Six

"And that is why when you use the protocol that I've described we're finding that the neural pathways that have been disrupted due to a TBI actually repair themselves bringing…."

Robin stood at the front of crowded half-ballroom that had been set up for her break-out lecture session. She was dressed in a black suit with a white, button-down shirt and looked exactly like the research pathologist/practicing medical doctor that she was. Precise, professional and utterly secure in presenting her work. Her feet, however, hidden behind the podium were shod in high, black strappy shoes that were all Dr. Patrick Drake could think about from his front row seat.

His dad was right; he could charm his way back into her room. He was thinking about slipping his father a twenty and bribing him to get Robin's mother back to his room tonight so that he could lay Robin down on her bed and remove those shoes, then climb up her body and…Patrick shifted in his seat and made sure that his lap was covered with the blank pad with the logo of the conference on top. "Where was I?" he mumbled to himself.

"Did you say something?" his father turned and looked at him.

Patrick shook his head and motioned towards Robin. "Just paying attention."

"Right," Noah drawled and rolled his eyes.

"Isn't she wonderful?" he heard Anna say from the other side of his father.

Something in Patrick's chest gave a twinge and he let out a sigh. Before he could distract himself again with sexual thoughts of Robin there was the sound of clapping. He focused and realized that she was done. He grinned at her and clapped. He saw her lips tighten as he caught his eyes. Uh oh, he thought to himself, she knows I wasn't paying attention.

Over the clapping he heard the sound of doors crashing open and assumed people were rushing out. Following the lead of the crowd he stood, that's when he saw out the corner of his eyes that rather than people heading out, people were coming in.

A group of masked men with very large guns.

Without thinking he leaped forward onto the low rise of the stage and pushed Robin back and behind him.

"What are you…" Robin started to protest, but Patrick turned his back on her to face the gun wielding group.

"Close the doors! Guard them!" the apparent leader of the group called. Four of the group fanned out to each corner of the room where there were exits. "Everyone sit down!" She pointed the gun at the shocked crowd. They all sat down simultaneously in a loud "thump."

Robin clasped onto the back of Patrick's shirt and tried to peer around him to catch her mother's eye. He put his hand behind him, stopping her from moving. She shrugged and decided to get a good look at his ass while she was back there. Purely to keep her mind busy, of course.

"You! Up there. Sit down!" One of the gunmen, also a woman, spun around and pointed the gun at Patrick who put his hands up.

"Do what they're saying," he said over his shoulder to Robin.

"Where?" she asked, peeking around Patrick's lithe body carefully.

"On the edge of the stage. Sit!" Leader Gunman snapped. "Now, where's Ryan Hans? I want him up here now!"

There was silence, except for Patrick helping Robin to sit down on the edge of the stage and then sitting down next to her himself. Patrick held on to Robin's hand.

"Where is he? I don't see that bearded bastard up here, someone's gonna get it!" Gunman 1, standing on the left side of Leader Gunman threatened.

"He doesn't appear to be here," Anna said coolly, looking the masked Leader in the eyes.

"Where is he? The bathroom? We were assured that the President of XYZ Daytime would be at this breakout session! It was on a web site!"

"Um, I think…" Patrick started to say, but was silenced when Gunman 2 spun and pointed her Uzi at him. He reared back and held his hands up, taking Robin's hand with him and almost knocking her in the head.

"What about Tina Hackley? The so-called 'head writer'?" Gunman 1 made quotation marks in the air around her head, heedless of the gun swinging wildly around her head. "That talentless emasculating hack!" The screech was maniacal and set Patrick's heart pounding even faster. He'd never enjoyed female attention less.

Noah cleared his throat and put his hands up. "Excuse me?"

"What!" Gunman 2 spun around from her leering study of Patrick to look at Noah.

"This is a neurology conference." He shrugged his left shoulder apologetically. "No television executives here; that I know of. Although, they could do with some educating in neurological conditions, that crap they put on their shows…"

"This is the police! We have you surrounded!" A strong male voice announced over the loud speaker. "Let the hostages go and surrender!"

There was a loud grumble from the audience.

"Shit!" Gunman three ripped off her mask revealing dark, just below shoulder length curly hair with shots of caramel colored highlights in them. "Since when do the cops show up that quickly?"

"Maybe they're actors from the XYZ meetings?" Gunman 2 suggest, ripping off her head covering to reveal tawny colored straight hair that flowed half-way down her back.

