Chapter Twenty Nine:

…Natalie stood behind the bar thinking to herself, "You’ll be mine John. I just have to be patient. You’ll see that we should be together."…….

As Kevin Buchanan approached the front door of Lion’s Heart, he was thinking that there had to be a way to find out why Tico Santi had Evangeline Williamson attacked. Every since he’d seen the picture in The Sun of the guy he saw Tico kill in cold blood, he had been trying to figure out a way to get the information to the police without leading them to himself as the witness. Before he could ring the doorbell, his sister Jessica came walking out. "What are you doing here?" Kevin asked.

"Hello to you to," Jessica replied. "I was having breakfast with Tico. Why do you ask?"

"No special reason," Kevin said. "You’re spending a lot of time with Tico since the Heart’s Ball. Why is that?"

"He’s a nice guy," Jessica stated flatly. "You should know that. He’s helped you a lot Mr. Lieutenant Governor."

"What does that mean?" Kevin inquired.

"I’m just saying that if he’s good enough for you to hang out with, then he’s good enough for me," Jessica said.

Kevin didn’t know how to warn Jessica without giving away what he knew, so he just said, "Oh."

"Tico’s in the living room," Jessica said as she left.

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Tico had just received a cell phone call that obviously upset him very much. His back was to the front door, so he had no idea that Kevin Buchanan had come in when Jessica left. Tico was yelling into the phone saying, "What do you mean they found evidence to link me with El Tiburon? How did you let this happen? Where are they now?"

The voice said that Antonio and Sonia were still in New York City at the bank. The voice had intercepted one of Sonia’s phone calls when she called one of her INL contacts to get access to a safety deposit box. Tico was livid. He yelled, "I didn’t accidentally kill our Mother and try to set up Antonio for it, coerce RJ Gannon into taking Antonio to court for custody of his daughter, act all nice and sweet to that annoying Jessica Buchanan to get Antonio’s goat, and have Evangeline Williamson attacked to slow Antonio’s case down, just to be caught as El Tiburon in the end! You keep me informed as to what my snake of a brother and traitor of a sister are doing!" He clicked off his cell phone and stormed into the study.

Kevin slowly backed out of the front door and realized that no one had seen him. He left Lion’s Heart as quickly as he could and started to figure out a way to get this evidence to the law without incriminating himself as a witness.

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Kevin racked his brain to figure out a clever way to get the information he possessed to the proper authorities. He decided that he couldn’t go directly to the police or his Uncle Bo because they’d want to know why he sat on some of the evidence for so long. He thought and thought and then decided that he’d let Evangeline know because for sure she’d go right to John McBain with the information. His idea to get her the information was to text message her. So, he went to a place where you can buy a pay as you go cell phone and had his assistant pay a guy on the street to buy him the phone for cash. Kevin text messaged Evangeline the following, "Tico Santi killed Isabella Santi. Tico Santi threatened Judge Hernandez. Tico Santi hired the lollipop quarry guy to attack you. Tico Santi murdered your attacker. Tico Santi is El Tiburon."

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Evangeline was sitting in her office going over the final report that she’d receive from the private investigator on Ace Buchanan. For all intensive purposes, it looked as though Paul Kramer had stolen the son of JR and Babe Chandler and given that baby to his sister Kelly. On top of all that, it also looked as though he’d taken Bianca Montgomery’s baby and given it to JR and Babe Chandler and left Bianca Montgomery to believe that her baby had died. "When did this happen?" Evangeline thought. "When did the custody case became a stolen baby and falsely reported death case? What kind of person is Paul Kramer to do this to innocent people, especially Bianca Montgomery? How am I going to break the news to Kelly and Kevin?"

The beeping of her cell phone brought her out of her thoughts. She realized that she had a text message and started to read it. The message said, "Tico Santi killed Isabella Santi. Tico Santi threatened Judge Hernandez. Tico Santi hired the lollipop quarry guy to attack you. Tico Santi murdered your attacker. Tico Santi is El Tiburon."

Evangeline couldn’t believe what her eyes were seeing. She read the text message four times. The message sender was a number that she didn’t recognize. She was trying to decide whether to take her cell phone to John when her office phone rang. Her assistant was out sick, so she picked up right away. "Evangeline," the voice said. "This is Sonia Toledo. Antonio and I are on our way back to Llanview and we have information to bring you on El Tiburon. It turns out that it is my brother, Tico. Will you be in your office in about one hour?"

