Disclaimer: I'm still wishing here, folks, but something tells me I'll never own this stuff.

Chapter 17 – Danger Zone

The city was a lonely place at midnight.

The streets were going on empty, with only a few stragglers bracing themselves against the cold as they made their way home for the evening. A train could be heard in the distance, calling out to the rest of the world that it was making its journey into the city. From the ocean a foghorn could also be heard, alerting others to a thick fog rolling in.

In an alleyway in the heart of the city, however, the sounds of the city settling in for the night seemed to be ignored. In it stood a figure with a coat tied around a feminine waist, pacing every so often to keep from losing all feeling to the cold. Blonde hair was done up in a loose bun, strands of which outlined the oval face. From her ruby red lips came smoke from a lit cigarette held in carefully manicured fingertips.

Somewhere, a clock struck twelve, and the blonde head tilted to one side in order to listen to the sound. Midnight had finally arrived.

Julia waited until the last of the clock's chimes had faded away before taking another drag on her cigarette. In truth, the woman didn't know whether to be nervous or annoyed about her current whereabouts. She was due to meet her nemesis at midnight here, and Julia knew that the time and location were often viewed as the worst sort of rendezvous possible. After all, midnight was the time when death walked freely amongst the living, calling people home with an icy grip upon the shoulder. Being a slightly superstitious woman, Julia knew all about death and how it took a person's soul, leaving only the body in its wake. She knew, too, that when death came, one could see life flashing before their very eyes, replaying key events life a merry-go-round on fast forward.

But that was all it was. Superstition. And Julia would not be frightened off by such a thing tonight.

Deep in her heart, however, the woman knew what the end result of tonight's meeting might be. That was likely the only reason she was allowing thoughts of death to run through her mind. If that happened, it would be her own fault. After all, she had agreed to this meeting despite her better judgment. She had known what risks would be involved, and still she had come. Whether or not her bravery was born out of a final stand before death, Julia did not know. Nor did she care to know. She had the upper hand tonight. She had something that another wanted, and she was going to come out of this on top.

But that didn't chase away a final chill as it settled in her body, causing her to think that death was in fact approaching – this time in the form of one Jezebel Jade.

Julia heard the other woman before she saw her. The high heels clicking along the cement were unmistakable.

Lowering the cigarette and dropping it to the ground, Julia used her own heel to rub out the dying ember. The blonde turned around, pulling her coat around her just a little bit tighter as Jade's face became visible in a silver stream of moonlight.

Jade spoke first. "You came."

"You thought I wouldn't?" returned Julia coolly.

"Let's just say I wasn't putting all my money on it," said Jade, a small smirk appearing on her lips as she gave the blonde a once over. "You didn't strike me as the adventurous type."

With narrowed eyes Julia allowed the words to slip by unheeded, knowing full well the insult that lay within them. The way in which Jade seemed to hold herself tonight put Julia on edge, if only slightly. The other woman was drawing things out, which wasn't something Julia understood. She didn't like beating around the bush; she had always been the sort of woman that got to the point. But Jade wasn't like that.

Clearing her throat, Julia spoke again. "You called this little meeting tonight, Jezebel. I'm not without brains, although I'm sure you would like to think otherwise. You wanted to speak to me outside the hearing of our employers, so speak. What do you want?"

Jade smirked. "My, my, in a hurry, aren't we?" She allowed the smirk to fade away, her features smoothing themselves as she directed her full gaze onto Julia. "I know it was you that took the precious, battered form of Anaya Zin to the Quest Compound. I didn't understand why at first, originally thinking that maybe you had cracked. But then I returned to my room, and the pieces all fell into place." Jade paused, allowing the words to sit on the air before continuing.

"When searching the room of another, Julia, one should at least strive to be discreet. Even the Bannon girl had the decency to do that when she rifled through my things in Mexico. But you didn't bother with such things, and while I should ignore such an intrusion of my privacy, we both know I can't. You took something from me, and I want it back."

Julia allowed her lips to move upward into a tiny smile of victory. She hadn't bothered to hide the fact that she had gone through Jade's things the night before. At first it had been out of anger toward the other woman. Julia had gone into Jade's room with the intention of making a mess and sending a message to her, but that had been before Julia had found something else. Something unexpected.