"What the hell are you doing showing your faces?" the Gunman Leader asked.

"Please, we're already fucked. If I'm going to have my picture taken for my mug shot I don't want hat hair." Gunman 2 shrugged and looked over at Patrick, eying him up and down. "Are you gay?"

He looked affronted. He had been trying to flirt with his eyes.

Robin snickered.

"Write your way out of this one." Gunman Leader sighed and pulled off her head covering revealing long, curly hair and an exotic face. "Damn, fanfic writers. This is all your fault."

"Our fault!" Gunmen 1 and 2 exclaimed and shared a look. "It was your idea to stage a coup and make us head writer! We just hated our day jobs and thought it would be fun."

"I never held a gun before." Gunman 1 stroked her gun and then shot Patrick another look. Then she looked at Robin and her hazel eyes narrowed.

"I was driven to it by the horrid writing on Too Many Personalities to Live! It's not my fault!" Gunman Leader yelled.

"I told you to just file a lawsuit. We could have gotten a class action going," Gunman 1 said. "I would have taken the case on contingency and with pleasure."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Gunman Leader jumped up and down and waved the gun around. "I need to think."

"That's the problem right there." Gunman 2 sighed sadly. "That show is written like the women can't think. The heroines are the worst! They're either dumb, faithless whores or..or…have some sort of mental problem and are dumb, faithless whores."

"The men aren't any better. They're so emasculated they might as well wear skirts," Gunman 1 chimed in. "I was in love with the lead actor from that show for twenty years until Hackley got hold of him. Now, I feel like a lesbian when I see his baby blues."

"You're driving me crazy! Stop it! You sit down!" She swung the gun on Anna who was attempting to sneak behind her for a sneak attack. "Go back and sit down next to that hottie. A doctor, huh?" She licked her lips and studied Noah closely. He shifted in his seat and smiled back, glad for the appreciation.

"This is what happens when you tease people with a couple for three years and constantly give it and take it away. That Hans idiot and his hack throw around the word 'organic.' What they mean is they're going to keep giving us shit!" Gunman 1 curled her lips in disgust.

"And the changing of character history. Do these so-called writers even watch the show?" Gunman 2 glared at the doctor sitting on the other side of Anna who was attempting to ogle the petite but lethal government agent.

"We signed online petitions. Sent emails to the head of daytime. Called the comment lines. Nothing worked. Now they'll have to listen to us!" the Gunman Leader cried out. "This is going to work! We'll make it work!"

"Maybe you should let some of the hostages go?"

Gunman Leader spun around and eyed Robin who had just spoken in a calm, helpful tone. "And why should I listen to you?" Her eyes flit to Patrick and their still joined hands. "What's the deal with you two, anyway?"

"Wouldn't they be perfect for our soap? Did you see the way he jumped in front of her when we burst in? They're hot. I could write for them." Gunman 1 walked over closer, while Gunman 2 kept her guns trained on Noah and Anna. The rest of the doctors were clearly not a threat.

Robin pulled her hand from Patrick's. "I was saying ought to let some hostages go as a sign of goodwill. Or just surrender and throw yourselves on the mercy of the…"

"Mercy! Are you flaming insane? We're carrying Uzi's!"

"She tends to miss the obvious." Patrick rolled his eyes.

Robin ground her teeth together. "Just keep a few of us. Not him." She pointed at Patrick. "He's annoying. But just a few of us so you can manage things easier. Then you can get your message out. They'll listen if you show in good faith you can be negotiated with."

"Besides it's lunchtime," Noah put in.

"So?" Gunman Leader asked.

"Doctors get cranky when they're hungry?" He shrugged. Anna barely bit back a laugh.

"A closed set. Yeah, I like that." Gunman Leader tapped her Uzi. "All right. Let everyone out except, these four. I can use them. Can you write for them?" she looked at Gunman 2.

In the background, the gunman at the side doors let out the scrambling, hungry neurologists.

"Absolutely. Two generations of hotness. Four doctors…"

"She's not a doctor. You should let her go." Noah put his arm around Anna's shoulders.

"Why the hell are you here then?" Gunman Leader leaned closer to Anna. "What's your motivation?"

"That's my daughter. I came to see her speak."

"Nah. I think there's something else." Gunman 1 tapped her lip and looked between Robin and Anna.

"We never did find out what happened with you two." Gunman 2 pointed her gun at Patrick and Robin.

TBC