- 3 months ago
Jason Finally Learns Ronnie’s REAL Name — The Shocking TRUTH Behind the LIE! _ G
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00:11Jason Morgan had seen lies, betrayal, and deception his entire life in Port Charles,
00:16but nothing could have prepared him for the bombshell that was about to drop.
00:20The name Ronnie had been circling his world for months, ever since this mysterious figure appeared out of nowhere,
00:25weaving into his orbit with an agenda that didn't quite add up.
00:29Jason had always trusted his instincts, and they were screaming that something wasn't right.
00:34He knew lies when he saw them, but this one?
00:37This was personal.
00:39It wasn't just a stranger's deceit.
00:42It was something deeper.
00:45Something connected to his past, his enemies, and the people he swore to protect.
00:50It started late at night in the hallway of the Metro Court.
00:54Sam had been pacing, phone in hand, eyes red from frustration.
00:58Jason, you can't just ignore this anymore, she said, her voice trembling between fear and anger.
01:04This guy, Ronnie, he's everywhere.
01:07He's been tailing Spinelli, asking questions about you, about your old cases.
01:12And now Carly says he's been seen talking to Dante.
01:16Jason's jaw tightened.
01:17If he's talking to Dante, it's not good.
01:21That means he's trying to work his way into law enforcement circles.
01:26He wants access.
01:28Sam stepped closer, lowering her voice.
01:31Jason, what if Ronnie isn't even his real name?
01:34That stopped him cold.
01:37He turned his head, his eyes narrowing.
01:40What did you just say?
01:42Sam crossed her arms, meaning his gaze.
01:45I think he's using a cover.
01:48Everything about him feels fake.
01:51The stories, the background, even his badge number, it doesn't match any department records.
01:57Jason didn't respond right away.
01:59His silence said everything.
02:02The hitman part of him, the part that had survived a thousand lies, was piecing things together.
02:07Then we find out who he really is, he said, his tone calm but dangerous.
02:13The next day, he met Spinelli at the safe house.
02:16The tech genius had his laptop open, screens flashing with data.
02:21Stone cold, I have traversed the digital labyrinth of law enforcement records, DMV databases, and even the FBI archives.
02:29Jason leaned forward.
02:31And?
02:32Spinelli frowned, adjusting his glasses.
02:36Ronnie Dimestico doesn't exist.
02:39Not anymore.
02:41His entire identity trail was manufactured about eight years ago, shortly after the explosion at Pier 52.
02:48Jason froze.
02:50That explosion was one of the darkest nights of his life.
02:53Pier 52, he muttered.
02:56That's when Jake was taken.
02:59Spinelli nodded slowly.
03:01Exactly.
03:03And whoever this guy really is, he was there.
03:06The words hit Jason like a punch to the gut.
03:09He stood, pacing the room.
03:12He's been lying to everyone, he said, his voice sharp.
03:16But why come back now?
03:18Spinelli hesitated.
03:20There's more, my friend.
03:22I traced a financial link, money transfers, small amounts but steady, for years.
03:28They connect Ronnie to someone named Dr. William Kent.
03:32Jason's eyes darkened.
03:35Kent?
03:36The neurologist who used to work for Helena Cassidine?
03:40Spinelli nodded again.
03:42Yes, and guess what?
03:44Kent disappeared shortly after Helena's last death.
03:48Officially dead, but his bank account says otherwise.
03:51Jason exhaled hard.
03:54So this Ronnie, whoever he is, has Cassidine connections.
03:59He slammed his fist on the table.
04:01Which means this isn't just a lie.
04:04It's a setup.
04:06Meanwhile, back at the PCPD, Dante was in his office when Ronnie walked in, flashing his usual fake grin.
04:12Hey, Detective Falconeri, he said casually, heard you were working on that cold case involving Morgan.
04:19Dante eyed him carefully.
04:21Why are you so interested in Jason Morgan all of a sudden?
04:25Ronnie shrugged.
04:27Just doing my job, man.
04:29Making sure the streets are safe.
04:33Dante didn't buy it.
04:35You've been asking a lot of questions about people who don't want to be found.
