CHAPTER NINETEEN The trip inside Rose Academy had been a complete bust; Luke was disgusted as were the others. "I'm sick of this whole mess," Lucky grumbled. "We've wasted all kinds of time hanging out in the woods, freezing our a**es off-did you notice that it's nearly November, Dad? And, we're bald, no less!! Bald!! Look at us, Dad! We look like a bunch of idiots, stuck out here in the $%^&* mountains when we could be somewhere warm, or even skiing or something. Heck, I could even be in school-where there are girls. Girls, Dad. You know-back at home where they're the ones who wear the dresses! I've had it!" He tore off the yellow robe that covered his other clothes and stomped on it. "That's it!! We went through that slimy place down there and for what? Not a #$%^&* thing! That creepy head dude was gone, Kat Bell apparently flew the coop when whoever had the watch was asleep, and we didn't learn #$%^&. We can't pin a thing on the guy-not with what we found there, so this whole thing has been a bust. I've had enough already." "Fine, son. Go home to your mother." Nik watched this exchange with interest and wondered how the altered relationship would change the dynamics of their situation. He'd noticed Lucky becoming more and more his own person, appearing to see Luke as less and less the father figure. Lucky still called him 'Dad', but Nik was waiting for the time that would change. The changes in the relationship had begun, and where things would end up remained to be seen. "I still want to help Jeremy," Lucky told him. "And so far we've done Jack sh**." "I guess that saving his bacon doesn't count?" Luke asked. Before the argument could go any farther, Nik noticed that Kevin, who had nodded off to sleep only a little earlier, was becoming increasingly restless. Nik wondered if anyone else had noticed that Kevin had barely slept since he'd arrived. From the looks of things, Kevin had been deliberately avoiding sleep, and no wonder. "I can't," Kevin was sobbing again, again, though, his eyes were open. Nik wondered what or who he was seeing in his terrified state. Kneeling beside Kevin, Nik began to talk in the same soothing voice he used with Sheba, his horse. "It's okay, Kevin. Everything will be okay. You don't have to do anything that you don't want to do." "But he said that he'd hurt her." "I won't let him hurt her," Nik promised. "He's strong." " I'm stronger. Much stronger." "You can make him stay away?" "Of course I can," Nik promised. He was hearing a terrified boy in the grown man's nightmare, and responded with what that boy needed to hear. "I won't let him hurt any of you." "But he wants me to do bad things." "You don't have to," Nik told him as Luke approached. Nik waved him back. "I will protect you." "And her?" "And her. But, you have to tell me her name." "It's a secret," Kevin whispered furtively. "A big secret." "I need to know," Nik told him. "So that I can protect her." "Are you really that strong?" Luke watched the emotions play across his first born son's face, and marveled that he could have sired such a son. With the confidence of his noble forebears, the arrogance of one born to power and the innate strength of his own integrity, Nik answered, "Yes, Kevin. I'm that strong." Kevin leaned over and whispered in Nik's ear. The young man's eyes grew wide, but he remained calm. "Can you tell me the name of the evil man who wants you to do bad things?" "He said that I'd die if I told." Kevin was fearful, the boy within still unable to divulge that last secret. "You won't die," Nik promised. "I won't allow it." Nik looked at Luke who had been quietly listening to the exchange. Luke shook his head and beckoned Nik to join him. Several feet away from Kevin, Luke began. "Good work, son-but it's possible that Kevin will actually die if he is pushed any farther, and we sure as hell don't have any emergency medical supplies out here." "But we're so close." "I know, but we can't risk it. Besides, we know that Julian Rose is probably behind it, thanks to Jeremy." Jeremy, who had joined them, nodded. "If he went to Rose, then it was Julian Rose." "And now that we know who is threatened, we can protect her and then, maybe we can unlock the rest of the secrets in Kevin's mind." "Okay, then we have to head back to Port Charles," Nik told them. "Port Chuck?" Luke brightened, and Lucky, who had been balefully watching the whole scene, smiled. "I'm all for that." "Uh, guys," Jeremy injected. "I hate to rain on your parade, but I don't have a passport." "No problemo," Luke assured him. "I know this guy in Monte Carlo..." "Boss," came a familiar voice and Lucy turned to see..."Sonny? In Monte Carlo? You miserable, lowdown..." "Now wait a minute, pretty lady," Tim injected. "This is my friend Salvatore. Father Sal to his friends." "Father Sal? Give me a break. You're hiding a convicted felon-and probably the man who murdered Brenda Barrett Jacks, my top model for Jax Cosmetics. And, my friend." "Sal?" Tim asked, his voice an exaggerated drawl. "Is there something you haven't been telling me?" The man shrugged, and then answered, "Gee, Tim. You suppose that that's the reason that the guys from Interpol have been camped outside the church? You know, I thought that maybe some of them had finally seen the light." Lucy looked more closely at the priest, and then shook her head. "This is really weird. Majorly weird." "So what's up, Sal?" Tim asked. "Need another donation for the needy?" "No, actually, I've got..." He glanced at Lucy. "She's okay. A little drifty, but okay." Lucy glared at Tim. "Drifty?" "Drifty. But, okay. So, what's up, Sal?" "My kids have brought someone to me, Tim. Someone scared and in need of help." "You helping?" "Yeah, but..." he paused and said, "This is a little out of my area of expertise." "Oh?" "Yeah. She's scared to death and keeps muttering stuff about roses. She won't let me near her, but she won't leave the church. She won't talk to the nuns, and I know that you have a way with women." "What does she look like?" Lucy asked, anxiously. "I can't say. She's short-dark-haired, but aside from that, who knows? She insists on a veil."