"It's almost interesting to note," murmured Julia as she reached inside of her coat to extract a piece of paper. Almost lovingly, the blonde ran her fingertips along the outer edges of the paper. "Out of all of us involved, you carry the greatest secret of all. Who would have thought that you, Jezebel Jade, would be afraid of anything? Who would have thought that you would go out of your way to conspire to bring together the Zin family, Ezekiel Rage, and Jeremiah Surd to suit your own fucking needs? It's almost worth applauding."

She toyed with the paper for another moment, watching as Jade's eyes flickered with unreadable emotions. It was almost too delicious. But eventually Julia handed the paper over to Jade, another smirk on her face as the dark haired woman snatched at it.

"Jezebel Jade, a woman used to living life on the edge and taking every risk imaginable, brought down to earth with two little words: terminal disease. It all makes sense now. Your fear of mortality has you seeking desperate cures – like the elixir to life. Although, for the life of me, I can't figure out how the hell you managed to get that gem dug up after all these centuries."

Jade didn't look up as she unfolded the paper, her hands shaking, but only barely so. "That was just a coincidence," she replied without hesitation. "I was seeking other means of survival when the gem was dug up. I went to college for some time – studied archaeology for a few semesters before growing bored and dropping out. But the Immortal Stone was one thing I remembered. When rumors circulated that it might have been found, I didn't think twice when I gathered everyone together. I knew who they would call if the gem turned out to be the real deal – and strange as it might sound, I found myself latching onto the gem stone as one does a life preserver.

"There's no known cure for my disease. They can simply prolong my life using steroids and experimental drugs. At this point, even the most far-fetched solution is a realistic chance for me. I don't know if the damn stone can cure me, but it's better than giving up and living out the rest of my days in some assisted living center. Unfortunately, the best known expert on the Immortal Stone is dead, so I was forced to go to the next best source – her old partner. But I don't do things by halves, and coercing the rest of you to go along in destroying the Quest and Bannon group was the natural next step. And oh, so easy.

"I used to think jail would be hell if I ever ended up there, but a hospital is ten times worse," stated Jade sharply, her eyes going up to meet those of Julia's. "I refuse to let time take its toll on me. I refuse to weaken and die. I won't be pitied by people, hence why I keep it secret. I'm a fighter, and I'll fight this disease and live. But I can't lie and say that I'm not feeling the effects of my disease. I'm not nearly as strong as I used to be – the last two fights with the Bannon girl being proof of that. I've been forced to retreat and lick my wounds, but it doesn't matter anymore. I'm not going to let her, or Race, or anyone else stop me from using the Immortal Stone to extend my life indefinitely. I will live forever."

Julia snorted, unable to keep her next words from spilling out of her mouth. "You're fucking insane."

"You're right," said Jade. She pulled out a gun, pointing it at the blonde even as she cocked it. "I am." And then she pulled the trigger.

The echo of the gunshot faded as a dog barked in the distance. The sound of heels clicking against the cement could faintly be heard as Jade moved away from her latest crime. Her hands were tucked into her vest pockets, one hand curled around her piece of paper. In her mind she was already concocting another story… and then there was silence.

The Quest Compound

Exhausted as he was, Race couldn't sleep. He had tried, and had ended up tossing and turning most of the night. At 6 o'clock in the morning he gave up sleeping altogether and made his way into the living room to turn on the television. He didn't usually watch television, but he figured the early morning news would be on, and every once in awhile that proved to be worth watching.

Today was one of those mornings.

Race was debating whether or not he should make some coffee when breaking news caught his attention. Frowning, Race leaned forward to catch what the reporter was saying.

"Earlier this morning authorities were tipped off to a body in an alleyway on Jefferson Avenue. They have now confirmed the identity as one Julia Patton, aged 37. Although the investigation is ongoing, it is believed that this is a mugging case gone wrong. We will have more information available to you as we get it."

"Mugging case, my ass," muttered Race to himself. The news wasn't earth shattering in the beginning – not until the face of Julia was flashed across the screen. Race had never known the woman's last name, and wasn't sure that Patton was her true one, but that didn't matter. What mattered was Julia was dead, and that could only mean trouble for everyone currently in the Quest Compound.

With a groan, Race got to his feet, making his way down to Benton's room. He didn't care if the other man was still sleeping or not – this had to be discussed.

The Current Zin-Surd-Rage Hideout

With a sympathetic look on her face, Jade patted the hand of Jeremiah Surd. Despite being capable of holding himself together, the man seemed at a loss for words today. News of Julia's death had hit him hard. Even worse was the fact that he couldn't go down to recover her body; she had no next of kin, and if he showed up, the authorities would arrest him without a second thought.

