GUM, Vladivostok, Russia
Robin raced through the department store getting a new pair of comfortable but cheap boots, a new hat and a new coat. In the ladies' room, she washed as best she could then changed into her new clothes. Her old clothes she stuffed into her tote bag and put it deep into the trash bin.
On her way out of the store, Robin saw a bank of old-fashioned payphones. She studied the phone and tried to make out the various dialing directions. On impulse, she fished out the calling card she had stolen before. The symbol on the card was identical to a sticker on the phone. She took that to mean she could use the card on the phone.
Looking down at the back of the calling card, she dialed the indicated international number.
BR-RING
"Please enter the number you wish to call, country code then area code," came the welcome voice of the automated carrier service.
Robin looked around before entering the number.
BR-RING. BR-RING.
"Andrassy Foundation. How may I direct your call?" came a voice over the line.
"D-doctor Alexandra Marick, p-please," said Robin in a low voice.
"Doctor Marick is unavailable at this-"
"This is Robin Scorpio, her niece. You have instructions to put me through. I know you do," said Robin. "Or Count Andrasy. May I speak with Dimitri or his son Eric?"
"For security reasons, please say the code word," said the operator.
Robin breathed a sigh of relief. "The code is Wildwind."
"Thank you, Doctor Scorpio. Please stay on the line while I connect you. This may take some time as Doctor Marick is out of the country."
Robin began to shiver in anticipation. Her heart began to race again. Over the line, she could hear a faint intermittent beeping then it rang.
RING. RING.
"Dr. Marick, here," came Alex's voice.
Vladivostok, Russia
Robin put the phone down on its cradle as quietly as she could. She had seen Hunter enter the grand front entrance and begin to step inside. Now, he stood in the rotunda looking around in all directions. Suppressing every urge to run, Robin backed away from the bank of phones and walked slowly back into the store.
She headed for the open display counters of the jewelry department. She walked around until she found a spot where she was not in direct view of the wide main aisle. A sales clerk came by and Robin used her limited Russian to make it seem that she was conversing with the clerk. She hoped her pursuer did not understand Russian.
Scrupulously, Robin positioned herself so the clerk blocked most of her body and face. She kept one eye on the main aisle for two things — her pursuer and a large group of outgoing customers with whom she could blend in.
Hunter crossed her line of vision. Meters from her, Robin felt his eyes pass over her slumped over the counter seemingly in deep conversation with the sales clerk. After a few heart-stopping minutes, Hunter strode off deeper into the store.
Robin chose the cheapest item she could find and bought it — a small silvery charm shaped like a musical note. She asked for a large and hard-to-miss shopping bag and got it from the pleasant clerk. Bag in hand, Robin strolled slowly towards the front entrance eyeing a group of older women shuffling along in the main aisle. She blended in among them as they entered the rotunda and then outside the large department store.
She bit her tongue to keep from yelping in surprise when she spied a tall man dressed much the same as her first pursuer and holding the leash of a black and tan dog. She crept closer to her group of women as they passed right in front of the dog. The dog's head turned in Robin's direction but it did not bark.
For a city block, Robin kept pace with the women and vigilantly looked for other pursuers in her vicinity. Once she felt safer, she left the group and began an hour's brisk walking. She had a vague idea of her current location in relation to her shabby flat. She was two hours away on foot she judged. She planned to make her return in a roundabout fashion.
Robin, where are you?
Sweetheart, it's mum, where are you?
The faint voices of her mother and aunt replayed over and over in her head as she walked. She had to remind herself to hide her bright smiles and keep her feet on the ground when all she wanted to do was leap and yell in happiness. Her family was all right and they would be on their guard after her warning. She was certain of it. But that realization had not been the one to loosen the tight knot inside of her heart. To her amazement and disbelief, her mother and aunt had not questioned her identity on the call. They had to know something about her double and that their own Robin was lost. They would not rest until they had found her. She knew they wouldn't. She only had to survive, hide and wait. She could do that, couldn't she?
Always have a backup plan.
The words had been good advice when someone had given it to her long ago and appropriate in her current circumstance. Peter knew about her family. He would try to stop them. Her backup plan was someone Peter did not know. She had to find a phone for one more call.
Villa Scorpio - Command and Control
C and C was crowded full of people as it was. Alys Norton coordinated the team that had set off to meet Dianara and provide additional security on her way to the Villa. Dimitri and Giles listened to police and public channels from Austria trying to piece together what could be going on at the Foundation.
Genji replayed the voice recording of the call. Since the call went through SIMON's communications network then to Alex's IPhone, they had a good recording of the entirety of the call.
Anna wiped at her eyes as she listened. She looked at Genji. "What's taking the trace so long? SIMON is patched into carrier records isn't he?"
"Yes, but-" The senior officer began to say.
"But what?"
"SIMON is slow to respond to my request. Very slow."
"Give this the highest priority."
"I have, Anna."
A chime sounded and Andrew's face appeared on one of the screens mounted around the main console.
"Who's trying to override my priority settings?" asked Andrew.
"We are. I need SIMON to trace a call. Immediately," said Anna. "What are you doing on system?"
"If you recall, Mum, you lifted my ban," said Andrew.
"Get off and let us-"
Onscreen, Maxie jostled Andrew to the side. She said, "We have a lead on Robin!"
"She's somewhere in Russia," added Andrew.
"How did you know that?" asked Anna.
"I just got the call," added Alex.
"I went through the incoming phone numbers and Andrew checked out the numbers I didn't recognize," said Maxie.
"After some fancy programming, if I do say so myself, I found the calls logged on the DVX servers," added Andrew. "She called the station then the house."
"No way!" exclaimed Genji.
"Foreign cell phones operating in Russia are closely monitored by the DVX."
"How can you be sure it was her?" asked Anna.
"Because on the day of Eve's funeral, Sergeant Jardane remembers taking a call from Robin but he got mad at her thinking it was a prank call. Dad is giving him an earful, probably," said Maxie. "Robin then tried the house and left a message on the machine. That's what my kidnapper was after. It has to be. Wait! She called you?"
"You know where she is? Exactly?" asked Alex.
Andrew's image nodded. "Within a few city blocks."
"Where is she, Andrew?" asked Anna.
Andrew and Maxie shared a look. Andrew said, "That information and us are a package deal. We're going with you."
Anna spluttered, "Absolutely not! Your treatment is-"
"Is progressing well. There is no reason I have to stay here."
"Your security?"
"If Dani and Lars' stay here, I can float the rumor that I've got dengue fever or something that's keeping me in bed," said Andrew. "Hiding my absence should not be a problem."
"They learn too well, you know," said Anna for Alex's ears only.
"No, it's because we're such bad examples of what not to do. You more than me," said Alex.
"We're wasting valuable airborne time, mum," said Andrew. Next to him, Maxie pointed a thumbs up towards the air.
"Fine but you will abide by my conditions," said Anna.
"What conditions?"
"To be determined later. Now tell me where she is."
"She made both calls from Vladivostok, Russia," said Andrew with a bit of a flourish.
"From a store?" asked Anna.
"Yes, the GUM department store. Lucky guess?" asked Andrew.
"No guess. She mentioned a store on her call to us," said Alex.
"Genji and Giles, I'm leaving you two in charge here. Dimitri, file a flight plan to Vladivostok with a stopover in Vienna please. Giles, if any of the Vienna team checks in, inform them to abort their mission. Let them know about our stopover. I'm not going to wait beyond an hour plus refueling time on the tarmac. They better be there," said Anna in no-nonsense tones. "Andrew, Maxie, we'll pick you up in an hour at the back entrance."