04:39That's not curiosity, that's obsession.
04:43Ronnie chuckled.
04:45Maybe I just don't like guys who think they're above the law.
04:48Dante leaned forward.
04:50You sure that's it?
04:52Because I checked your file, and something doesn't add up.
04:56Ronnie's face stiffened for a split second before regaining composure.
05:01Be careful what you dig into, Detective.
05:04You might not like what you find.
05:07Later that night, Dante called Jason.
05:10Morgan, we need to talk, he said over the phone.
05:14Jason's tone was flat.
05:16What's this about?
05:18Dante hesitated.
05:20Ronnie.
05:22You were right.
05:24The guy's dirty.
05:26I ran his service record through the FBI system.
05:29It bounced back with an alias flag.
05:32He's not who he says he is.
05:35Jason's jaw clenched.
05:37Then who is he?
05:39Dante sighed.
05:41His real name is Ryan Kent.
05:43The son of Dr. William Kent.
05:46Jason froze.
05:48You're telling me this guy's been playing us all this time, pretending to be a cop?
05:53Dante nodded.
05:55And it gets worse.
05:57He's been connected to the Cassidines since before Helena's death.
06:00He's been working under Victor Cassidine's old orders to keep tabs on you, on Sam, and even
06:06on Elizabeth.
06:08Jason's silence stretched so long that Dante thought the call had dropped.
06:11When Jason finally spoke, his voice was ice.
06:16He's going to regret lying to me.
06:19After hanging up, Jason stood in the dark safe house, every muscle in his body tense.
06:23Sam came in quietly.
06:26What did Dante say?
06:29Jason turned to her, his eyes cold.
06:32Ronnie's real name is Ryan Kent.
06:35He's been lying about everything.
06:37He's Helena Cassidine's backup plan.
06:40Sam's mouth dropped open.
06:42Oh my god.
06:45Jason, that means, he cut her off.
06:48It means he's been inside our lives for months.
06:51Watching.
06:53Listening.
06:54Waiting.
06:56Sam grabbed his arm.
06:58Then we take him down before he takes us down.
07:02Jason nodded, already loading his gun.
07:05We end this tonight.
07:07Hours later, the rain was pouring over the docks.
07:11Jason stood in the shadows, watching Ronnie and, no, Ryan, talk on his phone near the pier.
07:16Yeah, Ryan was saying, Morgan still thinks I'm a cop.
07:20Once I get access to that file, we'll have everything we need.
07:25Jason stepped forward slowly, the sound of his boots echoing on the wet concrete.
07:30Ryan froze, turning.
07:32Morgan, he said, forcing a smile.
07:35Didn't expect to see you here.
07:38Jason didn't blink.
07:40You've been lying since the day you got to Port Charles.
07:44Ryan shrugged.
07:46You've got it all wrong, man.
07:48I'm on your side.
07:51Jason raised his gun slightly.
07:53You don't have a side.
07:55You've got a mission.
07:58Ryan's smirk faded.
08:00You think you know everything, but you don't.
08:02The Cassidines built the city from the shadows.
08:06You're just another pawn in their game.
08:09Jason's tone stayed calm.
08:12I stopped being anyone's pawn a long time ago.
08:15Ryan laughed bitterly.
08:17You think you can stop what's coming?
08:20Helena left behind files, DNA samples, experiments you can't even imagine.
08:25You're already part of it.
08:27Jason's eyes narrowed.
08:30What are you talking about?
08:32Ryan stepped closer, his tone low.
08:36You were one of her experiments, Morgan.
08:39You think your memory loss was an accident?
08:42Jason's grip tightened on his gun.
08:45You're lying.
08:47Ryan smiled.
08:49Am I?
08:50Ask yourself why you can't remember the months before you came back to Port Charles.
08:55Ask Sam why Helena's people had your medical file.
08:59Jason's voice broke slightly.
09:01You're just trying to mess with my head.
09:04Ryan tilted his head.
09:06Maybe.
09:08Or maybe you've been living a lie longer than you realize.
09:11Just then, Dante appeared behind them, gun drawn.
