[i]"You're here looking for answers. I can give them to you."

Rage, grief and tequila and nearly 58 hours without sleep had left Lorenzo's brain foggy. He slowly lifted his eyes from the half-filled glass of booze on the table in front of him and searched for the source of the foreign-sounding voice.

"You look like you've already found the bottom of that bottle, mate. But it won't help. Believe me, I've been there."

"Go to hell."

Lorenzo threw the verbal barb out at the blurry figure before him. He couldn't make the man out, couldn't place the accent except to know it didn't belong here in a South American cantina. Assuming his directive would be followed, Lorenzo reached down and picked up his glass. He downed the rest of the contents and then slammed the empty vessel onto the cracked, scarred wood.

"Feel better now?"

The chair across from him moved back and Lorenzo could see the man's shadow against the table.

"The booze won't numb it," the voice said. "Nothing will but finding some kind of retribution for what happened. I can help you do that, if you're interested."

He was two steps slower than normal, his martial arts training and muscle memory all that allowed Lorenzo to execute the move at all, but he managed to grab hold of the man's shirtfront. Using most of his energy, Lorenzo pulled him forward, a rough and knowing face coming even with his own. The man's eyes were calm, unconcerned. That, more than anything, made Lorenzo halt his intended assault, though he kept his hold on the stranger.

"What do you want?"

The foreigner reached into his pocket and drew out a photo. He placed it on the table.

"That's the man who led the raid on the El Salvador encampment. He's the man you want. He killed Sophie."

Her name made Lorenzo's head jerk, his eyes widening with shock. His hands slipped away from the other man's shirt and snapped up the picture. A face to go with the nightmare. A man to hold responsible.

"Who is he?"

"Someone who I guarantee didn't think twice about the lives he was taking. He had an agenda and nothing gets in the way of that, ever."

The stranger paused and Lorenzo sank back into his own chair, the picture clasped so tightly in his fingers, they cramped.

"I know what you lost," the man said. "I can help you make him pay for what he did. But you have to do it my way. And you have to understand that what I'm offering you is justice, not revenge. It may take time… but it will get you what you want."

He sobered immediately, his mind vanquishing the sense of intoxication he had tried so hard to achieve. Justice… what was justice for a man who took your future away from you? Lorenzo glanced across the table.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You need to understand that once you start, there will be no stopping."

Lorenzo slid the picture back across the table and slammed his right index finger down just above the face of the man it displayed.

"If this man killed her... if you can get me to this man... then you tell me what I have to do, whatever it is, however long it takes."

The man nodded and leaned forward.

"My name is Robert Scorpio, Mr. Alcazar. And I will tell you everything you need to know and explain to you everything you will have to do. And when we're done, Antonio Renata will be brought to justice."

The name hung there in the air a moment before Lorenzo pulled the picture back and lifted it up so he could take in the face again.

"Antonio Renata. That's his name?"

"That's his name," Robert answered. "And it's time we get started."[/i]

The long ago memory faded as Lorenzo sighed and curled his body against Alexis' still sleeping form. Somehow, despite the emotional exhaustion of the last few days, he was wide awake, his mind playing over events of the past in an effort to reconcile them with his present.

Alexis had spoken up in Robert's defense, pointing out that he could have lied again rather than confirm the truth about the part Luis had played in Sophie's death. Lorenzo knew that was true and he was keenly aware that anyone at the WSB other than Robert could have tried to intimidate or manipulate Alexis to stop her from coming to him with the truth. But his mentor hadn't allowed that to happen.

There wasn't an easy answer to how Lorenzo felt about what he now knew. Yes, he felt betrayed because he hadn't been given the whole truth, but he understood why Robert hadn't provided full disclosure. What were the chances that he'd have believed his own brother was involved in the worst event of his life? More than likely, Lorenzo knew he would have stormed off after beating Scorpio senseless, then he'd have stupidly told Luis what had happened, thereby setting off God only knew what kind of tragic chain of events.

Another undeniable fact was that Lorenzo himself had withheld information to get what he needed from people who he then came to care about or who he had relationships with... all in the name of the greater good. The woman in his arms was proof of that. So was Nano. They had both understood his motives and intentions and forgiven him. Did he owe Robert any less consideration just because the revelations he had kept secret were so painful to hear?

