The hot spray of the water stung as it hit Chris Ramsey’s body in the shower, but the stinging effects didn’t bother him at all after being cooped up in the dirty and cramped jail cell he had inhabited for almost a week at the Port Charles police precinct. Chris let the water roll over him wishing his problems could melt away as easily as the dirt and grime was disappearing, although he knew he was kidding himself if he thought things would ever be that simple again in his life. 

Chris finished his shower and stepped out onto the tiled bathroom floor, reaching for a thick towel to dry off the droplets of water that still clung to his form. He needed to get out of town quickly tonight before Frank showed up on his doorstep to make more outrageous demands of him. 

Chris mused to himself as he went to his closet to pack a bag of clothes of how ironic this situation was for him by having Frank Scanlon blackmailing him into doing his bidding. He hated not being in control of his own destiny and Frank had assured Chris many times that unless he wanted to suffer the consequences of not following his wishes he’d do exactly as he ordered him to do or else. 

Chris left his apartment, thankful he hadn’t had the misfortune of bad timing tonight as he began his almost hour long drive to the new estate he had bought a few months earlier in the countryside. The drive gave him time to think and clear his mind of having to make such a fool of himself to the citizens of Port Charles by being the Avatar’s spokesman since Frank had chosen Chris for this most embarrassing job. 

Chris hated being at Frank’s beck and call and if it hadn’t of been for what Frank had offered him in exchange for becoming his lackey he would have laughed in his face and told him to go straight to hell the night he had encountered him with his offer. Telling Frank what he actually thought of him wasn’t an option though at the moment as he remembered the evening Frank had come upon Chris in the Recovery Room with his unbelievable proposition to him. 

It had been late that night, really too late to be out drinking, but Chris had run out of vermouth and he had needed some liquor to drown out his sorrow over losing so much in his life as he had faced over the past few months. Chris had stumbled into the bar, not caring that the bar was completely empty of patrons as he had reached over the counter and grabbed a bottle to continue on with his drinking binge. He had been so drunk by the time Frank approached him he hadn’t even noticed the dark expression on Frank’s face as he had pulled up a chair to sit at the table with Chris. 

“You are truly pathetic Ramsey,” Frank sneered as he swiped the bottle of liquor away from Chris’ hands to capture his attention. 

“I really don’t give a damn what you think of me Scanlon,” Chris glanced at him with contempt as he attempted to retrieve the bottle Frank had taken from him. 

“If I were you I’d change that tone of voice you’re using with me,” Frank warned as he held onto the bottle tightly refusing to let Chris get the bottle from his strong grip, “because from where I’m sitting you’re in no position to be talking so disrespectful to me.” 

“The day I respect you Scanlon is the day hell freezes over,” Chris scoffed at Frank as he attempted to get up from the table to get away from Frank’s irritating presence. 

“Considered it frozen,” Frank grabbed Chris’ wrist and slung him back down into the chair, “now if I were you I’d sit down, shut up and listen to what I have to tell you before you make the biggest mistake of your life by walking out of here tonight without letting me tell you how things are going to be done around here from now on.” 

“Frank, I realize you’ve been upset with Karen running off with Ricky,” Chris threw back at him, “but I think you’ve become delusional if you think I care about what happens to you.” 

“While you’ve been drinking like a fish lately over how pitiful your life has become, you’ve failed to take notice of a few things and I’m here to set you straight,” Frank grinned with malice in his eyes towards Chris. 

“You must be drunker than I am to be issuing out orders to me,” Chris shot back to Frank as he looked at him curiously wondering what in the world Frank was up to tonight. 

“No, I’m sober and you better sober up quick because I’ve got a few things I need you to do for me Ramsey,” Frank tapped his fingers on the table as he began to lay out his plan for Chris, explaining in explicit detail all that he wanted Chris to accomplish for him. 

Chris sat there at the table, not really believing this story Frank was weaving out for him as he told him all that he expected Chris to do for him in the upcoming months. After Frank had finished speaking, Chris spoke out, “Frank, have you totally lost your mind?” 

“No, my mind is sharp as a tack,” Frank chuckled as he cracked his knuckles and leaned back in the chair studying Chris. 

“I’m not helping you,” Chris stated matter of fact, “and I think you need to be locked up in Ferncliff if you really believe all of what you’ve told me you are capable of and what you expect me to do for you.” 

“Oh Chris, you know I really didn’t expect you to be so naïve, but I can see how you’ve let your personal life, what little there was of it to begin with, soften you and make you weak,” Frank dryly commented as he pulled out a photograph with something scribbled on the back of it along with a key and slid it over to Chris. “So before you go trying to round up a posse to have me committed to Ferncliff, I suggest you take a long, good look at that picture and think about what I’ve told you tonight.” 

Chris almost got up from the table without looking at the picture when the image captured on the photo caught his attention. Chris picked it up not believing what he was seeing as he noted the digital date at the bottom of the photograph. He looked up to Frank in disbelief, not quite comprehending the contents of the picture. 

“Ramsey, are you ready to agree to the terms I laid out for you earlier?” Frank asked knowing he had finally snared Chris in his trap by the look on his face. 

“This can’t be,” Chris started to argue with Frank as he continued to look at the picture. “What kind of game are you trying to play?” 

“You know they say a picture is worth a thousand words, but hey if you don’t believe what you’re seeing;” Frank crossed his legs and placed his feet on the table, “why don’t we go to the address listed on the back of the picture and see the proof for yourself?” 

Chris got up knowing he had to find out the truth, “Let’s go then and if you’ve done this as some kind of cruel joke to me, I’ll make you pay dearly Scanlon.” 

“I think after you see what I’ve got in my possession you’ll be the one paying, not me,” Frank replied as he went to open the door for them both. Chris dutifully followed him out of the bar, knowing if what Frank had just showed him was true then his life as he knew it would never be the same again.