Before today Jeremiah Surd had never once thought he would care if Julia left him, or died. Death was the natural order of things. But, somehow or another, she had come to fill a void in his life, and her death hit home with Surd. It wasn't love, at least not in the same sense that others might deem it. But now he was alone…

"If there is anything I can do, you only have to ask," murmured Jade. Surd nodded, although Jade couldn't be sure he understood. This worked in her favor, of course. She had come bearing the news of Julia's death this morning, and in the hours that had passed since then, Jade could feel Surd falling under her thumb.

The news was spreading one story to the world, but Jade was spinning a very different one to Jeremiah Surd. She had told him a partial truth, that Julia had left the body of Anaya Zin at the Quest Compound. But she had also added a lie to it – the lie that Melana had blamed Julia for what had happened to Anaya and taken revenge on the blonde woman.

And the longer Jade sat her, watching Surd grapple with the news, the more convinced she became that in the end she would have exactly what she wanted.

Minutes passed, but Jade didn't say anything more. She knew that she only needed to wait.

Finally, Surd began to stir again. His eyes were darker than before, and his voice hoarse. Jade pretended not to notice as his words sank in.

"Tell Zin that I don't care if she is his daughter. I will have Melana's head."

Beside him, Jade smirked in triumph.

The Quest Compound, Later

"Jessica Bannon, would you care to explain this?"

From her spot at the table, Jessie looked up from the newspaper in front of her. Her brows were creased as she tried to figure out what it was her father was referring to. His voice had carried over from the hallway where had gone to answer the door.

"Explain what? Why the doorbell rang? Probably because someone was on the other side," replied Jessie, her gaze returning to the newspaper.

"Not that, Ponchita. This." Race appeared in the door way of the dining room, a vase of flowers in his hands.

Jessie glanced up again, and this time did a double take. "Flowers?" she asked. "What exactly am I supposed to explain? What kind? I'd say lilies."

"They're for you."

"For me? Are you sure? Who from?"

"If I knew that I wouldn't be asking, now would I?"

Rolling her eyes, Jessie replied, "You're not asking who from, Dad. You're merely asking me to explain why I'm receiving flowers."

"It's the same thing," stated Race stubbornly.

"Then read the card and maybe it'll answer your question."

"I would, if there was a card."

"Okay, then I don't have an answer for you." With that, Jessie shrugged and returned her gaze to the paper, leaving her father to gape at her.

Jonny chose that moment to appear, making a face at the flowers in Race's arms. Grinning, he said, "If those are for Estella, she probably won't like them. She's been telling Dad that the reason she dislikes being here is because there aren't enough orchids like in Colombia."

"Ha, ha. These aren't for Estella. They're for Jessie."

"What did you buy Jessie flowers for? Sucking up for something?"

Jessie snorted. "Please, he wouldn't know how to suck up if his life depended on it. Dad just shoots out orders until he thinks I'll go along with them."

Race glowered, shooting dark glances between Jessie and Jonny. "I didn't buy the flowers for Jessie. They were sent here by an anonymous person."

"Anonymous?" Jonny glanced over at Jessie in alarm, but she seemed engrossed in the newspaper. "Who would be sending you flowers?" he demanded.

With a sigh, Jessie pushed the paper away. Clearly she wasn't going to finish reading the article she had been reading with Race and Jonny around. She stood up and went over to her father, taking the vase out of his hands. "I don't know who would send me flowers, and I don't care. I'm not really a flower kind of girl. So, before you guys try reading too much into it, or before you guys freak out about it, I'm going to go find a spot for them so someone can pretend to enjoy them."

"Jess, there could be something wrong with them –" Jonny objected, reaching out to prevent Jessie from handling the vase.

"Like what, a bomb at the bottom?"

Jonny ignored the sarcastic tone and pulled the vase away from her. "Maybe."

Race nodded along. "He's right – this could be something from Jade. She likes to play mind games with us."

"A bomb wouldn't be a mind game, Dad."

"You don't know how she works, Ponchita."

"Obviously neither do you. She wouldn't send me flowers, she'd send me a damn package with a bomb in it, or come after me herself. I'm pretty sure she'd rather do the latter – my kicking her ass the last two times probably hasn't gone over well with her."

"Still, we should check the flowers out," insisted Jonny.

