Gertie

Chapter 42

The storm was raging over the white plantation house. Lightening casting an ominous glow over the place as thunder roared, and sheets of rain pelted the structure. Bo stood outside in awe of it, until he heard screams, and shouting. He took the stairs up to the front veranda two at a time, and pushed the front door, which was already open, much wider. The foyer was empty, devoid of movement, but water was all over the floor of the entryway. Outside the rain still roared, and in the room to the left, Bo heard more shouting.

"What did you do to me?" Roman roared. "Why am I remembering things...having memories that aren't mine? What the fuck did you do to me, Stefano?"

"Rolf! Rolf!" Bo heard Stefano yell. "Rolf how did he get in here?" There was a short pause, and the Stefano said, "Put the gun down Roman. You don't want to hurt Gina, do you?"

Gina? There was someone else in the room. A female. Bo knew he should have waited for back up before he left Salem. He knew that. Instead he'd foolishly gone after his brother.

Roman sneered, "Gina? Is that who she thinks she is? Just like John thought he was Roman? Just like I think, I'm Roman? And yet...sometimes, I have dreams where I'm someone else. You call her Gina, but from where I'm standing she looks an awful lot like Hope Williams Brady."

Without thought, Bo burst through the door, staring at the scene before him. His mind kept repeating, Hope Williams Brady. In a mad search his eyes scanned the room, landing on Stefano, who stood near the fireplace. In his arms was a woman who looked very much like Hope. His heart stuttered and clenched in his chest. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. It was Hope. He could feel it in his body. It was Hope, and Stefano's arm had her pinned to him as a shield against the gun Roman had pointed at his chest.

Bo's breath caught in his throat, and he pointed his gun at Stefano, "Let her go."

Stefano laughed, "Oh, this is rich! Did you come here come together? The two Brady brothers unite against Stefano DiMera?" Stefano continued to laugh, and silently pray that Rolf had heard his cries, or perhaps Celeste had alerted Rolf.

Bo tried to hold his aim steady, but the woman in Stefano's arms stared at him with shock, and a vague sense of recognition.

Roman laughed, "Brady brothers? Stefano with what's going on in my head, I'm not even sure I am Roman Brady! What the fuck did you do to my head?"

Stefano started to say, "I don't have any idea what you're talking about, Rom—"

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!" Roman yelled. "You do know! You know, and if you don't start talking, I have no need for you, and I'll fucking shoot you right here."

Bo's mind was whirling. He couldn't take his eyes off the woman in Stefano's arms. Her dark hair, her green eyes as they bored into his. The woman Stefano had called Gina, but Roman had insinuated might be Hope. Stefano looked nervous, glancing again towards the door to his right as if he were expecting someone any moment.

"Stefano," Gina whispered. "You're holding me so tightly...it hurts."

"Shut up!" Stefano said glancing at her quickly.

Another woman entered the room, saying "Stefano—" and stopped short.

As she retreated quickly, Stefano yelled after her, "Get Rolf! He knows what to do."

Roman laughed, "I know what he's going to do. Do you think I care? I knew before I came here what was going to happen to me, but I'm not going down tonight unless I take you with me. You put a fucking chip in John's head." Stefano's eyes got large, and Roman laughed, "Thought we didn't know about that didn't you? You've got one in my head, too. I know it. I can feel it when I black out, and wake up in places I don't recognize. I know it when I wake from dreams full of memories that don't belong to Roman, but instead belong to another of your mercenaries!" Looking at Gina he said, "I can almost guarantee she's got one implanted in her head, too. She recognizes Bo. I can see it. She knows him, but she can't place the how or the why."