Chapter 44

He awoke to the sounds of “Hey bro are you alive? Hey KIDD Dammit answer me!” Blue eyes slowly fluttered open then closed quickly as the intensely bright light hit him square in the face. A groan

whispered over his lips as he wished yet again for one simple set of
sunglasses. He tried to get up off whatever he was laying on only to find that he was for all intents and purposes unable too. Damn he must have really poured one on after the concert. He couldn’t
remember ever being this hung over before.

“What the hell truck hit us man? I don’t remember taking the first drink.”

He could hear Richie’s snort of laughter whispering over his face causing him to risk the bright light as he slowly opened one eye.

“Damn man, you’re the last face I wanna see when I wake up. Where’s Fire?”

“Um Toto, we aren’t in Kansas anymore. And trust me, no matter how much the ladies like you, you aren’t exactly what I like to wake up tied too.”

Jon muttered softly as his brow arched slightly, “Yeah I just love waking up face to face with your ugly mug Bro. How the hell did we get into this mess?”

“The last thing I remember is this gorgeous lady with a voice that just went through me. Dude, I remember you kissing her like there was no tomorrow too, and I remember hearing a very pissed off Amelia, at least I think it was Amelia. The next thing I remember is waking up here trussed up worse than a pig on slaughtering day.”

Jon groaned softly, “I kissed her?”

“Bro you were doing more than kissing her.”

“Fuck me” Jon spat out, his eyes growing angry. “What the hell did that bitch do?”

“I don’t know Bro, but trust me, I don’t wanna be you when Amelia finds us, and I’m so totally sure she will if only to stomp your ass for kissing that woman.”

Cassandra walked back into the room a half grin on her face. “Well, it looks as if you boys are finally awake. Really, I’m sorry for how this had to come down, but it had to be. I’m sure you understand that sometimes a person just has to do something this drastic to solve a problem.”

“Lady there is no excuse for kidnapping someone” Jon speared her with his blue gaze. “No fucking excuse to hog tie a man and make him do things he wouldn’t do normally,”

“Yeah honey, I mean, we like ladies, you could have asked me nice, I would have probably obliged ya, and you’re a looker after all.” Richie winked her way.

Cassandra walked closer to Richie and leaned over him. She pitched her voice slightly lower and allowed it to hum, “Smooth talker that you are, you can just be silent for now.”

Richie’s face blanked over as he quieted, his brown eyes searching her face curiously. What was it about this woman that could have him losing the power of his own voice, something no one had accomplished in all his life. He risked a glance at his best friend and recognized the beginnings of the famous Bongiovi wrath beginning to seep its way into his blue gaze.

It was then he began to speak and Richie cringed hearing the condemnation in his friend’s voice. “I’m so sure you have this rabidly good reason for kidnapping us, but I doubt any excuse is a good one. So pray tell lovely ‘lady’ and I use that term more or less loosely. Exactly what gave you the bright idea that it was ok to kidnap us?”

Cassandra laughed softly. “Oh you are a feisty one. Does all that energy translate to a bed I wonder? I know it does to a stage.” She walked over closer to Jon and traced his lips with one slender finger.
“But to answer your question pretty boy, your friends with Death and that’s what has you in this predicament.”

“I’m sorry I don’t have an acquaintance with death. Try something that actually works this time,” Jon bit out impatiently.

“Oh you wouldn’t know him as Death, that name is thousands of years gone. But the memories of what he did to me then are as fresh to me as if they happened yesterday.” Cassandra tilted her head,
“you would know him as Adam, teacher, and friend; but he has you all fooled. He is a mass murderer of women and children, one of the original four horsemen. He is DEATH and he needs to die.”

Jon started to laugh, “So you’re telling me that quiet scholarly Adam is this terrible bad man that you think deserves to die because of something that happened thousands of years ago? Lady get a grip. Times change, people change. You can’t tell me you haven’t changed over the years. Why couldn’t he? Why hold something against him like that?”

Cassandra yelled. “You don’t get it. He killed my family and friends; he killed me made me immortal. He forced me to love him, back then there wasn’t any Stockholm syndrome or whatever it’s called now. He trained me and beat me until I was an obedient slave. He made me love him and then he just let his brother have me. Three thousand years has not dulled the hatred I feel for him.” Richie’s eyes widened as he listened. The entire thing was ridiculous. No one could hold a grudge that long, could they?

Jon’s next words were soft, but intensely spoken. “Sounds to me like you still harbor love for the man. No one holds a grudge for three thousand years without some pretty deep feelings being involved.”