09:15Drop it, Ryan, he shouted.
09:17Ryan turned, laughing.
09:21Ah, the good cop.
09:23Always late to the party.
09:25Jason didn't move.
09:27Dante, don't shoot.
09:30He knows something.
09:32Ryan grinned.
09:34Oh, I know everything.
09:36Suddenly, he pulled a small detonator from his pocket.
09:40And this conversation ends now.
09:43Jason lunged forward, tackling him just as Dante fired a warning shot.
09:47The detonator flew into the water, sparking out.
09:51Jason pinned Ryan to the ground.
09:54It's over, he growled.
09:57Ryan looked up, blood trickling from his lip.
10:00It's never over, Morgan.
10:02You can't kill a ghost.
10:04By the time the PCPD arrived, Ryan was in custody, smirking like a man who'd already won.
10:11Back at the station, Dante and Jordan tried to question him, but Ryan said nothing except one chilling line, you'll never find her.
10:18Jason stood outside the interrogation room, fists clenched.
10:22Find who?
10:24Sam asked quietly.
10:27Jason's eyes were dark.
10:29Helena's last creation.
10:31That's what this was all about.
10:34Sam looked at him, heart racing.
10:37Jason, what if he's telling the truth?
10:40What if Helena really did something to you?
10:43Jason shook his head, but the doubt was already creeping in.
10:47Later, as he walked through the hospital corridors, Elizabeth stopped him.
10:52Jason, is it true?
10:53That Ronnie guy, he's connected to Helena?
10:57Jason nodded.
10:59His real name's Ryan Kent.
11:01He's been watching all of us.
11:04Elizabeth's voice cracked.
11:06What does he want?
11:09Jason looked away.
11:11He said something about a file.
11:13Something connected to me.
11:16In the days that followed, the entire town buzzed with the revelation.
11:20Carly was furious.
11:21So let me get this straight, she said, pacing her living room.
11:27We've had some fake cop running around spying on you and Sam, and nobody at the PCPD caught it?
11:32Jason stayed quiet, leaning against the bar.
11:36He had help.
11:38Someone inside was covering for him.
11:41Carly threw her hands up.
11:43Of course.
11:45Because in this town, there's always a mole.
11:48Sam sighed.
11:49He mentioned something about Helena's work, files, DNA, experiments.
11:55Jason, if any of that's true, Carly interrupted.
11:59Then we're in deep trouble.
12:02Because Helena's idea of science makes Frankenstein look like a bedtime story.
12:07Meanwhile, Dante went through Ryan's belongings at the station.
12:11Inside his locker, he found a flash drive hidden behind a false wall.
12:14He plugged it in and stared at the screen, hundreds of files labeled with names.
12:20Jason Morgan.
12:22Sam McCall.
12:24Elizabeth Weber.
12:26Even Sonny Carinthos.
12:28What the hell, Dante whispered.
12:31He called Jason immediately.
12:34You better get down here.
12:36You're going to want to see this.
12:38When Jason arrived, Dante handed him the drive.
12:42This was in Ryan's locker.
12:45It's all of us.
12:47Surveillance logs, medical data, phone taps.
12:51Jason scrolled through the files, his face hardening.
12:54He wasn't just spying.
12:57He was building profiles for someone.
13:00Dante frowned.
13:02Who?
13:03Jason looked up slowly.
13:06The Cassidines.
13:08That night, as Jason and Sam sat on the penthouse balcony, the city lights flickering below, Sam finally spoke.
13:15Do you think Ryan was telling the truth about your past?
13:18Jason stared into the distance.
13:21I don't know.
13:23But if there's even a chance he was, I have to find out.
13:26Sam reached for his hand.
13:29Then we'll do it together.
13:30Jason turned to her, a rare softness in his eyes.
13:35He said it was all a lie.
13:37Maybe it was.
13:39But this, he looked at her hand in his, this is real.
13:43Sam smiled faintly.
13:45Then let's hold on to that.
13:48The wind rustled around them, and somewhere in the shadows, a figure watched from afar, recording, waiting.
13:54Because in Port Charles, no secret stays buried for long.