Jessie glanced back and forth between her father and Jonny before shrugging. "Have at it. I don't like lilies anyway." Moving past them, the teen paused as she turned around. "I'm taking your car to the bookstore, Jonny. Mom wants me to check if a book she needs is there."

"Uh-huh." Jonny wasn't really paying attention to Jessie at this point; he was too busy pulling the flowers out of the vase and handing them to Race to hold.

"Men," Jessie muttered under her breath as she exited the room. What was the big deal about the flowers anyway? If there had been anything to worry about, she was pretty sure a note would have been attached.

The Hospital

The news about Julia had been interesting to note, but Corbin had yet to see where it fit into the larger scheme of things. Julia hadn't been a large player in the latest events, but her death meant something. It was a message of some sort, but what?

Sighing, Corbin rubbed at his eyes. He was exhausted. He had been at the hospital for hours now, sitting beside the bed of Anaya Zin, waiting. He wasn't sure what he was waiting for anymore. Another word, perhaps.

A glance at his watch told him Hadji would be here soon. The boy had been like clockwork since Anaya had been placed in the hospital, and Corbin would probably worry if he didn't show up.

As expected, a minute later the door opened and Hadji entered, a grim look on his face.

"Morning, Hadji."

"Good morning, Mr. Corbin, sir," replied Hadji, taking his customary seat beside Anaya's bedside. He appeared troubled, and this didn't escape Corbin.

"Is something wrong?"

"I have received a call this morning. It seems I am needed back home to attend to my duties as a Sultan."

"I see." Corbin was silent for a moment, allowing Hadji to grapple with his thoughts. It was clear the younger boy was torn between his duties as a Sultan, and whatever feelings he might have for Anaya. "You know, Hadji, I have the best men stationed here watching Anaya. No one will get in and out without my knowing. She'll be in safe hands."

"I do not underestimate your men," started Hadji carefully.

"But you're worried that when she wakes up, it'll be while you're gone," finished Corbin.

Hadji glanced up, surprised that the man had guessed what he had been about to say. "Yes. I am afraid of that. I think she would prefer that I be here when she awakens. I am a friendly face."

Nodding, Corbin replied, "Understandable. She may not understand why she's under careful watch and take it the wrong way. But… I understand that your duties as a sultan can't be ignored. I'll tell you what. You go home, see if you can't take care of your duties, and then come right back. You can call here each day and get an update from me personally. If she so much as turns while sleeping, I'll give you a ring."

Hadji considered this, his eyes focused on Anaya's still form. Finally he nodded and looked up at Corbin. "Yes, I would like that."

Corbin opened his mouth as though preparing to say something else, but Anaya chose that moment to stir again, a sound coming from her lips. Both men turned, Corbin getting out of his seat to stand beside the bed. Whatever Anaya was trying to say was inaudible for a moment, but as Hadji and Corbin strained their ears to listen, they were finally able to understand a single word.

"Stone."

Straightening up, Corbin glanced across the bed at Hadji, both coming to terms with the word. In Corbin's mind, however, he was coming to a very scary realization – that the words were somehow connected, and that Anaya was trying to say something important.

Back at the Compound

The house was quiet for the time being, something for which Estella was grateful for. Jessie had escaped hours ago to find a book Estella wanted – needed – for referencing the Immortal Stone. Race and Jonny… Well, Estella wasn't sure where they were at the moment. They were home, but quiet finally. Their uproar over the flowers had continued well after Jessie had gone, and well after Estella had trashed the flowers to quiet them down. While a part of her was worried about the meaning behind the flowers, the possible person that had sent them, she refused to stress aloud about them like Race and Jonny had done.

Nothing sinister had been attached to them, so there was no reason to worry. Yet.

At this point Estella could only suppose that Race had finally gone to lay down; he had been up so early watching the news about Julia, so he was probably tired. And Jonny… Whatever he was doing, Estella didn't think there was any reason to worry about it. Benton was off having lunch with Grace, and it seemed to be with Jonny's blessing since the teen hadn't said much when it was announced earlier.

Perhaps there was hope for Jonny after all. If only he and Jessie could work out their differences and stop acting like children again…

Estella sighed at this thought, her eyes moving away from the papers in front of her. She had taken over Benton's office so as to go through the papers and journals left behind by his late wife. It was no easy task. There was a lot of information to sift through, none of it in any sort of order anymore. The redhead hadn't asked why that was; she could imagine that Benton had tossed them around his office sometime after the death of Rachel.