[i]"Luis tried to destroy everything in me that was good and decent when he killed Sophie... but something sent Robert into my life, somehow instead of becoming the man Luis and Renata thought I should be, I became this man. And flawed as I might be, I thank God for that."[/i]

Lorenzo remembered the words he'd spoken to Alexis even as she stirred and turned, her arms wrapping around him in her sleep. He'd let himself imagine, as he had lain awake, what might have happened to him if Robert hadn't shown up, if he hadn't said exactly the right things to put Lorenzo on the path he had taken. More than likely, he'd be long dead, his hotheaded need for revenge getting him killed or his drunken brooding leaving him in a ditch somewhere. Or he'd have shut down entirely, becoming the very monster that had ruined his future with Sophie... someone who took life without remorse because his own life meant nothing to him.

The man who fit that description, however, was his nemesis, not himself. And now that Renata had upped the ante by involving Alexis in his master plan, Lorenzo knew it was time to finally bring an end to his dance with the devil.

[i]"He threatened you through me," Alexis admitted. "He made it clear he would come after you, though he didn't specify what that meant, if I didn't get you to see the wisdom of his plan for you future."

"I know that we've made it nearly impossible for Renata to navigate the world at will, but this doesn't make sense to me. His power base is large enough for him to make allowances for that if he's expanding."

"I think you've done more damage than you realize. He said something about not wanting to take from you what he could share with you. That's the kind of thing Stefan would call a show of weakness."[/i]

Weak... it wasn't a word Lorenzo had ever associated with Renata, but it was a definite possibility given the way he'd tried to manipulate Alexis. If she was right... if they had managed to chip away at his network more than they'd imagined, then maybe there was a way to force Renata's hand before the AG Project deadline. The question was how.

One thing was clear, they needed to reassess Renata's contacts and his holdings. If there were vulnerabilities they had missed, he and Robert needed to find them. That was where they would start... together.

*****

His feet hit the pavement rhythmically, pounding and putting strain on the joints in his legs despite the quality of his running shoes. Robert pushed himself harder, driving up a steep hill to try and finally purge the stress that had been plaguing him since Alexis Davis had left his hideout the day before.

That he was being careless and acting foolishly only proved how out of sorts he was. Running out of doors in a town where he was known, where his brother lived, was purely insane, and yet Robert kept on, driving back toward a hot shower and some coffee, hopeful that by the time he took his final step, he would feel more settled and ready to get back to work.

Too much was at stake for too many people for Scorpio to be off his game, and he knew it. That he was worried about his friend didn't change the fact that Lorenzo the operative was being placed between a rock and a hard place by the WSB director's machinations and by Antonio Renata's demands. Robert knew that even if he'd lost the friendship he had built with Lorenzo, it was still his responsibility to get his agent out of the assignment alive and quickly, as he had promised.

With that thought in mind, Robert sped to the back alley that led to his temporary quarters and then he slowed to a walk as he checked his hooded sweatshirt to make sure it was still properly placed to shield his face. A few minutes later, he let himself in through the garage door, ready to go check on the tracker he'd loaded onto Trent's computer. But Robert stopped cold when he saw that the indicator light for the interior garage door alarm sensor was off. Drawing a gun from his sweatshirt pocket, the now on-edge man backed out of the garage and worked his way to the side door that was hidden by a false wall. Seeing the entrance was undisturbed, Robert opened it and stepped in the warehouse, gun drawn.

"God damn it. I could've killed you."

Robert dropped his arm and put the safety on the gun as Lorenzo raised his hands in mock surrender.

"I figured you'd look before you shot," came Lorenzo's dry response.

The next moment felt, not surprisingly, very awkward. 24 hours ago, Robert would have made a joke and Lorenzo would have laughed and then they'd have started working on their next move against Renata. But now the dynamic between them was uncertain, and all Robert could think to say was…

"That's some lady you've got there."

Lorenzo nodded, his expression remaining difficult to read. In the silence, it was hard not to notice the bandages on the younger man's hands, the clear signs of exhaustion in his face.

"So let's just cut to the chase, Mate. Are you here to yell at me, kick my ass or to get to work?"

"What Luis did was... I'm not even sure what the right word is. But Renata was still his weapon, he's still a man who needs to be stopped." Lorenzo cleared his throat and crossed his arms in front of himself. "Alexis thinks that Renata going at me through her is a sign that he's in trouble. I think she might be right."

Robert felt his shoulders relax. "Then let's take a look, shall we?"