13:57Jason thought he had exposed the truth, but in reality, he had only scratched the surface.
14:04Ronnie wasn't just a liar, he was a messenger.
14:07And the real war for Jason Morgan's identity was only beginning.
14:12Ronnie stopped pacing, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.
14:16Jason, man, you gotta hear me out before you lose it, okay?
14:19His voice trembled, and Jason's eyes narrowed.
14:24Ronnie wasn't just nervous, he was scared.
14:27Spit it out, Jason said, crossing his arms.
14:31He didn't have time for games, not with Sonny breathing down his neck about a new threat in Port Charles.
14:37Ronnie took a deep breath, his eyes darting around as if expecting someone to jump out of the shadows.
14:42My name, it's not Ronnie.
14:45Never was.
14:47Jason's jaw tightened.
14:49He'd heard a lot of lies in his line of work, but this felt personal.
14:54What are you talking about?
14:56My real name is Dominic.
14:59Dominic Russo.
15:01Ronnie, or Dominic, ran a hand through his hair,
15:03his usual confidence replaced by a raw vulnerability Jason had never seen.
15:08I've been living a lie, man.
15:11Everything you know about me, it's not what you think.
15:14Jason's mind raced.
15:17Ronnie, or Dominic, or whoever he was, had been a constant in his life for years.
15:22They'd shared beers, swapped stories, and faced down enemies together.
15:27The idea that it was all built on a lie hit Jason like a punch to the gut.
15:31Why, he demanded, his voice cold.
15:34Why lie about something as simple as your name?
15:38Dominic's eyes dropped to the ground.
15:40It's not just the name, Jason.
15:43It's everything.
15:45I didn't just stumble into Port Charles and decide to help you and Sonny out of the goodness of my heart.
15:51I was sent here.
15:53Sent?
15:53Jason's hand instinctively moved toward his gun, though he didn't draw it.
15:59Not yet.
16:00By who?
16:02Dominic hesitated, then let out a bitter laugh.
16:06You're not gonna believe this, but, the feds.
16:08I'm an informant, Jason.
16:12Have been for years.
16:14The words hung in the air like a guillotine waiting to fall.
16:18Jason's world tilted, his trust in Ronnie, Dominic, shattering like glass.
16:23An informant.
16:25A rat.
16:27The one thing Jason despised more than anything.
16:30He'd spent his life protecting Sonny's organization, keeping it airtight,
16:34and now he was standing across from someone who'd been feeding information to the enemy.
16:39Explain, Jason said, his voice dangerously low.
16:43And don't leave anything out.
16:45Dominic nodded, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of his secret was finally too much to bear.
16:51It started before I met you.
16:54I was just a kid from Brooklyn, good with computers, bad with choices.
16:58Got mixed up with some low-level mob guys, nothing major, but enough to get me on the FBI's radar.
17:05They caught me hacking into a bank system, offered me a deal, work for them, or spend the next 20 years in a cell.
17:10I was 22, Jason.
17:14I didn't want my life to end before it started.
17:17Jason's face was unreadable, but his silence urged Dominic to continue.
17:22They trained me, gave me a new identity, Ronnie, and sent me to Port Charles.
17:27The plan was to get close to Sonny, feed them intel on his operations.
17:32But then I met you, and things got complicated.
17:36Complicated how?
17:37Jason asked, his tone sharp.
17:40Dominic met his gaze, his eyes pleading.
17:44I started to care, man.
17:46About you, about Sonny, about this crazy messed up family you've got here.
17:51I didn't want to betray you.
17:54So, I started feeding the feds just enough to keep them off my back, small stuff, nothing that could really hurt you.
18:00I've been walking a tightrope ever since, trying to keep both sides happy without getting myself killed.
18:06Jason's mind was a storm of conflicting emotions.
18:10Part of him wanted to believe Dominic, to cling to the friendship they'd built.
18:14But the other part, the part that had survived betrayals, ambushes, and years of violence, screamed that this was a liability he couldn't afford.
18:22How do I know you're telling the truth now, he asked.
18:26How do I know this isn't just another lie to save your skin?