“I do NOT love him, I hate him don’t you see? For all he did, he ruined everything for me. I HATE HIM!”

Jon gave her a half smile. “I think the lady protests too much.”

Cassandra nearly screeched, “You’re worse than Duncan MacLeod. Honor driven and decent, you think EVERYONE deserves a second chance; that they can change. Well you’ll see pretty boy you’ll see!” Cassandra turned to storm from the room, “I was going to loosen the binds, but now you can just lay there and suffer, maybe it will teach you good sense!”

As she left the room Richie’s need to stay silent faded. “Damn Kidd, you sure have a way with the ladies.”
Jon just looked at him and groaned.
~~~~~
She had lost track of time since returning to the hotel. Watching the clock had made it even worse. She knew Duncan couldn’t blink himself from Vancouver to where she was, but she wished he could. It was taking so long for him to get here. Joe had called with the information hours ago. They had an idea of where Cassandra was holed up. Just standing here waiting was making her insane, insane to the point she wasn’t sure if she could continue to wait. Her entire body was vibrating with the need to find Jon. Something bad was happening she was sure of it, something that could very well rend the fabric of her existence and she didn’t’ want that to happen.
She glanced back at Adam, who by and large was sitting calmly on the couch as if everything in the world was fine and dandy. There had to be a way around this waiting, there had to be.

“You can’t go after her Ammie, you can’t go up against a three thousand year old immortal. Oh don’t give me that look wench. I’ve known you twenty bloody years; I can tell what you’re thinking.”

She smiled at Adam, her brain whirling with plans. “You know me so well Adam. I always go off half cocked; I’m just this fount of never ending stupidity right?”

Adam sighed softly, nothing he could say would make it better. “Duncan will be here soon Amelia. We’ll get them back.”

“You keep thinking that way Adam with your holier than thou five thousand years of life. YOU assure me nothing is going to go wrong and insure it. YOU CAN’T. God, I can see why she’d want you dead, your insufferable when you think you’re right!” Amelia turned and veritably stomped to the door.

“Where the bloody hell do you think you’re going Amelia?”

“If you must know Adam, I am going to go talk to David and Tico, they are bound to be worried about everything and they deserve to know what’s going on. It will be them the press hounds if we don’t get Jon and Rich back before the next concert.”

Adam’s eyebrow quirked upwards in doubt, “and exactly what are you going to say to them?”

“I’ll be fucked if I know Adam, but I’ll come up with something. NO you aren’t going to escort me, you’re going to stay RIGHT HERE and wait on Duncan!”

She slipped through the door and to the elevator. As she entered the elevator her finger went to press the up button to go to the floor David and Tico were on, but her finger pushed down instead. As the elevator came to a stop she hurried from the hotel and motioned for a cab. Settling into its interior she gave the cabbie the address and the offer of an extra fifty bucks if he could make good time.
Adam stood and watched the window. He knew she was lying, knew she was going to go after Cassandra. He started altering his plans to include her in the rescue, then his plans on how to best punish his student for her blatant idiocy. Love makes people do some outrageously stupid things, but he had to admit this one would probably take the cake.

~~~~

She had the cabbie stop a few buildings down from where the bitch on wheels was supposed to be. Taking a deep breath she asked the cabbie to wait, offering him an extra bonus on top of everything else if he was there when she returned. Slipping into the shadows she silently made her way to the building Joe had named as Cassandra’s. With the barest of movements she peeked into the first set of windows and saw nothing, so with quiet determination she moved to the next set of windows in turn searching for anything to alert her as to what was going on in that building. In the last set of windows she caught a hint of movement and ducked down with a muffled oath.
Cassandra grinned to herself as she reached out with her powers to see just who was peeking in the windows. If she had pegged the little immortal lady correctly she came alone to find out what was going on. Knowing Adam he would have stayed back waiting on reinforcements, which is exactly how she wanted it for now. She mumbled a few words under her breath, enhancing all sound around the area and ensuring Amelia heard exactly what she wanted her to hear... She wanted the little red head to hear everything clearly, see everything with clarity; it was a sight she didn’t want her to miss.
Moving over to the two men she began to untie Jon as she began to speak. Pitching her voice to a vibrato she began to murmur words of love and caring, casting a bewitching spell over his mind. As the last tie came undone, she pulled him to his feet and began to rub the circulation back into limbs long gone numb from being tied so tightly.
Amelia peeked up over the window sill and watched with widened eyes as Jon began to make love to the woman with him. Each sound they made was heightened in her ears and burning a path of pain straight to her soul. He didn’t seem to be prisoner to the woman; in fact he seemed to be a very willing participant in all she was doing. Tears began to ghost down her cheeks as Jon slid up against the woman, his soft groans filling the night with their intensity. She almost stumbled backwards as his strong fingers began to undress the woman then slid over the skin revealed.