They moved to the computer and Robert pulled up the WSB records on Renata. Two pairs of eyes searched, hoping for a kernel of information that could put them on the right track. But after three hours and a pot of coffee, they were left frustrated.

"None of this makes any sense." Lorenzo pushed away from the work table and stood. "This is the same information we've gone over a hundred times, and it doesn't tell us why in the hell Renata needs me to become his public face."

"Maybe what we're looking for isn't in a WSB report," Robert offered. "Maybe it's more subtle than that. Something within his inner circle--a power grab we don't know about, someone he trusted turning on him."

Lorenzo shook his head. "He'd kill anyone who threatened him that way, and we both know it. But there's something. He had to know that once he tried to use Alexis, it was make or break. I'd either give in or I'd go after him. He wouldn't do that lightly."

He knew the younger man was right, but Robert was just as hard pressed to explain Renata's latest move. It seemed desperate, and while they'd hoped to get him into that vulnerable of a position, it had happened more suddenly than they'd expected, especially with the AG Project looming.

"It's there, Robert. Something's happened we don’t know about, I can feel it."

Robert nodded. "You're right. And I may know someplace we can look for an answer."

The questioning look on Lorenzo's face was expected. He tried to hide the undercurrent of concern that information had been withheld from him again, but it was there. Rather than allow his suspicions to grow any further, Robert gave him his answer.

"Do you remember our discussion about Trent? How you weren't sure if you could trust him?"

"I do," Lorenzo answered.

"While you were in Venezuela, I got concerned. I don't want you to be right and I don't want to find myself cleaning up after another rogue WSB head, but... I made a promise to you. I wanted to be sure."

"And are you sure?"

"I don't know yet," Robert admitted. "But if there are files being kept out of the loop, information we're not privy to, Trent might have it."

"Well, that's great, but how do we get to it?"

A small smile crossed Robert's face.

"I may have provided us a way to gain access to a certain computer. Maybe we should take a look?"

Lorenzo smiled back, clearly impressed with this turn of events. "Let's do it."

Turning back to the computer, Robert began punching in the lengthy code he needed to access Trent's system undetected.

"Just so you know," he said as hit key after key, "if I could change the way this all played out..."

"I know," Lorenzo said. "I've said that same thing to two of the most important people in my life. But neither of us can change it, we just have to finish what we started… and then see where it all ends up."

It wasn't necessarily a full repair of the breach in their partnership and their friendship, but it was a resolution Robert could live with. He nodded and continued his work on the computer.

"You should also know that, uh... Nano knows the truth."

Robert's eyes jerked from the keyboard and over to the man beside him. He opened his mouth to begin a rant of how incredibly unsettling this news was when Lorenzo put up his hand to stop any admonishments that might be coming his way.

"It wasn't a lack of faith in you, it was me seeing what it feels like firsthand to have someone you trust not tell you the whole truth. That's not a dig, it's just reality. Nano deserved to know what he was getting into by remaining loyal to me. He knows, and I trust him with my life. You just have to have faith that I'm right."

"And if you're not?" Robert asked. "You realize how exposed you are."

"I know that I've put my faith in someone who has never let me down." Lorenzo took a breath and calmed his voice, which had raised as he last spoke. "You warned me in Venezuela that I have to keep my head in the game, that I can't afford any mistakes. You're right, I know that. And I have always known that if something goes wrong, if I don't make it home one day, Nano will do whatever it takes to protect my family. But he didn't know what he was up against or who, Robert. He needed to know."

Sometimes all you had to go on was your gut. His own had led him to trust Luke Spencer a lifetime ago, and Luke had never let Robert down. Clearly Lorenzo's instincts were speaking just as loudly and clearly about his longtime friend. Scorpio knew all he could do now was hope that Lorenzo was right.

*****

Alexis settled down on the bench next to the sandbox and sipped at her cup of tea from the coffee cart. It was a beautiful day… a perfect park day, and she intended to make sure that Kristina got to enjoy every moment of it.

"Look, Mama!"

Kristina lifted up a plastic shovel full of sand as if it were gold. Alexis chuckled and gave her daughter a radiant smile.

"I see, baby."

The little girl grabbed hold of the shovel's matching pail and began to fill it. It never ceased to amaze Alexis how much fun children had in the sandbox. It wasn't something she'd ever done as a child, and perhaps the mystery eluded her for that reason alone. Maybe that was why it had taken her so long to learn how to deal with the messy bits of life. She'd missed out on the critical stage of learning to enjoy playing in the dirt.

