RotSoap - Hartfix Part 5 Writer's note : The timeline for this story is in January of 1996 when I thought the story of Hart's return was still salvageable. - Jo P.S. I love feedback, so please drop me a line and tell me what you think of the story thus far. Previous parts of this story can be found in the RotSoap section of Cari Burstein's GL page at http://www.anybrowser.org/soaps/gl/. Hartfix By Jo Burgess fburgess@mail.kaien.com ------------------------------------ **Scene 44 - WSPR (continued....) ------------------------------------ (slight rollback from last scene) Hart has a perfect view of Roger from his vantage point. He's sure should Roger look up, he wouldn't see his son shrouded in darkness across the building floor. Slowly, Hart pulls the gun out and raises it up to point at Roger's chest; his finger begins to tense on the trigger. Hart holds his position perfectly still, not even breathing, for several seconds. Then he bows his head, lowers the gun and leaves the way he came. This time Roger hears the stairwell door close clearly. He is on his feet and halfway out his office door, only to be stopped by the sound of his ringing phone. He hesitates in his doorway, the moves to answer it, leaving Hart to make his quiet getaway in the cold, clear Sprinfield winter's night, unseen by his intended target. ------------------------------- **Scene 45 - Mystery Location ------------------------------- Minutes before Roger's phone rang, in a different office in the same imposing house Davis had occupied previous to his return to Springfield, a distinguished looking, grey-haired man is on the phone. A younger man is standing silently in front of the man's desk. Outside the door, overhearing everything, is Julie Camaletti. The older man listens to his caller intently, his face reddening with anger before he ends the call by slamming the phone down. "Dammit!" Younger man: I take it the Springfield plan in not going well, Uncle Joseph? Joseph: (sighs) No, Daniel, it is not. Daniel: What's happening? Joseph: Well it would seem our colleague, Mr. Davis, has become so obsessed with his revenge against Roger Thorpe, he's allowing his judgement to slack. He's geting sloppy again. Quite frankly, I've had enough of his risking our entire operation to settle a vendetta. He's spilling too much unneccessary blood. Daniel: What's he up to now, Uncle? Joseph: (sighs) Apparently he's gone off to Springfield to force Hart Jessup to murder his own father. Julie gasps in shock and backs quietly away from the door and down the hall before turning to bolt up to her room. Grabbing her phone, she hastily dials information to get a number for Roger Thorpe in Springfield. She quickly dial the given number and listens to the rings, tapping her foot impatiently. ------------------- **Scene 46 - WSPR ------------------- Roger: (snatching up the phone) Yes, what is it? "Mr. Thorpe, this is Julie Camaletti." Roger: (surprised) Julie? Well, it's been a long time. Why are you calling? Julie: Mr. Thorpe, you have to help Hart, he's in trouble and .... Roger: (interrupts) What?! What do you mean? What kind of trouble? Julie: (in a near panic, trying to talk as fast as she can) Mr. Thorpe, please just listen to me! You are in terrible danger. You have to find Hart, you have to find him right now so you can stop him before....(line goes dead) Roger: Julie? (pauses) Hello, Julie? (slowly puts the reciever down) What the hell's going on? (picks up his jacket and rushes out of his office) ------------------------------- **Scene 47 - Julie's Location ------------------------------- Julie freezes as a hand reaches around her and yanks the phone cord out of the wall. The same hand takes the reciever away from her and tosses it aside. Julie squeezes her eyes shut tightly, then opens them as she slowly turns around to come face to face with Daniel. Joseph stands off in the doorway, his face etched in disapproval. Joseph: Oh Julie, how could you betray us like this? Julie: (tries to keep the fear creeping up in her throat out her voice) I just wanted to warn him. That's all. I wasn't going to say anything else. The two men just stare at her. Julie feels tears welling up in her eyes. She blinks to keep them at bay. She fights to keep control as waves of emotion wash over her. Julie: (softly, to Daniel) Danny, please, you know why I had to do that. I had to try and help Hart and his father. Davis is crazy. Daniel: (his eyes stone cold) You still love him, don't you? Julie: (shaking her head) No. No, that's not it, I swear to you. Davis has to be stopped. (to Joseph) He has to be! He's destroying people for no reason! Joseph: (steps toward Julie, shaking his head sadly) Oh Julie. Dear, dear Julie. It was not for you to decide to take action. You should not have gotten involved at all. You've been with us for a year now, you know all that's expected of you is your silence and your loyalty. We trusted you, (puts his hand on Julie's cheek) my nephew loved you, and you've betrayed us. Julie: (she starts shaking, unable to hold back a flow of tears; a sob breaks our of her mouth as she tries to speak) No. Joseph: (nods gravely) Yes. You've betrayed us. I'm sorry. (turns to his nephew) Call Alex. Daniel: No, it's all right, Uncle. I can do this. Jospeh: Are you sure? Daniel: Yes. Joseph nods as he and Daniel each take one of a now hysterical Julie's arms and lead her down the stairs and out of the house. Jospeh gently pushes her into a car as Daniel gets into the driver's side. Julie doubles over in her seat, burying her face in her