18:30Dominic reached into his pocket, slowly, carefully, and pulled out a flash drive.
18:35This is everything.
18:38Every report I sent to the feds, every piece of intel I gave them.
18:42It's all there.
18:44I'm done, Jason.
18:46I can't keep doing this.
18:49I'm telling you now because I trust you to decide what happens next.
18:53Jason stared at the flash drive, his mind racing.
18:57If Dominic was telling the truth, this could expose not just him but the entire operation.
19:01If he was lying, handing over that drive could be a setup, a way to throw Jason off guard.
19:08By either way, the stakes were higher than ever.
19:11Give it to me, Jason said, holding out his hand.
19:15Dominic hesitated for a split second before placing the drive in Jason's palm.
19:20Their eyes locked, and for a moment, Jason saw the kid from Brooklyn, scared, desperate, but still fighting for redemption.
19:27I'm sorry, Jason, Dominic said quietly.
19:30I never wanted it to come to this.
19:34Jason didn't respond.
19:36He pocketed the drive and turned to leave, his mind already working through the next steps.
19:41He'd need to verify the information, talk to Sonny, and figure out how deep this betrayal went.
19:47But as he walked away, a small part of him couldn't shake the feeling that Dominic was telling the truth,
19:52and that maybe, just maybe, there was a way to salvage this.
19:55Back at the penthouse, Jason plugged the drive into his laptop, his heart pounding as files loaded onto the screen.
20:03Reports, dates, names, everything Dominic had said was there, laid bare.
20:08The intel was minor, carefully curated to avoid real damage, just as Dominic had claimed.
20:13But there was something else, a file labeled Port Charles.
20:18Inside was a detailed dossier on every major player in town, including Jason himself.
20:23It wasn't just intel, it was a roadmap to dismantling Sonny's empire.
20:29Jason leaned back in his chair, the bourbon forgotten.
20:32He'd trusted Ronnie, Dominic, with his life.
20:35Now, he had to decide whether that trust was worth saving or if it was time to cut ties for good.
20:42The choice wasn't easy, but Jason Morgan had never been one to shy away from hard decisions.
20:47As dawn broke over Port Charles, Jason stood at his window, watching the city wake up.
20:53Somewhere out there, Dominic was waiting for his judgment.
20:57And in a world built on lies, Jason knew one thing for certain,
21:00the truth, once uncovered, could never be buried again.
21:03The scent of antiseptic and despair was a permanent fixture in the corridors of General Hospital,
21:09a perfume of perpetual crisis.
21:11For Jason Morgan, it was as familiar as the feel of a steering wheel in his hands
21:15or the weight of a gun tucked into the small of his back.
21:18He moved through the fluorescent-lit hallways with a singular purpose,
21:22his leather jacket creaking softly, a stark contrast to the hushed,
21:25frantic energy that swirled around him.
21:28He was heading for the private waiting room on the fifth floor,
21:30a place that had become a second, more agonizing home in recent weeks.
21:35Inside, the air was thick with a silence that was louder than any explosion.
21:40Sonny Corinthos stood by the window, his back to the room,
21:43his shoulders a tight line of coiled fury and profound helplessness.
21:47The view of the Port Charles skyline was a tapestry of his empire,
21:51but it meant nothing against the fragile life clinging to existence in a room down the hall.
21:56Carly, seated on a worn vinyl couch, looked up as Jason entered.
21:59Her face, usually a mask of formidable strength,
22:03was pale and etched with a fear so deep it seemed to have hollowed her out.
22:07Any change?
22:09Jason's voice was low, gravely, stripped of all but the essential need for information.
22:15Carly shook her head, a single, jerky motion.
22:18The doctors were in an hour ago.
22:21There, managing the infection.
22:23But the swelling in his brain, it's not going down as they'd hoped.
22:28Her voice cracked on the last word, and she looked away, swallowing hard.
22:33That he was Michael Corinthos, their son, their nephew, their heart.
22:37A targeted, brutal attack meant for Sonny had left the young man in a coma,
22:41his future hanging by a thread woven by machines and the desperate skill of surgeons.