But she was starting to, as her life moved forward, appreciate that the best parts came from the messy and difficult moments. And things that she'd been unable to handle before, she was balancing now. It was okay for her friends and family to not understand her relationship with Lorenzo because she did. She could deal with the risks in Lorenzo's life because she'd learned that love always came with risks, and you had to decide if they were worthwhile.

[i]"I walked around the house this morning and saw our real life... the stack of Asilo paperwork on my desk that you've been patiently waiting for me to look over, the growing collection of toys in the living room, Kristina sleeping soundly in her bed and you so beautiful even after all that I've put you through the past few days. I promise that when I get back today, I will go through the papers, make time to play with the toys and the little girl who loves them, and tonight, I'll hold you in my arms. I love you. Enzo."[/i]

Alexis sighed softly as she remembered the note Lorenzo had left for her this morning. When she'd woken up and he was gone, there was no denying that her heart had begun to pound. Even after the way they'd come together the night before, the pain he'd been in and the way it had driven him away from her had been frightening to witness. She'd been panicked thinking that perhaps that had happened again until she'd seen the piece of paper on the nightstand beside Gabriel's sonogram image and been reminded of how well he knew her. The letter had been just the reassurance she needed.

After tackling some business calls that couldn't wait and sending confirmation e-mails for all the interviews that had been set for the Asilo presidential candidates, Alexis had decided on a park trip, her errand to check the office space renovations postponed until later when Kristina was napping. It had really been on impulse that she had picked up the phone while Alice helped Kristina get her sweater on.

[i]"Hello."

There was something in Sonny's voice that reminded Alexis of that worn down aspect he took on after too many fights with Carly. She felt that familiar impulse to ask him if he was okay, but pushed it down.

"It's Alexis. I'm about to take Kristina to the park. I thought maybe you might want to join us."

She hadn't expected the long pause that followed her invitation. She was about to repeat it when finally he answered.

"Sure, yeah. I'll see you there."[/i]

He had hung up without saying anything else, and Alexis couldn't help but wonder if inviting him along had been a mistake. Still, as she sat in the sunshine and watched their daughter enjoying her sand adventure, it seemed hard to imagine anything would spoil this day of normal that she so desperately needed after all the ups and downs of the trip and Renata's machinations.

Normal today also meant the usual undercurrent of nausea that seemed to accompany most mornings, but the tea was helping and Alexis had learned during her first pregnancy that she responded better to movement and doing things than just laying around feeling sick. She smiled despite the lingering seasick sensation and looked down at her tummy.

"You just do whatever you need to in there to grow big and strong, Gabriel. Mommy will be just fine."

Another sip of tea and the fresh air helped to ease some of the flip-flopping in her stomach, and Alexis relaxed and watched her daughter's activities in the sandbox. A pail of the brown muck became a tower and then it became mush as Kristina pounded it out of existence.

Despite the seriousness of their duties, Alexis saw both Johnny and Nano at their distant but close enough posts laughing at their youngest charge at play.

"Sonnydaddy!"

Kristina's exclamation caught Alexis' attention for two reasons--it alerted her to Sonny's arrival and it indicated that she was at least beginning to register "daddy" along with his presence even if she wasn't entirely sure what that meant yet. With a warm smile on her face, she turned to welcome Sonny to their play date and found him wide-eyed, surprised by the exuberant greeting he'd just received.

"Hi there, sweetheart. What are you doin'?"

"Me play in sandbox. You play?"

Alexis would have bet money that Sonny would try to bribe Kristina away from the sand and over to the swings or the slide, but he surprised her by going over to sit on the edge of the box, his expensive silk suit be damned.

"Sure. What do you want to build?"

"Um…" Kristina's face scrunched up as she considered her father's question, then she pushed the bucket and shovel toward him. "You build Kristina house."

Sonny chuckled and began to work on the little girl's request. Alexis moved to the sandbox edge on the other side of him.

"Did she put Sonny and daddy together like that during your visit the other day?"

He shook his head and looked up from the sand and Kristina to her. "Nah, she, uh, she's starting to get it though, huh?"

"Looks like it," Alexis answered. "Alice said it seemed like you guys had a good time. I'm glad she wasn't too fussy for you. She's not used to me being gone."

Sonny lowered his eyes and busied himself with filling the red plastic bucket their daughter was anxiously waiting to see overflowing with sand. Alexis let the quiet settle between them, the silence broken periodically by some endearment spoken to Kristina or by her excited utterances, but Sonny seemed to have little to say, and Alexis knew that something was wrong.

