Chapter 46

Robin slowly woke up and shook her head, trying to regain her focus. She had eaten breakfast, taken her protocol and fallen right back to sleep. She was beginning to wonder if Marcus was right – Emma really was gone and she was in denial, sinking into a deep depression. That was why she was sleeping so much.

Her doubt lasted only a moment. She closed her eyes and shook her head. No, Emma was alive and waiting for her mom to come home to her and Robin would go home to her daughter and Patrick.

"My name is Robin Devane Scorpio. I am the daughter of Robert and Anna, the fiancée of Patrick and my daughter is Emma. I just saw them a few days ago and they are alive and well and looking for me." Robin relaxed as she said the words. Lucky had taught her to do this every time she began to doubt what she was thinking – to fight whatever ideas Marcus was trying to implant in her mind. She wouldn't let him win. "My name is Robin Devane Scorpio. I am the daughter of Robert and Anna, the fiancée of Patrick and my daughter is Emma. I just saw them a few days ago and they are alive and well and looking for me."

Robin heard the lock click and focused her attention on the door. "Time for lunch." Marcus came in with Robin's lunch tray, smiling broadly. "Did you have a good nap?"

Robin smiled back at him. "Yes I did." Marcus set the tray down on the bed and Robin reached for the juice, taking a sip before setting it back down.

Marcus watched her closely. "Is something wrong?" He had upped the dosage of the Secobarbital so he could get Robin to the helicopter without any issues. "Do you not like your juice?"

Robin laughed. "Of course not – I'm just starving and ready to attack that sandwich. What did you make me today?"

"Chicken bacon sandwich my dear." Marcus picked up the plate and handed it to her.

Robin picked up the sandwich and took a bite. "That's good but you know what would make it even better?"

Marcus raised his eyebrows at her. "What?"

"Some ranch dressing. Do we have any?" Robin gave him a pleading look that Marcus instantly gave in to.

"Of course – I'll be right back." He kissed her cheek and headed out the door. In less than two hours they would meet up with the helicopter on the bluff and leave the country for good. Reaching the kitchen, he grabbed the dressing from fridge and headed back to Robin's room, whistling a happy tune the whole way back.

Patrick was outside the safe house, staring at the mountains and trying to gain perspective. It wasn't working near as well as staring out at the water but he needed to clear his head. It had been almost 24 hours since they arrived at the safe house and he was going crazy, worrying about Robin and what Marcus might be doing to her. He was scared that all the progress they had made over the past 6 months might be destroyed in just a few days by that psychopathic son of a bitch.

Marcus's paper had been disturbing to say the least. His use of hypnosis, post-hypnotic suggestions and drugs were dangerous to a normal, healthy person – let alone someone who was HIV positive. Robin's already weakened immune system could be severely affected by Marcus's main drug of choice, Mescaline. There was no way of knowing what introducing a drug like that to her system would do to her – not enough research had been done on the effects of the drug on HIV positive patients – but it was a powerful hypnotic and had many negative side effects. Only a madman would even consider giving that to an HIV positive person.

But Marcus was a madman – a madman with an obsession focused on Robin. One of the main focal points of Marcus's writing was what he called the isolation factor. Marcus believed that, once the subject was completely isolated, they needed to believe that those closest to them were dead. Dead meant no hope which meant that in the 4 days since Grant took her, Marcus had probably been trying to convince Robin that he, Emma, Mac and her parents were dead. Under normal circumstances, Robin wouldn't even consider what he was saying but with the drugs…

"Patrick!" Mac yelled out the back door at him.

Patrick turned around to see Robin's uncle smiling at him. "We found them."

Patrick ran to the door and followed Mac out to the car, listening to every word he was saying carefully. "An old contact of Anna's from her days with the WSB called with some news. Grant Putnam has got a safe house set up in Laos and he is taking Marcus and Robin there in less than hour."

"Laos?" Patrick got into the car, more confused than ever.

"Grant was a communist spy – he contacted some of his old comrades and one of those men said something to the wrong person. Once that person realized that the woman being brought with them was Robin, he contacted Anna and gave her the time and place of the pick up. We can't stop the helicopter from coming for them but we can grab Robin before they get her on it." Mac slid in the back seat with Patrick. Jason and Lucky were sitting up front, ready to go. "Let's go get our girl."

"Robin?" Marcus had watched her slowly fall asleep after lunch and waited until he was sure the drug had taken effect before speaking. "Robin? Can you hear me?"

Robin made a little moaning sounding and then turned on her side. Marcus walked over to the door and poked his head out, looking for his dad. "She's out. Are you ready to go?"

Grant nodded. "The helicopter will be there in 20 minutes. You double check the bags and get them to the bluff and I'll get Robin." Marcus started to protest but Grant stopped him. "You know what medications she needs and what items we might be missing. We will meet you at the helicopter – I want a little time alone with my future daughter-in-law."

Grant smiled at his dad's words. "Of course. I will see you both at the bluff."

Marcus left while Grant went in to see Robin. Walking into the room, he smiled at the sleeping woman. "Robin – I think it's time we got to know each other."

Grant closed the door and sat down on the bed next to her, gently brushing the hair away from her face. "It is so strange how things work out. Years ago I tried to be with your mother but it wasn't meant to be and now I know why. Because all of this was supposed to lead to you and my son getting together, to Marcus having the family he has always wanted with you. I cannot wait to see you and Marcus get married, to finally get to be a grandfather and play with my grandchildren. Robin, we are going to be the perfect family – no matter what I have to do to make it happen."

He removed the covers from her and placed a pair of sandals on Robin's feet. "Now let's go meet up with Marcus – it's time to go home." Grant picked up the sleeping woman and carried her out of the room.