Stranded

Chapter Four -- "Why didn't you let me die?"

Without his gun, and with a broken leg, Taggart was totally at Sonny's mercy. "Oh I get it, you're going to kill me slow." Sonny stared at him, "I should you cop bastard, it's what you deserve." "So why bother dragging my ass to this island Corinthos? Why didn't you let me die?" Sonny shrugged, "I didn't want anyone accusing me of killing a cop." Taggart chuckled, "why not? We already know you killed one, what's one more?" Sonny shuddered, both from the cooling night air and the memory of Deke. "I wish to God I had. But whatever…you keep believing I killed him. It's easier than facing the truth." Taggart got furious, "the truth? You don't even know what the word means! You killed the man that was like my father! And you still sit there and deny it?" "Shut up Taggart! Shut the fuck up or I'll leave you here with your broken leg and your warm fuzzy memories of Deke the wife-beating pig!" Taggart groaned in frustration. As much as he hated it, he needed Sonny Corinthos. If he ever wanted to see his mother, his sister, his home again, he needed his worst enemy to keep him alive.

Day Five

Miguel Gomez, the marina manager figured he was out of the woods. Both Sonny Corinthos and the American cop had disappeared in the storm that came up unexpectedly three days earlier. The local law, as well as the US Coast Guard, had questioned him and accepted that he knew nothing except that Sonny Corinthos went out on his boat...alone. The Coast Guard, per Mac Scorpio's request, had also done a sweep of the area, but found no trace of the boat. Mac suspected that Sonny had killed Taggart somewhere on the Island, then disappeared to avoid being arrested for it, but was more inclined to believe they had both perished at sea. Miguel was sure no one would ever know his part in what had occurred. "Are you in charge here?" He looked up, and into the steely blue eyes of a large man. "Uh, yes, I am the marina manager." Jason Morgan motioned to Johnny O'Brien to close the door to the small cabin that housed the man's office. Johnny did, and stood in front of it, blocking the only route of escape. "Who...who are you?" Miguel asked nervously. Jason reached behind and retrieved his large gun, which he cocked and pointed at the man's head. "You don't ask the questions I do. Sonny Corinthos...what happened to him?" "I...I don't know what..." Jason handed his gun to Johnny, then punched the man in gut with his right fist. Miguel doubled over in pain, but Jason grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up and his head back. "We can do this easy, or we can do this hard, but we are doing this. There was someone asking about Sonny, wasn't there?" Jason wasn't sure if Taggart had caused Sonny's disappearance or was merely a mutual victim of other circumstances, but he had no doubt Taggart had been snooping around. The man was too slow to respond, so Jason hit him again. "I'm a patient man...I can dish out a hell of a lot more than you can take." Miguel knew he had no choice. "There...there was a man," he gasped. Jason nodded his head, and let go of the man's hair. "American, black, bald?" Jason asked. "Sí. Said he was a cop. Said Senor Corinthos was wanted for murder. He wanted to know which boat was his." "And?" "And, he hid on it." "Taggart hid on Sonny's boat and went out to sea with him?" Miguel nodded his head, hoping the man would go away now that he had the information he wanted. No such luck. "And you made that possible, didn't you," Jason stated, rather than asked. Jason was usually calm and professional, and didn't often let his emotions get in the way of his job. But the thought that Sonny might have met his end because of, or with, Taggart, enraged him. "Well, you have to pay for what you did," he said through gritted teeth. Miguel screamed as Jason's fists rained down upon him.

Jason and Johnny left the beaten man in his office and walked outside onto the pier. "Now what?" Johnny asked. "We get a boat and start looking." "Jason..." Johnny quickly corrected himself realizing that he might be addressing the new boss, "Mr. Morgan." Jason stared at him, "don't call me that. He's not dead Johnny!" "Sir, we have to face the possibility." "Johnny, you say it again and I'll beat you senseless like I did that guy in there. Sonny is not dead. He's a survivor...he's survived worse than this. Besides, he's a great swimmer." Johnny wanted to ask, "but what if Taggart killed him and that's why he hasn't come back?" but held his tongue. There was no point incurring Jason's wrath, especially if Sonny never returned. "Let's go," Jason said, heading off to find a sizeable boat to rent.

Day Three

Sonny had managed to find some fruit for them to eat, including coconuts, which would supply a source for liquids through their milk. Taggart was impressed, but didn't say so. He did thank Sonny when he handed him some bananas; he was very hungry. "You won't believe what else I found," Sonny said. "What?" "This," Sonny held up a small knife. "Someone must have dropped it in there. It's dull, but I think I can hone the edge." "Then what?" Taggart asked suspiciously. "Then I can carve you up...copper," Sonny replied, joking, but saying it with a straight face. Taggart knew he wasn't serious, and smiled. "What a comedian." "I figured I could sharpen some sticks, and maybe spear a fish to eat." Taggart burst out laughing, "Robinson-fucking-Caruso...who would have known?" Sonny smiled, "yeah, that's me. And who the hell are you? My Girl Friday?" Taggart stopped laughing, "what did you just say?" "Chill out Taggart. I'd never be that desperate to get laid." Taggart relaxed and replied, "yeah, I know that about you at least." Sonny looked at him with surprise, "you do? Why would you even think about that?" "Because I always wondered how you get all those women to fall at your feet. You must have something they all want." Sonny beamed, "you bet your ass I do." Taggart nodded his head, "yeah, and it doesn't hurt that you're a big bad Mafioso, right?" "Mafi...what? I don't even know what that is." "Yeah, right. I can't understand though, how'd you let a woman like Hannah get away?" Sonny got serious, "don't go there Taggart." "Why? You think I don't know she was still in love with you when I was with her? I knew, I just didn't care...well not at first I didn't. I felt like I was taking something from you." "You didn't take anything from me. Hannah betrayed me and I threw her out. End of story. Besides, you couldn't hold on to her yourself, so what are you talking about?" Taggart ignored his last comment, and instead asked, "so why didn't you kill her? I never understood that either." "See that's your problem Taggart, you don't understand a damn thing. I'm not a killer." "I know better." Sonny stood up, replied, "no, you just think you do," and walked away. Taggart shifted in the sand where he was sitting, his broken leg stretched out before him sheathed in the wood Sonny had tied to it with vines. For the first time, he thought maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe Sonny was telling the truth; maybe he didn't kill Deke. But if Sonny was telling the truth about that, what else had he told the truth about? Taggart shook the thoughts from his head; he definitely didn't want to go there.

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