Quickly she reviewed what Alice and Stefan had both mentioned about Sonny's visit, but the memories gave her no clues. Her brother and former lover had remained civil to one another and Alice had even softened her stance toward Sonny a bit after seeing how much Kristina was coming to enjoy her father's company. So what was bothering him?

"Swing time!"

Kristina hopped up, sand falling away from her jeans and sweater as she did. Sonny was on his feet in a second, his hand reaching for hers. The little girl happily grabbed hold of his large fingers and used them for stability as she made her way to the edge of the box before her father lifted her out.

"Come, Mama."

"I'm coming, little one, don't worry."

She barely caught the sideways glance from Sonny, but she did see it, and Alexis was even more certain that something was bothering him, but she had no idea what it was. He was clearly trying to keep it under wraps around Kristina, and she didn't want to force his hand, but Alexis couldn't help but worry that whatever it was meant their tenuous peace with one another might be in jeopardy.

"You, uh, you seem quiet today," she finally said as Sonny secured the strap on the toddler swing around Kristina's waist.

He shrugged. "Just not much to talk about, I guess."

His hands moved to the chains on the swing at about his shoulder height. Kristina squealed with joy as the seat beneath her began to move back and forth.

"I, uh, I think it worked out well…" Alexis spoke now more from her own discomfort with the quiet than from a real need to say anything. "You coming to the house, I mean. It should be much easier, you know, if we need to do it again."

"You planning on taking many more trips?"

Alexis shook her head. "No, but with the business, things could come up, and, you know, the more she gets used to things, obviously, the more you can see her on your own, but I'm just saying..."

"That for now I still have to see my child in Lorenzo's house."

The bitterness in his voice struck out at her, and Alexis found herself suddenly very much on the defensive without a clue how it had happened.

"It's our house, Sonny. And, no, you don't have to see her there. We can come to you, we can meet you here or at Kelly's. That's what we agreed to."

Kristina kicked her feet excitedly as Sonny pushed her just a little higher. Alexis could see him make an effort to keep his voice even and calm as he kept the swing moving for their daughter's entertainment.

"I know that's what you said, but, you know, things change."

"If something's changed, you'll have to inform me what it is," Alexis said, still perplexed and now a bit angry. "I have no intention of deviating from what we agreed to before I left town."

His dark eyes moved to her and Alexis shuddered a bit at the intensity there.

"You're sure?"

"Sonny! I am not psychic. If you're upset about something, if I've done something to make you worry about my commitment to making this work, will you please just tell me?"

Kristina looked at her sharply, and Alexis took a deep breath and reminded herself to stay calm in the face of her normal, happy day disintegrating. After a few seconds of quiet, Kristina was ready to move on to the spring rocking horse. She squirmed until her daddy freed her from the swing safety belt and then she marched over to take her mother's hand as she drew the adults toward her next activity. They followed along, their tongues held in check so that no more tension crept into their outing. It wasn't until Kristina was snuggled in her mother's lap back on the bench, nap time looming on the horizon, that either of them spoke again except to share conversation with their little girl.

"When are you gonna tell me?" he asked, his voice quiet, wounded. Alexis looked over at him and saw the hurt mirrored on his face.

"Tell you what?" she asked, still clueless about what was upsetting him.

"Alice asked me to get Lamby out of your room. I… I saw the picture on your nightstand."

"What picture? What are you..."

It had taken a moment, but suddenly Alexis remembered the love note from Lorenzo this morning and what it had been placed next to... the ultrasound image of their little boy.

"Oh, God, Sonny... I... I'm sorry. I obviously didn't want you to find out like that."

He looked around the park nervously, avoiding eye contact with her. "So were you planning on telling me?"

Alexis sighed. It was so hard for her to fathom that, after how ugly things had been between them, he could have hurt feelings over anything having to do with her, and yet clearly he did. She felt a pang of guilt at that.

"I haven't told anyone," she replied. "Stefan doesn't even know. We were waiting until we were sure everything is okay."

Now Sonny looked at her, his eyes searching for confirmation that she was telling him the truth and not just trying to soothe his ego. After a moment, he nodded and leaned back hard against the bench.

"I guess I just... I was trying to figure out why you wouldn't tell me."

