Still... the journey continues...
Chapter 2, by Shannon		Accueil   Home

Capwell living room.

CC opens the door to find Cruz on his doorstep slightly turned watching as a limo slowly pulls away from the Capwell house. Cruz turns back when he realizes the door is open and walks into the foyer and greets CC.

" Cruz, what brings you by so late son?" CC asks with surprise.

" Was that Sophia and Ken I just saw leaving in that limo?" Cruz turns and gestures out the door looking puzzled. CC slowly nods his head yes.

CC says with a sigh, "Yes, they are leaving tonight on a cruise to Italy I'm afraid. Sophia just came to say goodbye with that no good husband of hers. I don't trust that man, Cruz. There is just something about him that I don't like."

" I agree Mr. C, I never cared for the man much myself, it seems I came at just the right time then, you may want to sit down for this," Cruz says in his serious cop voice. CC stares hard at him before turning and walking into the living room with Cruz not far behind him. (dramatic SB music plays as they head off)

Capwell living room.

Cruz and CC enter the living room taking seats across from each other.

" What is it Cruz, bad news? CC asks impatiently. Did you get any lab results on those sweetener packets? What? Tell me dammit!" CC demands.

" Yeah, Mr. C it's like we feared, they tested positive for strychnine. It looks as if our boy, Ken has been systematically poisoning Sophia and trying to cover it up with those pills he got her hooked on. So it wasn't her fault that she got addicted with Ken constantly feeding them to her."

CC springs from his chair and paces wildly around the living room, "Oh my God, my poor darling, my Sophia. We have got to stop him Cruz! I knew he was after her money, I knew it! But to actually try to kill her, I can't believe it! That bastard! To think he was responsible for her drug addiction and he was the one that pushed Kelly and I into that intervention. Damn! When I get my hands on that sick son-of-a ……," CC snarls.

" I know, I know, it's hard to believe but he was responsible for the deaths of his first two wives. We have proof. We can nail him now," Cruz reassures him as he puts his hand on CC's shoulder.

CC is fuming now, "He's not going to get away with it again, I'll be damned if he thinks he can sneak Sophia out of the country to kill her! I'm kill him with my bare hands first!" CC threatens.

" Whoa, we have to keep our cool here, Mr. C, I feel the same way you do but Sophia needs us now. We have to think with clear heads," Cruz begs him.

" Well, if you think I'm going to wait around here while Sophia's life is in danger you've got another thing coming. We have wasted too much time apart, I can't lose her now, she is my life, CC says softly. I'll call and get the jet ready." He starts toward the phone.

Cruz calls after him, "Wait, Mr. C what are you going to do? You have to let the authorities handle this, he's a very dangerous man. Not only that but we need someone we can trust to help Sophia when they find her. She may need medical attention, there is no telling how much poison she has ingested in her system now," Cruz sighs.

" You're right, Cruz, we need someone that we can trust, someone that knows what a delicate situation we are involved with." They both look at each other and exclaim at the same time, "Micah!" Dr. Micah DeAngelis the doctor that helped Sophia in the hospital when she almost died of a drug overdose.

" I'll get in touch with him and fill him in on the details, you sit tight for the time being Mr. C." Cruz turns and starts to leave. CC grabs Cruz by the arm and pulls him back towards him. Cruz is surprised by CC's strength but sees the serious expression on CC's face and he understands his father-in-law's concern.

" You can't possibly expect me to sit around here and wait for you to find her do you!? CC bellows. I'm going with you and that's final! Not another word about it. He releases Cruz and continues, I have to be with her when you find her, she is my soul mate, nothing else matters more to me than her safety" CC says softly almost to himself as if just realizing for the first time he could lose Sophia forever.

" Ok, I understand, if it was Eden I would feel the same way. You can go as long as you do as I say, I mean it Mr. C!" Cruz says sternly. CC seems to relax and nods his head.

" Alright, I'll do whatever you want, let's get going, we're wasting valuable time." CC grabs the phone and tells his pilot to have the jet ready for take off to Italy as soon as possible. CC informs him that there will be three passengers and they will meet him at the airport within the hour. "I don't care how long it's going to take to fuel the jet this is an emergency, a matter of life or death, just get it done or you won't have a job!" CC yells into the phone and slams down the receiver.

" I'll contact Interpol and alert them as to what's happening. I won't have any jurisdiction in international waters and we may need back up. We'll get him Mr. C you have my word on that." Cruz leaves the room to make some calls on his cell phone.