"Sonia," Evangeline replied. "I’m glad you called. I just received a text message saying that Tico killed Isabella, that he threatened Judge Hernandez, that he hired the guy that attacked me and that he killed the guy that attacked me. It also says that Tico is El Tiburon."

"What?" Sonia asked incredulously. "It says that Tico killed Isabella?"

"Yes," Evangeline replied. "I’m sorry Sonia."

"Um, thanks Evangeline," Sonia replied.

"What do you want me to do?" Evangeline asked. "I was about to go to John with this when you called."

Sonia, still in shock from everything she and Antonio found out and from what Evangeline just told her said, "Can you call John and have him meet us at your office in an hour? We can put all the evidence together and bring Tico in. I just can’t believe it. I grew up with him and I just can’t believe it."

"Okay, Sonia," Evangeline said sympathetically. "I’ll have John meet you and Antonio at my office in an hour. I truly am sorry."

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Tico Santi was still in his study at Lion’s Heart seething. "How could Sonia turn on me to help Manuelito of all people? After all I’ve done for her, I just can’t believe it."

Just then, his cell phone rang again and the voice on the other end said that Sonia and Antonio were on their way to Evangeline Williamson’s office with the evidence that he was El Tiburon. Also, the voice said that Evangeline Williamson had told Sonia about a text message she received implicating him in Isabella’s death, her attacker’s death, her attack and the threatening of Judge Hernandez."

"What?" Tico exclaimed. He clicked off his cell phone as he headed for Evangeline’s office.

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Judge Hernandez’s assistant came walking into John’s office at the station. He was really nervous. John tried to give him a calming look as he said, "Can I help you?"

The judge’s assistant said, "I have to tell you some information, but I just hope it doesn’t get me or the judge’s family killed."

John gave the judge’s assistant a discerning look and had him sit down. John said, "The Llanview Police will do everything in their power to keep you safe and the judge’s family safe. Just take your time and tell me what you know."

The judge’s assistant told John how Tico Santi had threatened to harm the judge’s grandkids if she didn’t rule in Kevin Buchanan’s favor in the Ace Buchanan custody case. He said he wasn’t sure if Kevin Buchanan was involved or not. The judge’s assistant handed John a tape and said that it had Tico’s threats to the judge’s family on it. He went on to say that Tico thought he had grabbed the surveillance tape from the judge’s office, but what Tico didn’t realize is that the recorder tapes in two places and the other was in the assistant’s office.

John thanked the judge’s assistant for finally coming forward and put out an arrest warrant for Tico Santi. He also sent officers to watch over Judge Hernandez and her family until Tico had been picked up.

As he lead the judge’s assistant to the outer office, his phone rang. When he answered it, it was Evangeline. Evangeline said, "John, its Evangeline. I need you to……" The line went dead.

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When Evangeline hung up from talking to Sonia, she sat pondering to herself, "Why would Tico Santi have me attacked? Why would he kill the person he had attack me? What is going on? When did this happen? What did I do to get on Tico Santi’s hit list? Is this why he was looking at me so strangely at court the other day?"

When she snapped out of her thoughts, she realized that she hadn’t called John yet to tell him to meet Antonio and Sonia at her office. She looked at her watch and realized that they should be there in about 30 minutes. She picked up the phone and dialed John. When John picked up, she said, "John, its Evangeline. I need you to….." Tico Santi came bursting into her office and yanked the phone line out of the wall.

Evangeline tried to get up, but Tico blocked her exit to the door and pulled a gun on her. He backed up and kicked the door shut.

"What do you want?" Evangeline asked.

"Don’t play innocent with me Ms. Williamson," Tico spat. "I know you’re waiting for my no good brother Antonio and my even worse sister Sonia. You should have known that being the champion for Antonio would get you into trouble one day."

"What are you talking about?" Evangeline inquired. "Why is my helping Antonio any business of yours?"

"Just keep your mouth shut!" Tico yelled. "I’ll take care of all of you when Antonio and Sonia get here and my plan will go on."

"Look Mr. Santi," Evangeline started. "You have to know that Antonio and Sonia have evidence against you. You are only making things worse by holding me against my will. If you let me go and turn yourself in, I’ll try to help you in any way I can."

"Get real," Tico said. "You’re so smooth, but you’re not fooling me. I know you know that I killed my Mother and had you attacked. You wouldn’t help me in a million years."

Evangeline was shocked at how much Tico knew, so she decided to try to keep him talking until Antonio and Sonia got there. She also hoped that John would try to get to her too. Evangeline asked Tico, "Why did you have me attacked? What did I ever do to you?"