She turned from the window in despair, her tears increasing. How could he want her after she took him, what had that woman done to him to make him ignore the presence of his best friend tied at his feet? Why was he giving that woman something he promised would forever be only hers? The woman’s soft laughter had her turning back to the window in horror, her mind unable to accept all she was watching. The passing of the knife, the whispered command, those strong artistic hands plunging downwards, the look of utter shock and amazement on the face of a man she called friend. It wasn’t happening, it was just a dream, and it had to be because Jon wouldn’t do that, not for sex, not for a woman, not for anything. HE WOULDN’T DO THAT! Her mind was screaming in panic as she watched Jon and the woman pick up their clothing and leave the room, their laughter floating out over the night in a mockery of what had just been done. She slumped to the ground, horror written on each feature.

She had to do something, anything. She couldn’t just sit there. Taking a deep breath she made her way to the door and tested it, knowing it would be locked but praying intensely for luck. Oh god it wasn’t locked, she might have time! Taking off her boots she tiptoed into the room her green eyes overflowing with tears. Kneeling beside Richie she whispered, “Oh god Sambo I’m so sorry, so sorry.”

With a shiver she picked up the dagger Jon had dropped to the floor and began to cut the bindings from his cold body. “Talk to me Rich, come on I know you can.”

Weary chocolate eyes opened and blinked, focusing on the familiar voice. “Red.”

“Come on Sambo, let’s get you outta here. Come on hon, we have to hurry.”

Richie gasped out, “Can’t Red, too tired girl. Go, find Jon, and help Jon.”

Amelia listened to his breath rattling and shivered. This just wasn’t good, “How could he do this to you Rich? You are his brother. Oh god he just, I saw it and I can’t believe it. Now come on, we have to get you some help. Just move a little for me Rich, your too big for me to do it alone.”

He shook his head weakly. “No can do Red, sorry bout that love. It’s not his fault, don’t you go blaming Kidd. Its that witch, she’s done something to him, don’t you ever blame him you hear?”

Her hands went to his chest, trying to stem the flow of blood, god so much blood, so much beauty falling to its death upon this floor.

“Come on Richie, I know you can do it. You gotta keep trying, for Ava honey, come on. Don’t just lay there and let it work on you.”

“Sorry Red no can do. I guess it’s my time to go play a bit of guitar in heaven huh? You listen to me. You find our Jonny boy. And you keep him happy forever you hear me? And take care of Ava. My baby she’s gonna need someone more than ever. Take care of my brothers. They gonna need you more than ever. Don’t let me down honey girl you hear me?”

Amelia sobbed softly. “Dammit Richard Steven Sambora. Don’t you talk like that. You’re gonna be ok. You gotta be ok.”

Richie gasped as the pain started to fade. “It’s not so bad Red, really, feels sorta numb now really. I hate leaving you all. I had so many more songs inside me, so much more to say to the world, but we can’t choose our time. You tell Jonny for me, the last twenty five years were a blast, I couldn’t have asked for a better brother.”
Amelia laid her head on his bloody chest and sobbed. “God don’t do this Richie. Fight it for me. Want to live!”

“Aww darlin, I never wanted to go out this way. Always thought I’d go on stage you know? But if it means Jon’s gonna survive then I couldn’t’ have picked a better way. Love you girl, thank god Jonny found you again.” Richie’s eyes closed as his breathing grew shallower. “Getting kinda hard to talk girl, but at least if I have to go I do it with a beautiful woman next to me.”

Amelia laughed through her tears. “Dammit Sambo, you say the dangedest things you know that?”

A half smiled played out upon his lips, “That’s me, Goofball supreme.” With a broken breath he continued, “your gonna watch out after my Ava right? And my brothers? You wont hold this against my Jonny you hear me girl?”

“Let me go for help Richie. We could still save you.”

“Naw darlin, I’d be gone before you got back, I can tell that. And I don’t wanna go into the hereafter alone, so you just hold on to me darlin and heaven will have to admit me.”

Two hours later, when Duncan and Adam finally arrived at the house that belonged to Cassandra they found Amelia prone over Richie’s body sobbing as if her heart had forever been broken.