CC says under his breath, "You bet I'll get him, Mathis is going to pay for this! Hang on my darling. Dear God let her be alright." Cruz returns and informs CC that Interpol has agreed to cooperate fully in the investigation. They will meet up with us at the American Consulate in Naples he explains. I also put a call into the station to have my guy there fax them a current picture of Ken and the file we have on him. Seems like everything is falling into place, we just have to get Micah up to speed. CC agrees and picks up the phone to call the doctor. After filling him in on the situation with Sophia, Micah agrees that she is in grave danger. He will cancel his remaining surgeries and get another doctor to cover for him and will be ready for departure.

Santa Barbara airport, CC's private hanger.

A limo pulls up and CC, Cruz, and Dr. DeAngelis emerge and board the jet that is waiting for them on the tarmac. The pilot comes on and says they will depart momentarily and should arrive in Naples in a few hours. During the flight Cruz's cell phone rings. From the look on Cruz's face CC can tell there's something wrong.

Cruz hangs up and turns to CC, "That was an agent from Interpol, it seems our boy has an international record, he is wanted for questioning in the mysterious death of yet another woman. They found a picture of him matching his description in their database from two years ago, they are emailing it to me now. Cruz opens his laptop and reads the email, as the picture is downloading Cruz tells CC that Ken was using another name at the time. CC is shocked and outraged. "WHAT kind of a man are we dealing with here exactly and how did he get mixed up with my Sophia? Just then the picture of Ken flashes on the computer screen, his hair is longer, he is wearing glasses and has a goatee but it's clearly Ken. They stare at the screen dumbfounded.

Several hours have passed Cruz continues to email Interpol and his friend at the SB police station. Micah is searching the internet for possible antidotes for strychnine poisoning. He begins searching his medical bag for the supplies he needs. CC is asleep in his seat. "You are trespassing on my beach," he says to a beautiful young blonde woman. She smiles at the tall handsome stranger and walks over to him and the two begin to dance. "It's like time has stood still, he whispers to her, you are as beautiful as ever." He is dreaming that he is dancing with Sophia on the beach the same way they did all those years ago when he first met her. He gently kisses her neck and she tosses her head back and starts to laugh. Oh I love you so much he tells her. Then never let me go she whispers. They begin to twirl around faster and faster. All CC can hear is the sound of the waves and Sophia's laughter. Nothing could be more perfect, he thinks holding the woman he loves in his arms. All of a sudden, she begins to fall and CC can't catch her, she slips away from him and he can't reach her. She starts to scream. CC turns to find her and she is gone, everything has turned dark and he can't see her but he can still hear her screaming, "CC help me, CC find me, p l e a s e don't leave me." CC searches for her and calls her name. CC wakes with a start, his heart pounding, his hands sweating. His first thought is of Sophia. He can still feel her in his arms. He looks around and realizes it was just a dream. Thank God it was just a dream.

Marco Polo Airport - Naples, Italy.

The Capwell jet has landed. Interpol has sent a car to meet CC, Cruz, and Micah. A tall Italian man opens the car door and greets them, he introduces himself as agent Dante. They all introduce each other and shake hands. Dante explains that they faxed a description of Ken to all the cruise ships that are docked in the Port of Naples and we know which ship he boarded with his wife, it's called "The Italian Jewel." "How do you know it's the right ship?" CC asked. The agent replied that it was the only ship that could identify him on their video surveillance. It's scheduled to leave at midnight tonight. We have to get on that ship CC says to Cruz who nods in agreement. "We are all going to get on that ship," the agent replies. "We believe he is responsible for the death of an unidentified woman, how do you say in your country, a Jane Doe? Interpol wants to find this man and question him." They head for the pier were the ship is docked.

Port of Naples. The Italian Jewel Cruise ship. Suite 5015.

Ken is standing over Sophia who is sitting on the couch holding her tea cup. Empty sweetener packets are scattered on the table. "Are you feeling any better darling," he asks as he opens another packet and empties it into her cup. A sinister look comes over his face.

Sophia looking paler than ever shakes her head and sets the tea back on the table. "I would feel a lot better if I could lay down and rest before dinner if yoouuu don'tttt mmm i n d," she slurs her words weakly. Ken just smiles as he helps her stretch out on the couch and puts a pillow under her head. "How's that sweetheart?" Ken says wryly. Sophia has already passed out before she can answer him. "Sophia? Sweetheart?" Ken chirps as he checks her pulse to see if she is still alive. He feels a weak one, but it's there. She is a fighter he says to himself as he walks away. He grabs his room pass and heads out the door. Sophia appears to be unconscious on the couch.