22:45The investigation had been a vortex, sucking in all their resources, all their focus.
22:51And at the center of that vortex, a name had emerged, then solidified into an unshakable truth,
22:57Ronnie O'Toole.
22:58A low-level enforcer with a grudge and a reckless ambition, now in the wind,
23:02vanished from Port Charles like smoke.
23:05The hunt for Ronnie had consumed Jason.
23:07It was a quest for vengeance, yes, but more than that,
23:11it was a desperate grasp for control in a situation that was fundamentally uncontrollable.
23:16Finding Ronnie, making him pay, was the only tangible action left,
23:20the only thing that could possibly balance the scales of the cosmic injustice that had befallen Michael.
23:25We'll find him, Jason said, the statement simple, absolute.
23:30It was a law of nature, as sure as gravity.
23:33Sonny turned from the window, his eyes dark pools of storm.
23:38We've turned over every rock.
23:40He's gone, Jason.
23:42He had help.
23:44Someone cleaned his trail with professional precision.
23:48This was the sticking point, the splinter in their collective mind.
23:52Ronnie was cunning, but he wasn't a ghost.
23:55His disappearance had the hallmarks of an extraction,
23:58the kind organized by someone with connections, resources,
24:01and a cold disregard for the wrath of Sonny Corinthos.
24:05We keep looking, Jason reiterated.
24:08He'll make a mistake.
24:10They always do.
24:12It was then that the door to the waiting room opened,
24:14and Diane Miller swept in, a vision of crimson power-suited elegance amidst the bleakness.
24:19As Sonny's attorney, she was a constant in times of crisis,
24:23but her presence now carried a different charge.
24:26Her sharp eyes missed nothing, taking in the scene before she placed her briefcase on a small table with a definitive click.
24:32I may have something, she announced, her voice cutting through the heavy air.
24:37It's not about Ronnie's location.
24:40It's about Ronnie himself.
24:42All attention focused on her.
24:46Sonny took a step forward.
24:48What about him?
24:50Diane unclasped her briefcase but didn't open it.
24:53She was a master of dramatic timing.
24:56I've been running background checks, deeper ones.
25:00The kind that don't show up on standard employment or criminal databases.
25:04I have a contact at the Department of Vital Statistics,
25:08someone who owes me a favor bigger than the national debt.
25:11She paused, her gaze sweeping over them.
25:14The social security number attached to the name Ronald O'Toole, it's a fake.
25:19A very good one, but a fake nonetheless.
25:23It was generated, layered over a dead infant's record from the 1970s.
25:28A cold stillness settled over the room.
25:31Carly was the first to break it.
25:34What are you saying, Diane?
25:36That Ronnie isn't Ronnie?
25:38I'm saying the man we know as Ronnie O'Toole,
25:40the man we believe orchestrated the attack on Michael,
25:43does not legally exist under that name.
25:46The identity is a construct, a fiction he's been living for at least 15 years.
25:51Jason's mind, always a machine of logic and tactical assessment, began to recalibrate.
25:56A false identity wasn't unheard of in their world.
25:59People went underground, assumed new lives.
26:03But this felt different.
26:06The depth of the fabrication, the timing, the way it connected to the attack,
26:10it felt orchestrated.
26:12Who is he, then?
26:14Sonny's voice was dangerously quiet.
26:16That, Diane said, finally opening her briefcase and pulling out a thin manila folder,
26:22is the billion-dollar question.
26:24My contact was only able to trace the fabrication, not the source.
26:29The trail is cold.
26:30But there is one anomaly.
26:34A single, encrypted payment, routed through three shell corporations,
26:37made to a private investigative firm in Albany six months ago.
26:41The subject of the investigation was you, Sonny.
26:45And the client was listed under the alias Argo Tool.
26:49The firm was closed down shortly after, its records perched.
26:52The pieces were there, jagged and disconnected, but they pointed to a terrifying conclusion,
26:58Ronnie's vendetta wasn't a recent development.
27:01It was a long game, a patient, simmering plot that had been in motion long before the trigger
27:05was pulled.