She looked down at Kristina and found the little girl sleeping soundly against her chest. Still, Alexis kept her voice quiet, the news of the baby still a secret for Kristina to hear another day.

"After everything I went through with her, I just wanted to be sure we were both okay. And we are, it's just, since I found out, things have been… hectic. I wasn't trying to keep something from you, if that's what you were thinking. There's no agenda, Sonny."

"Maybe not from you."

Alexis' eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"Oh, come on, Alexis." Sonny stood now, turning back to face her. "You don't think that you getting pregnant now is just a little convenient?"

Only the fact that she was holding her sleeping child kept her temper in check. "Convenient for whom?"

"Oh, as soon as I find out about Kristina being mine, as soon as you and I start to have a relationship again, he gets you pregnant? You don’t think that's, you know…"

Alexis rose to her feet. Kristina wiggled in her arms, but the little girl remained asleep and Alexis tightened her hold on her child.

"You are not really suggesting that Lorenzo planned this."

"Of course he planned it. He wants you tied to him forever."

"I had your child, and I'm not tied to you forever."

The words came out coldly and devoid of emotion, but the truth was, they were indicative of how furious she was at him now. How dare he take something so wonderful and try to make it ugly and corrupt.

"My baby is no one's bargaining chip," Alexis spat out, her anger evident. "I'm having a child with the man I love, and I can't believe that you would say something so cruel. Why are you doing this?"

"I'm just looking out for my daughter," Sonny said with a shrug of his shoulders.

The arrogance he used to cover up his hurt feelings was on full display. Alexis remembered all the times she had tried to help him when he felt slighted by his friends and family, back when she had loved this man and wanted so much to make his world all right for him. But she was fresh out of patience for Sonny's overreaction to imagined wrongs.

"You're being a selfish jerk because somehow my having another child with another man is insulting to you. Well, too bad, Sonny. I'm sorry you found out in a way that hurt you, I'm sorry that you are hurt, but my baby isn’t a topic on which you have a right to say anything. Now I'm going to take our daughter home and put her to bed."

She saw that moment of realization flicker across his face... he knew he had been wrong and he was ready to apologize, but Alexis wasn't ready to let him. Turning on her heel, her guards in hot pursuit, she walked back toward the car, ready to just get home and try to salvage some kind of good mood out of her now ruined day.

*****

Carly stomped into the dingy room above Jake's bar and slammed the door behind her. She remembered those days when Alexis had lived in Penthouse 2 and it seemed like Sonny never talked about anything but her. Now? God, it had only gotten worse. How many more times was she supposed to watch him come home upset and endure him throwing a temper tantrum over his ex-whore's latest directive? And then she'd make a supportive comment, pointing out how unreasonable Alexis was, and what did that get her? Always... every single time... he ended up coming to that witch's defense, no matter what slight she'd just leveled at him.

[i]"Every time I try and tell her what that creep Alcazar is really like, she just cops an attitude with me and starts yelling about how I don't know what he's really like. She's fooling herself, and she's got my daughter right in the middle of it all."

"Sonny, I don't know why it surprises you when Alexis acts like a total bitch. You seem to be the only one who doesn't see that's how she is all the time."

When he rolled his eyes at her, she felt her jaw tighten. She didn't even know what their stupid fight was about, but it was clear Alexis Davis had managed to ruin another day in her family's life.

"All right, Sonny, what do you want me to say? Alexis is right, you just don't understand? Lorenzo is a monster, you're right, and he's going to destroy her? What? Because I'm sick of putting up with you being pissed at her."

"Then don't put up with it," he snapped. "I didn't ask you to stay here and talk to me."[/i]

Taking that as her cue, Carly had grabbed her purse and keys and stormed out, heading to dive bar early for her meeting with Skye and Coleman. She only hoped it would be productive. Coleman had been stuck for the past couple of days trying to figure out who Lorenzo was out of the country meeting, but they needed to make progress. For now, Alexis and Sonny kept finding new ways to aggravate each other, but Carly had seen them find their way back to friendship in difficult circumstances before. And unlike Sonny, Carly wasn't at all convinced of Alexis' commitment to her new lover. One open door back to Sonny and happily ever after, and Carly was sure her rival would take it.

"You're just being a chicken, Coleman."

Turning, Carly saw an animated Skye and a serious looking Coleman enter the room. She had an instant bad feeling when Skye put her hand on Coleman's arm seductively and the usually pliable man jerked away from the redhead.