hands and sobs pitifully. Joseph stands back and watches as they drive away, a bit saddened that only his nephew would return and no one would ever see Julie again. He strides back into the house and asks a servant to fetch someone as he makes his way back to his office. A tall, Italian man shows up at his door minutes later. "You needed to speak with me?" Joseph: Yes, Marcos. I need you to end our association with John Davis effective immediately. Take as many people as you need, but I want all traces of our ties to that man to be erased by tomorrow, understand? Marcos: Yes sir, I'll get right on it. (pauses) Um, sir, what about the special files Mr. Davis keeps? Joseph: Get rid of them. Marcos: Even the ones with the, uh, material he's holding over Hart Jessup? Joseph: Especially that one. I want that mess over with now, once and for all. Marcos: (nods) Yes sir. (leaves) Joseph leans back in his chair and sighs. "Well Davis, you're on your own." ------------------------------------- **Scene 48 - Streets of Springfield ------------------------------------- (writer's note: the lyrics used in this scene are from the song "Full Circle" by Loreena McKennitt and can be found on her CD, "The Mask and The Mirror") "Stars were falling deep in the darkness as prayers rose softly, petals at dawn" Silent and alone, Hart walks through the streets of Springfield. He gives no notice of anything around him, remaining soley focussed on something that is not there. "And as I listened, your voice seemed so clear so calmly you were calling your god" Hart makes his way out in the middle of a bridge. There, he stands, staring transfixed out across the moonlit river at the ever constant lighthouse. Even as it is now only a burned out shell, it still stands proud and defiant against its backdrop of stars, still signalling the way home, despite the death of its inner light. "Somewhere the sun rose, o'er dunes in the desert such was the stillness, I ne'ever felt before" Hart reaches into his coat and pulls out the gun. After studying it for a long while, every once in awhile looking up out at the water, Hart finally hurls the gun with all his might out into the rushing water. After one more glance at the lighthouse, Hart backs away from the edge of the bridge and continues on his path. "Was this the question pulling, pulling, pulling you in your heart, in your soul, did you find peace there?" -------------------------------------- **Scene 49 - Meanwhile, outside WSPR -------------------------------------- Davis sits in a parked car across the street from the tv station. He'd watched Hart enter, then later exit the building with satisfaction. He'd spent several minutes gloating to himself. He is now just about to start his car to depart, when he glances up and catches sight of Roger leaving the building. Davis: (shocked) What the....? (he watches as Roger rushes to his car and speeds off; he pounds his steering wheel, howling in frustration) Goddamn kid! You screwed it up! Breathing heavily, Davis rips open his glove compartment and takes out a small handgun. He checks to make sure it's loaded, then returns it to its place. Starting the car, Davis drives off with his tires squealing. ----------------------------------- **Scene 50 - Downtown Springfield ----------------------------------- Hart makes his way along a sidewalk in downtown Springfield. He pauses, looking around to get his bearings. His eyes focus on an office across the street with a light shining within. He sees the lettering on the door clearly, "Ross Marler, Attorney at Law." Making his decision, Hart crosses to the office, opens the door and slips inside. ------------------------------------ **Scene 51 - Office of Ross Marler ------------------------------------ There's no one in Ross's outer office. Hart makes his way to the open inner office doorway. Ross is inside, bent over his desk, clearly engrossed in his work. Hart watches his for a minute, then raises hand and knocks on the doorframe. Ross looks up, startled. "Oh Hart, I wasn't expecting you. Come on in. I was just catching up on some paperwork. What brings you by so late?" Hart: (moves forward slowly; sinks into a chair) I need to talk to you. Ross: (rearranges some of his files to clear a spot on his desk on which he puts his folded hands) Okay. What's on your mind? (notices Hart's distant expression) Are you all right? Hart: (softly) Not really. Ross: (concerned) What's wrong? Hart looks carefully into Ross's face, seemingly trying to reassure him- self. Ross steadily holds Hart's gaze, trying very hard not to react to Hart's eyes, which look cold and empty. This disturbs him, but Ross remains quiet, waiting for Hart to speak first. Hart: (takes a deep breath before speaking in a low, near emotionless tone) I have a story to tell you. It's not a very nice one. It's long and it's complicated. It's built out of the worst things: anger, pain, suffering and....(pauses) and blood. A lot of blood that was used to spin a horrible web of deceit and revenge and death. A web that I've been caught right in the middle of for a very long time. (shakes his head) I can't take it anymore. I have to get out before I lose what little I have left of my soul. Ross: (gently) It's all right, Hart. I'm here for you. I'll help you any- way I can, I promise you. Tell me everything. Hart: (nods; whispers) Okay. It all started...... to be continued....... >> >"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between mother and child." >--Former U.S Vice-President Dan Quayle on Republican Family Values.