27:07This wasn't just a hit, Jason said, the realization dawning with icy clarity.
27:12This was personal.
27:14This was about more than territory.
27:16It would appear so, Diane agreed.
27:20The man we're looking for has been hiding in plain sight,
27:23nursing a grudge we know nothing about.
27:26To find him, we need to understand why he became Ronnie O'Toole in the first place.
27:30The new directive transformed the hunt.
27:33It was no longer just about tracking a fugitive, it was about excavating a ghost.
27:39Jason threw himself into the task with a ferocious intensity.
27:43He started from the beginning,
27:44from the moment Ronnie had first appeared on their periphery.
27:48He re-interviewed every lowlife, every bartender,
27:51every bookie who had ever had contact with him.
27:54The story was always the same,
27:56Ronnie was from Poughkeepsie,
27:57had done a few stints upstate for armed robbery,
27:59was a reliable but unremarkable muscle for hire.
28:03He liked cheap beer, betting on the horses,
28:05and kept to himself.
28:07There were no childhood friends,
28:09no family photos,
28:10no nostalgic stories about the old neighborhood.
28:12In hindsight, the lack of a past was a glaring red flag they had all missed.
28:18The breakthrough came from an unexpected source, Spinelli,
28:21the eccentric hacker and Jason's often unorthodox associate.
28:25While Jason pursued the physical trail,
28:27Spinelli dove into the digital abyss.
28:29The jackal is navigating a labyrinth of deceit and digital chicanery, stone-cold.
28:36Spinelli announced one evening in the back room of the warehouse that served as one of Jason's operational bases.
28:42His fingers flew across multiple keyboards,
28:44lines of code scrolling on screens like green waterfalls.
28:48The false identity was masterful,
28:50a work of artisanal forgery.
28:52But even the most cunning artist leaves a fingerprint.
28:56He swiveled in his chair,
28:58his face animated.
29:00The social security number was built upon the record of one Ronald Francis O'Toole,
29:04born and died in Utica in 1974.
29:08A tragic case of SIDS.
29:10R. Corey appropriated this poor infant's untarnished identity,
29:13but he made one, single, nearly imperceptible error.
29:17Jason waited,
29:18his patience a tangible force.
29:20To build a credible backstory,
29:23one needs records,
29:24Spinelli continued.
29:26School enrollments,
29:27a driver's license history,
29:28the mundane paperwork of life.
29:31R. Ronnie needed to create a high school diploma.
29:34He chose a real,
29:36but since shuttered,
29:37Catholic high school in Buffalo.
29:39He fabricated a transcript,
29:41a diploma,
29:42all perfectly plausible.
29:43But he used a digital template that was a version too new.
29:48The font used in the principal's signature
29:49wasn't commercially available until 2001,
29:52but the diploma is dated 1995.
29:55It was a tiny crack,
29:57a fissure in a seemingly solid wall.
30:00That's it?
30:01Jason asked,
30:02though he knew better than to underestimate Spinelli's discoveries.
30:05That,
30:07noble stone cold,
30:08is the thread we pull.
30:10Spinelli grinned,
30:11turning back to his screens.
30:13The font was part of a specialized software package sold primarily to small-scale print shops
30:18specializing in novelty items and,
30:20you guessed it,
30:21official-looking forgeries.
30:23Only 17 copies were sold in New York State in 2001.
30:27I've cross-referenced the purchasers with known associates of Arrani,
30:31and one name pops with a delightful ping.
30:34The name was Marty the Moth Fenestra,
30:36a two-bit forger operating out of a dusty shop in Yonkers.
30:39He was a relic,
30:41known for fake IDs for college kids and dodgy business cards,
30:44not for crafting deep cover identities.
30:47The ride to Yonkers was a silent,
30:49focused affair.
30:51Jason found Fenestra in his cluttered, ink-smelling shop,
30:54hunched over a light table.
30:56The man was in his 70s,
30:58with thick glasses and trembling hands.
31:01He looked up,
31:01and the color drained from his face when he saw Jason.
31:05Fear was a language Marty Fenestra understood fluently.