"I'm telling you, doll, you do this, and you are on your own. Because that guy is serious bad news. Like worse than any guy you've ever seen bad."

Skye's hands went to her hips as she looked at him in disbelief. "I can't believe you."

"What the hell is going on?" Carly finally asked. Coleman threw up his hands in surrender, walking to the bed to sit down, and it was Skye who answered.

"This one is letting his yellow streak show. He found out who Lorenzo's meeting was with and now he's totally losing it. Apparently he's afraid of the big, bad wolf."

"Antonio Renata would eat the big, bad wolf's heart for breakfast, Red." Coleman leaned back on the bed and sighed. "This guy is just bad news. I'm tellin' you, find another angle."

"Come on," Carly said defiantly. "I mean, I'm used to dealing with Sonny and Jason. This guy can't be any--"

"Jeez, what part of this is so hard for y'all to get?" Coleman asked. "This guy would think of Corinthos and Morgan as lint on his jacket. They're nothing to someone like him. This guy doesn't just take over territories, he topples entire countries, and he gets away clean. Bad news."

"He's been going on like this all morning," Skye explained. "Ever since his buddy called with the name, it's been 'bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk.'"

Coleman chuckled. "All right, Chicken Little, when he breaks your neck, remember I warned you. Remember when I said who Lorenzo might be meeting? I think I used the word 'freak' for him."

Carly stepped in between the two before another barb flew by. "Will one of you please explain to me why we have to change our plan just because it's this guy Lorenzo's involved with?"

"Because whatever it is that Alky has goin' on with this guy," Coleman said, "it's big. Big like my friend Pete told me not to bring mention Renata's name again... ever."

"Well, so doesn't that work out for us?" Carly asked. "We do the fake ambush thing, spread the rumor it was Lorenzo's partner doing him a favor and then wait for Sonny to go nuts and take Kristina."

Skye crossed her arms in front of her and leaned against the wall. "That’s what I said, but he seems to think World War III is going to start if we go ahead with the plan."

"Oh, ladies, this is just not that complicated, okay?" Coleman's voice was exasperated and he ran his hands through his long hair. "A guy like Lorenzo, who's scary enough in his own right, gets in bed with a guy like Renata, it's the kind of deal that can change the world, okay? Whatever those two are doing, it's gonna be 11:00 news for months, and if you two do anything to get in the way of that, I don't think you'll like what happens next."

Carly rolled her eyes and walked closer to Coleman, leaning over to look him eye to eye. "That's ridiculous. It only helps us that this guy is so dangerous. Sonny will find out and have a court order in Alexis' hand so fast, she'll be hyperventilating before she gets past the first sentence."

"Seriously, Coleman," Skye said in agreement, "we barely have to do anything now. A blank fired in Sonny's direction, some talk about this guy and Lorenzo. It's perfect."

"Perfect, huh?"

Coleman stood and walked toward the door.

"Well, then you two can find someone else to help you with your perfect plan. This kid ain't turning up daisies for no one." He looked pointedly at Skye. "No matter how hot you are, babe."

"We can't do this without him," Carly declared as Coleman headed out the door. "I can't use anyone who works for Sonny, so Coleman's our only connection to the waterfront."

Skye shook her head. "God only knows what kind of 'Kama Sutra' tricks I'm gonna have to do to fix this," she said as the two women rushed after their partner in crime.

*****

Avoiding phone calls and ignoring voice mail had become Zander Smith's primary activities in the day. He continued to work odd jobs on the waterfront to keep a roof over his head and a beer in his hand, but other than that, life was on hold for him. Going to his old hangouts meant running into Nikolas and Emily--the last thing he wanted to do, ever. And even though he knew his dad and Alexis only wanted to help him, Zander just wasn't ready to take their help.

So he worked and then he came to Jake's for a beer and a game of pool before he headed home to his room at Kelly's to not return phone calls and to try not to think about the woman he loved with a guy he hated.

He had just finished off the last of his beer and was reaching for his jacket when he heard the thunder of high heels on the steps that led to the rooms above the bar. Zander had been staying in one himself until Alexis had threatened to lease him an apartment if he didn't get a place to live "where there weren't bar fights and motorcycle gangs." So Kelly's it was.

Zander caught sight of Coleman and was about to turn away and get on with his business when he did a double take. First Skye Quartermaine and then Carly Corinthos approached Coleman from the staircase, the two grabbing hold of him and talking in hushed tones. Ducking back into the corner by the coat rack, Zander kept his eyes on the odd trio. He couldn't hear anything they were saying, but every instinct that he had told the young man that what he was seeing was not good... not good at all.