Right when Tico was about to answer, his cell phone rang again. He moved over toward the office door and listened intently to the caller while keeping his gun on Evangeline. The voice on the other end of the phone told Tico that Judge Hernandez’s assistant was in John McBain’s office and that there was an arrest warrant out on him. Tico was even more furious. He thought to himself, "This is the last time that John McBain and Evangeline Williamson will get in my way!"

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While Tico had his back turned slightly and was engrossed in his conversation, Evangeline slowly rotated in her office chair to face the window. She pushed the speed dial number one on her cell phone for John’s cell phone and waited anxiously for him to answer.

John was in his office pacing back and forth frantically. He had tried to call Evangeline’s office phone with no luck. The telephone company said the line was dead, almost like it had been cut. When he dialed her cell phone, it sent him right to her phone mail. When his cell phone rang and he saw that the caller id showed that it was Diva E, he was relieved. He quickly clicked on and said, "Evangeline?"

Evangeline responded in a hushed tone and said, "Don’t talk and just listen."

John had a curious look on his face, but did what she said. He heard someone yell at Evangeline, "Turn back around to face me!" John couldn’t quite pick up the person’s voice at first.

John heard Evangeline say, "Are you going to answer me Mr. Santi? Why did you have someone attack me in Angel’s Square?"

"You were attacked because you and your boyfriend feel the need to always come to the aid of my brother Antonio. If you had kept your noses out of it, you would have been fine."

John realized that Evangeline was in her office with Tico. He kept listening, but at the same time, dispatched a car over to her office building.

John then heard Evangeline say, "Mr. Santi, why are you holding a gun on me? I don’t really know anything at this point other than you had someone attack me. It’s my word against yours."

"What are you trying to do?" Tico asked in a perturbed manner. "I just told you that I know that you know that I killed my Mother. Give me your cell phone. I know you got that text message incriminating me."

"What?" Evangeline said. She was trying to stall.

Tico was walking toward her and realized that her cell phone was laying on her lap. He grabbed it and said, "Listen McBain. I hope you enjoyed the last tones of Ms. Williamson’s voice because it will shortly be over for her!" Tico clicked off Evangeline’s phone and put it in his pocket. He then grabbed Evangeline from behind her desk. He told her that he wanted her in clear sight and that she better not try anything else.

The sound of Evangeline’s cell phone clicking off threw John into a panic. His thoughts were churning as it sunk in that Evangeline was being held at gun point by Tico Santi. "Tico was the one that had someone attack her?" he thought. "Why?" He then flashed back to Caitlyn being shot and a cold shiver ran up his spine. He was truly frightened and thought to himself, "I can’t go through this again. I can’t lose another woman that I love at the hands of a mad man."

John grabbed a couple of uniformed officers and headed for Evangeline’s office. On the way, he dispatched more officers to the scene.

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As Antonio and Sonia drove closer to Evangeline’s building, they noticed a lot of sirens and that the street was being blocked off. An officer pulled them over to the side and told them that they couldn’t go any further. The officer then realized that it was Antonio and Sonia showed the officer her INL badge and asked what was going on. The officer told them that Tico Santi was holding Evangeline Williamson at gun point in Ms. Williamson’s office. Antonio convinced the officer to let him and Sonia through. As they walked up to the building, they saw John.

"Hey John," Antonio said. "How are you doing? I know this can’t be easy for you?"

"I’m okay," John distractedly said. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn’t Evangeline call you and ask you to meet us at her office?" Sonia inquired.

"What?" John said. "What are you talking about?"

Antonio said, "Sonia and I found proof in New York City to prove that Tico is El Tiburon. Evangeline was supposed to call you and have you meet us at her office so that we could turn the evidence over to you."

"What?" John said again, incredulously. "Why didn’t you just come to the station?"

Sonia chimed in and said, "We wanted Evangeline to have the information to make sure that Tico couldn’t get off and when she said that someone had sent her a text message saying that Tico was El Tiburon, we just thought we’d get all the information together."

Once again, John said, "What? Evangeline got a text message?"

Antonio was confused now and said, "Didn’t she call you John?"

John said, partially thinking out loud, "That’s what she was trying to say when her phone went dead. Tico must have come into her office when she was calling me to come over here."

"What are you going to do?" Sonia asked. "Have you talked to Tico yet?"

Through gritted teeth, John said, "Only long enough for him to tell me that it was the last time I’d hear Evangeline’s voice. You just better hope your brother doesn’t hurt her."