31:09Jason Morgan,
31:10he whispered,
31:11dropping a magnifying glass.
31:13I?
31:14I'm clean.
31:16I swear.
31:17I haven't done any work for anyone in your circle in years.
31:22I'm not here about now,
31:23Jason said,
31:24his voice flat.
31:26He placed a photo of Ronnie on the counter.
31:29I'm here about him.
31:31About 15 years ago.
31:34You built an identity for him.
31:36Marty's eyes darted to the photo,
31:38then away.
31:39I don't know him.
31:41I see a lot of people.
31:44Jason didn't move,
31:45didn't raise his voice.
31:47He simply stood there,
31:49a monument of impending consequence.
31:52The silence in the small shop became oppressive,
31:54broken only by the hum of an old computer
31:56and Marty's ragged breathing.
31:58He paid you well,
31:59Jason stated.
32:01Enough to buy that specialized software.
32:04The font,
32:05Marty.
32:07You messed up the font.
32:09The forger's shoulders slumped in defeat.
32:12He knew the game was up.
32:14The specificity of the detail was a kill shot.
32:18He,
32:18he was just a kid.
32:20Scared.
32:22Desperate.
32:23He had a stack of cash and a story about running from an abusive family.
32:28I,
32:28I believed him.
32:31Or I wanted to.
32:33The money was good.
32:35What was his real name?
32:37Jason asked,
32:38each word measured and hard.
32:40I don't know.
32:43I swear on my mother's grave,
32:44he never said,
32:45Marty pleaded,
32:46his voice trembling.
32:48He was cagey.
32:50But,
32:50he had a tattoo.
32:52On his inner left arm.
32:54I saw it when he reached for his wallet.
32:57It was old,
32:58faded,
32:59homemade looking.
33:01Just two letters.
33:03A.K.
33:03He saw me looking and pulled his sleeve down real fast.
33:07Got angry.
33:09Said if I ever mentioned it to anyone,
33:11he'd come back and burn this place to the ground with me in it.
33:14The look in his eyes.
33:16I believed him.
33:18A.K.
33:20Two initials.
33:22It was another thread,
33:23thinner than the last,
33:24but it was something.
33:26It was a name.
33:28Back in Port Charles,
33:29the initials A.K. became a new obsession.
33:33Spanieri ran them through every database imaginable,
33:35criminal records,
33:36military discharges,
33:38birth certificates,
33:39death notices,
33:40cross-referencing with Ronnie's approximate age and known locations.
33:43The list was long,
33:45but one name,
33:46buried in a decades-old police report from a long-forgotten upstate,
33:49town,
33:50resonated with a sickening chime.
33:52The report was a minor blotter entry about a disturbance at a bar called the Rusty Nail.
33:57A man named Arthur Karras had been involved in a brawl.
34:01The charges were dropped.
34:03The address listed was for a farm on the outskirts of a town called Oak Creek.
34:08What made the entry significant was a single,
34:10handwritten note in the margins by the responding officer,
34:13Karras Belligerent.
34:15Mentioned brother,
34:16Alex,
34:17recently deceased.
34:19Watch this one.
34:21Alex Karras.
34:22A.K.
34:24The drive to Oak Creek was a journey into a part of New York that time had forgotten.
34:29It was rolling hills and decaying farmsteads,
34:31a world away from the sharp angles and violent politics of Port Charles.
34:36Jason,
34:37with his black car and his city-sharpened presence,
34:39was an alien here.
34:41He found the Karras property at the end of a long, unpaved lane,
34:45guarded by a mailbox so rusted it was barely legible.
34:48The farmhouse was a skeleton of its former self, paint-peeling, roof-sagging.
34:54An old man was sitting on the porch in a rocking chair,
34:56a shotgun leaning against the wall beside him.
34:59He watched Jason's approach with the weary,
35:01suspicious eyes of someone who expected nothing good from strangers.
35:05You're on private property, the man called out, his voice a dry rasp.
35:10I'm looking for information, Jason said,
35:12stopping at the bottom of the porch steps.
35:14He kept his hands visible, his posture non-threatening.
35:19About Alex Karras
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