After a few minutes of both women talking to him and finally of Skye draping herself all over him, Coleman relented and headed back upstairs. Carly and Skye went with him, and Zander slipped out of his hiding spot and walked back over to the bar.

"Sy, those three been hanging out here?"

Zander motioned with his head toward the staircase and Sy nodded.

"Well, the Q broad's always sniffing around Coleman. Not sure what Corinthos' wife is up to, but she has been around a lot lately."

Not wanting to show too much curiosity, Zander shrugged. "Weird. All right, man, I'm out. See you tomorrow."

The old man waved as Zander pulled on his jacket and headed out the door, his mind spinning at what he'd seen. Part of him wanted to just ignore it. Carly and Sonny had cut him off cold when they'd reunited, and his relationship with Sonny had never healed itself. So whatever Carly was up to, it wasn't Zander's problem. But he knew from experience that when that radar went off that screamed "Carly's got a plan," it was always bad. That Skye Quartermaine was also involved made him even more concerned. He knew all too well how much trouble the redhead had caused for Alexis the last year. And he knew that Carly hated Alexis.

The bells were clanging in his head so loudly that he just couldn't walk away without doing something, telling someone there might be a problem. But who? He couldn't just call Sonny up and say he thought Carly was up to something. It wasn't likely the mafia boss would even listen to him. And he surely wasn't in a position to try to explain to Lorenzo Alcazar that he has some faint suspicions and no proof.

He was nearly to Kelly's when the thought occurred to him. Rather than hopping on his parked motorcycle, Zander turned and started walking toward the Alcazar compound. He tried to ignore the tightening of his nerves as he got closer. Though he knew Lorenzo was nothing like Luis, it still seemed odd to him to see a man who looked so much like the one who had tried to murder him. Zander was amazed that Alexis had been able to get past the resemblance and let herself grow so close to Lorenzo. His dad was convinced it was the real thing. Zander only hoped that this time, Alexis was giving her heart to someone who deserved it.

The guards eyed him cautiously as he approached, and Zander eased his hands out of his pockets and let them drop to his sides. A man walked up to him and asked what he wanted.

"I need to talk to Johnny, if he's still here. It's kind of important."

The man returned to the guard shack and a few minutes later, Johnny emerged from the front gate.

"Hey, Zander, how you been, man? Miss Davis asked me if I'd seen you lately. You need to return one of her calls."

Zander nodded. "I will, I promise, but, um… we need to talk. I saw something tonight that I think might be trouble, I'm just not sure what kind of trouble."

Johnny stepped closer and looked at him seriously. "What kind of trouble?"

"The Carly kind... and it feels bad, man. Real bad."

*****

Robert yawned and got up to get a glass of water. He had been running computer checks on the WSB network and on Trent's computer most of the day, coming up with interesting encoded files. Lorenzo had left in the afternoon after a phone call from Alexis, who'd had another upsetting encounter with Sonny Corinthos. Robert admired his friend's restraint when it came to Kristina Davis' father. Sometimes Scorpio wanted to deck the mob boss himself for the way he ran so hot and cold with Alexis.

Beverage in hand, Robert returned to his search, moving to Trent's e-mails. It was obvious to him that his boss was paranoid… he kept little in the way of records, and what he did have was highly encrypted. The real worry was that the director had something to hide and wasn't just a victim of his own profession's desire for secrecy run amok.

Sadly there was little to help them get a handle on Renata's new strategy or any possible information the WSB was withholding. Frustrated, Robert ran the restore protocol to "undelete" Trent's trashed files for the day, ready to call it a night. The files loaded onto his mirror hard drive and Robert began clicking through them.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing, no..."

When he saw what was in the sixth restored folder, Robert looked at his computer settings, wondering if perhaps he'd accessed his own files by mistake somehow. When he found that his protocols were correct and he was working off his duplicate of Trent's hard drive, a cold knot of anger formed in Scorpio's gut.

"You son of a bitch. You need an insurance policy on me, huh?"

A video of Robin with a report on her weekly activities sat there on the screen in front of Robert in a folder called "Policy Renewal." It was standard procedure in the WSB if you ever thought an informant might go soft on you and not come through--find an insurance policy to guarantee their cooperation.

The question was, what the hell did Trent need Robert to cooperate with?

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