Twenty-Nine

"We'll send someone to the hospital with you, unless you prefer to wait in your hotel room?" Robert Scorpio thought he was being generous giving the doctor the option on where to wait.

"What I would prefer is to know what you're going to do to get my father and Robin back." Patrick stood with his hands on his hips, his face a big mass of stubborn.

"Just leave that to the professionals young man," Robert said dismissively before turning to wave over one of his men.

Patrick stepped towards Robert. "I'm getting a little tired of being manhandled and I'm not going into hiding and waiting while you figure out how to get to my father and Robin."

"Son, we're just trying to protect you. I respect that you keep your head in a crisis, but this is not the sort of …"

"Robert, let's not waste the time arguing. If Patrick wants to help then let him." She turned to face Patrick, her tone and her expression completely serious. "You understand that this is dangerous and we can't guarantee your safety."

"I'm aware of that and I'm also aware that one or both of them might need medical attention and it'll be good to have me on site." His stomach twisted with the reality of the argument, but he didn't let it show on his face. Anna saw it anyway and her expression softened perceptibly.

"Fine, he's with you." Robert threw up his hands in surrender and stalked off.

Patrick watched him go. "He doesn't seem to like me much," he observed.

"Robert takes his father's prerogative to hate his daughter's boyfriend seriously since he's trying to make up for lost time. Believe me, if he really hated you a lot of things would start to go wrong in your life."

Patrick grimaced at Anna's attempt at levity. "So what I can do?"

"We could staple them into submission?" Robin commented as she looked over the pile of virtually useless office supplies they had gathered up on top of the desk.

"You'd think a mafia office would have hidden weapons of something." Noah's voice was slightly muffled from where he was feeling around under the couch. Finding nothing but things he'd rather not identify, he sat up and wiped his palms on his pants and looked at Robin. "I guess we're stuck with the letter opener of death."

Robin laughed at his quip and then sobered up and blew out a breath. "We need to figure out how to get out of here."

"I've searched the room a dozen times and so have you. You might fit out that window." Noah pointed to the small window well above both their heads. "But the entire crew is still working out there on the ship."

"I wouldn't leave you alone in here anyway." Robin stood with her hands on her hips and stared at the window, her face still tight as she tried to think of a solution. If her mother was here she'd know how to get out of there. The thought prodded her thinking. "Then it's obvious that the only way out is by overpowering whoever comes in here."

"They aren't taking pains to hide us far from where either of us were taken. Chances are your parents know where we are. And as emasculating as it might sound, fighting off men with guns doesn't sound too appealing." Noah held his hands out self-deprecatingly. "Maybe we could find a way to get them a message?"

Robin sighed and leaned back against the desk. Noah was right, the only thing to do was wait. "I knew my mother was really here for work." She sighed.

"Hey." Noah put his hand on Robin's shoulder. "You know how much your mother loves you. She wanted to be here with you."

"I know." Robin looked at Noah and shrugged. "I'm used to things not being what they seem with my parents and I'll get over it, but Patrick isn't used to that, Noah."

Noah put his hands on his hips and looked away for a moment. "I went into this accepting the fact that Patrick might not forgive me one more time; but if it kept him and you and Anna alive I decided it was worth it."

"Noah." Robin put her hand on Noah's arm. Before she could complete her thought the door opened behind her. Noah stepped in front of Robin to face the visitors.

"Does it mean something?" Patrick asked stiffly. They were standing on the other side of the building on Pier 9 where it had been confirmed by Sykes that Robin and Noah were being held. Patrick had been relieved that they hadn't been taken far, but Robert's face had been red with fury at the news.

"It means it's a message to us," Anna explained when Robert just narrowed his eyes and took the safety off his gun.

Oh. Patrick wiped his palms on his thighs. "Does that mean they're going to let them go?" he asked in a choked voice.

"What now?" he asked when he got out of his head long enough to watch Anna and Robert directing the team of men who were with them.

"We get them." A pair of binoculars were slapped into Patrick's hand. "You keep a look out and talk into this when you see something." Robert then handed him an ear piece. "Think you can handle it, Dr. Drake?" Robert asked.

"Where do I stand?" Patrick put the ear piece on and looked Robert in the eyes.