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As Tico became more flustered, Evangeline became more and more afraid. "What if this is it for me?" she thought. "Geesh, I never thought it would end like this. It’s a week before Christmas. What will happen to my Mom and John?"

"What are you going to do?" Evangeline asked Tico. "You heard all the sirens. You know that they will never let you out of here."

"Be quiet!" Tico yelled. "You better hope they do let me out of here. Your life depends on it!"

Tico’s cell phone rang and Evangeline jumped. Tico answered and said, "What?"

"Tico," the voice replied. "It’s me. It’s Sonia."

"Well, well, well," Tico said. "The traitor is finally heard from."

"Listen Tico, I’m not a traitor. I want to help you," Sonia said.

"Give me a break, faux sister," Tico replied sarcastically. "I can do without your help."

"Let Ms. Williamson go Tico," Sonia implored. "It will go so much easier on you if you do."

"Ah Sonia," Tico replied. "I didn’t become El Tiburon by being an idiot. I know Ms. Williamson is my ticket out of here."

"No she’s not," Sonia said urgently. "If you don’t’ let her go, you’ll never make it out of here."

"We’ll see," Tico replied. "I want a helicopter on the roof to pick Ms. Williamson and me up in 20 minutes." Tico clicked off the phone.

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Sonia told John and Antonio what Tico’s demand was. John said there was no way that he was going to let Tico take Evangeline away from here. Sonia, Antonio and John came up with a plan and headed for the roof. Antonio and Sonia were to enter the roof from the stairwell and John and another officer would enter the roof from the elevator. When they heard John say the word three, they were to take action.

Tico was holding Evangeline as a shield in front of him when John walked out onto the roof. Tico was holding his gun to Evangeline’s side and he had a death grip on her right wrist as he held it behind her. John could see the fear on Evangeline’s face. It took everything in him to keep calm and do his job. He had a momentary flash of paranoia that this type of thing keeps happening to the women around him. He blew it off and set about doing what he was there to do.

"Where’s the helicopter?" Tico inquired.

"It’s on the way," John replied. "See it over there in the distance?"

"Well, send it over," Tico insisted.

"Not so fast," John said. "There are a few reasons why I can’t let you leave here with her." As John said those words, he was looking intently at Evangeline and she was doing the same at him.

"You have no room to bargain with me McBain," Tico replied. "Either we both leave here together, or we stay here and she dies."

John was gritting his teeth and really had to work hard to keep himself from freaking out. He slowly took a breath and said, "One, she’s not leaving here with you this afternoon. Two, you may not be leaving here this afternoon either. We have so much evidence against you that if you add kidnapping to the list, you could be in jail for 5 life terms. Three….."

When John said the word three, Evangeline lunged forward as she dropped to the ground. In that instant, John, Antonio, Sonia, and the rest of the Llanview police department took aim at Tico like he was target practice. The impact of all the bullets pushed Tico back and he fell off the side of the building. He hit the parking lot with a loud thud and was surrounded by the officers and SWAT that were on the ground. It didn’t matter though. If the shot’s hadn’t killed him, the fall would have.

John rushed to Evangeline as fast as he could. As he was running toward her, he kept saying, "Are you okay? Can you answer me? Are you okay?"

Evangeline was a little shaken, but she was able to say, "I’m okay, John. Don’t worry. I’m okay." She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was having flash backs of Caitlyn being shot. She just kept saying she was okay to reassure him.

As John helped Evangeline to stand up, he touched her right wrist and she yelped. "What is it?" John said alarmed.

Evangeline said, "My wrist is really sore. I think I twisted it when I lunged forward because Tico had such a grip on it."

As John called for the paramedics, he didn’t let Evangeline out of his sight. He said, "I’m glad you were able to give me the sign language sign of yes that you understood that I signed drop on three. This could have ended up a lot worse."

"I’m just glad I was able to pick up that you were signing to me without letting Tico realize what was going on," Evangeline replied.

"So were we," Antonio said as he and Sonia walked up. "I’m sorry I got you involved in any of this," Antonio said.

"It’s not your fault Antonio," Evangeline said. "It’s Tico’s fault. I’m sorry Sonia. I know he was your brother."

"No, I’m sorry," Sonia replied. "I’m just sorry that it took me so long to realize what Tico was up to."

John touched Evangeline on the arm and said, "The paramedics are here. We need to get you to the hospital."

They left the roof of One Buchanan Plaza together.

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