SONNY AND JASON were arriving in Spain, Brenda and Alcazar were arriving in Port Charles. They checked into the penthouse apartment at the Port Charles Hotel. Then Alcazar gave Brenda her marching orders. "You will have a great deal of freedom while we are in Port Charles." He told her. "But you will be constantly watched. Never forget that. Whatever you do will be reported back to me."

"I understand." She snapped. "But if you want me to play with Sonny's head, I will have to get near him."

"When I say you are to get near him." He grabbed her arm in a painful grip. "You will get near him, and only then. Until then you stay away from him." He added. "If you think to disobey me, he will die."

She yanked her arm out of his grip. "You said there was something you want me to do." She reminded him.

"Yes." He smiled. "There is. I want you to drop by and pay a little visit to Carly Corinthos. I think it's time she finds out what a bad boy her husband's been recently, don't you?"