She picked up another journal, sighing as she did so. Estella had known what she was getting herself into when she had agreed to go through Rachel's materials. But that didn't make it any less difficult. Rachel had been a meticulous woman. Everything was detailed – it was just without order because of the years since her death. Items had been misplaced, hidden, but thankfully never thrown out.

Estella opened the journal and began reading, hoping that at some point she would come across a reference to the Immortal Stone. She knew that Rachel must have kept an entire journal devoted to the blasted gemstone.

But this one was not it.

This one held something else entirely…

Estella found herself sitting up as she read, her lips parting in horror at what Rachel had captured in the pages. It was hard to believe… hard to take in…

"She knew." The words were nothing more than a whisper, but the realization was just as shocking as if she were being told rather than uncovering it herself. "She knew she was going to die."

It had been assumed for years after her death that Dr. Zin had played a part in Rachel Quest's death, but never before had there been proof that Rachel herself had known about it… And now here it was, plain as day.

Rachel Quest had known about the death order, and she had chosen to keep quiet about it.

Shaking her head, trying to wrap her mind around this fact, Estella bent over the journal and kept reading.

Upstairs

He had no right to be upset, but Jonny felt he had every right to be worried. Jessie was still his friend, and someone had sent her flowers. It didn't matter who had sent the damn flowers; they had been sent, and without a card. It only made sense for Jonny to assume the worst. He figured if someone had actually sent her flowers out of admiration, there would have been a note attached with a plea for a phone call or a date.

Jonny was only partially comforted by this thought. Although it had been his decision to keep things the way they were between himself and Jessie, he wasn't ready to just let her go and date a random person. Or even a not so random person. He would prefer she stay single or… join a convent.

Jonny groaned. Now he sounded like Race.

He needed something else to take his mind off Jessie – and something that wouldn't make him think about his father either. He had given his father the go ahead to seek a relationship with Grace, but that didn't mean Jonny was one hundred percent okay with it.

Glancing at his computer, Jonny moved over to his desk, thinking he could probably dig up some information online. But it was just as he settled himself into his computer chair that his phone rang. Making a face, Jonny pulled it out of his pocket, but there was no Caller ID. He debated for a moment whether or not to answer it, but finally decided that if he didn't, he might miss something important.

"Hello?"

"Dear, sweet Jonny, I hope you said goodbye to Jessica today. I have a feeling she won't be coming home."

"Jade? Hello? Hello! Jade!" Jonny pulled the phone back as it clicked off. Jade had hung up, but there was no mistaking that it had been her on the phone.

Gulping in horror, Jonny pressed Jessie's number on speed dial, murmuring for her to pick up the phone to himself. It went to voice mail. Jonny hung up and then tried again. It wasn't until the third try that Jessie answered.

"You know, Hotshot, when a person doesn't answer the phone the first time, usually it's for a good reason – like standing in line to pay for a book her mother wants."

"Jessie! Thank-god! Are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm fine, Jonny. I'm at the bookstore. Leaving, now, actually. I just paid for the book, now I'm going through the doors, and next I'm going to get your car and go home. What the hell is your problem?" demanded Jessie, her voice clearly annoyed by Jonny's questions.

"Don't move! Keep your eyes peeled – Jade just called and –"

"Oh good grief. Let me guess, she sent the flowers, she's planning on killing me, blah, blah, blah. Jonny, don't listen to her. Nothing's going to happen, I'm fine. There are a lot of people here – cops included. It's one of those cops-shop-with-kids day or something. I've seen like five of them wandering around the store. Look, I'm having trouble finding my keys talking to you, so why don't I hang up –"

"No! Don't hang up. Jess, you should have heard her. She was pretty clear –"

"Aha! Found the keys. Now to find the car. Yours beeps when I press the lock button a few times, right? It makes things so much easier –"

"Jessie, you're not listening to me – don't move! Don't go anywhere. Find a cop and stay with him!"

"Jonny, I told you, I'm fine. I'm just going to get the car and –" Whatever Jessie had been about to say was drowned out by a roaring noise. Jonny had to pull the phone away from his ears, fear coursing through his body.

"Jessie? Jessie! Jessie, answer me!" But there was no answer, because the line was dead.

A/N – Oh, wait, you mean I haven't vanished off the face of the planet? And here I thought I had. Well, wonders never cease, do they? I'll avoid the next black hole on the horizon and see if I can't finally finish this story up this year. And then one day go back and clean up all those run-ons in previous chapters…