Airborne
The captain's voice came over the intercom, "ETA in sixty minutes. We will be passing over the city on our approach to the airport."
Dianara and Vincent bent over the city map. It was now covered with red, yellow and green circles. The red lines indicated areas they had ruled out as possible locations where Robin could be such as heavy industrial areas, military property and tracts of land or forests.
Mac pointed at a yellow circle. "Are you sure this isn't a likely spot? It's residential with plenty of houses to hide in."
"If this was America, it would be a green circle but this is Russia. A non-Russian would be very obvious in those areas," said Dianara.
"She would have a much harder time locating opportunities for communication, medicines, supplies, transport and potential escape options," said Vincent. "No. Robin would stay in the green circles - busy urban areas, commercial blocks or on the fringes of those areas."
"Who hits the embassy?" asked Mac.
"No one," said Edgar. "We need stealth here. No authorities of any kind. This is-"
"Russia. I get it," finished Mac. "The embassy seems an obvious starting point to ask questions at least."
"If it was safe for Robin to go to the American embassy, she would have," said Robert coming over hot coffee in hand. "She hasn't. Only one reason comes to my mind why she'd stay away."
"What about hospitals, clinics? What is she doing for medication?" asked Holly looking up at Robert.
"Look, she gave us a lot of information if we read between the lines. She knew or suspected that there was a double or some kind doing close monitoring of Anna and you, Mac. She managed to make several calls from a foreign country. I doubt she had any currency to begin with. She sounded healthy and strong. She's eluded capture so far," said Robert. "My little girl is thinking on her feet. She's always been deliberate and observant. She'll be careful and she'll be clever."
Holly squeezed Robert's forearm. "We all miss her."
"It may take time but we will find her. I have no doubt of that," said Edgar.
"It's such a big city," said Mac. "Where do we start?"
Nestor put a blue stick pin on a large intersection. "Here's the address we found in Roger Barrett's laptop. It's a starting point."
"What's the confidence score on this address?" asked Edgar.
"Crossmatched with general GPS phone records. Lots of positives in the vicinity and at all hours," said Nestor.
"Not enough to make it a primary search target, Nestor," said Edgar.
Nestor smiled. He showed a display on his laptop. "Several calls have been made to Canada, London and Vienna. At least three calls FROM Vienna in the last three days. Also, there's a terminal in that building that's tapped into the local carrier network. That address is not a known government address. Why the tap?"
"Ah, I see. Of the unofficial access variety?" asked Robert.
"Is there any other kind?" asked Nestor. "So, what's the call?"
"Target it. Good work, Nestor," said Edgar. "Robert, you want first crack at it?"
Robert nodded. His expression was grim. "Anna and I will check it out. Mac and Dia will be our backup."
"It's in the heart of the city. That's a strange place to build a secret laboratory," said Jackie studying the map.
"Sometimes the best hiding places are in plain sight," said Felicia emerging from the galley ahead of Anna who trailed behind her. "Appearances can be deceiving."
Both women were dressed for activity and movement in dark leggings and flat-soled boots made for running. Their coats were fitted and shockingly bright in color. Anna's coat was bright red. Felicia was in canary yellow. Their hair was styled in no-nonsense styles.
"Is it a laboratory on the outside and some kind of prison inside? How could you hide someone in that location for very long?" asked Jackie.
"Jackie, the Communist party built tunnels under the city during Stalin's time and then again in the early 80s. These are structures that were intended for the evacuation and housing of important party officials in times of crisis," said Dimitri. "In the last two decades, the Soviet Union has privatized or sold unused or aging government property. It's possible that someone bought an underground structure and constructed a lab."
"A lab can be underground or above ground. All you need is space, easy access to labor and utilities," added Alex dressed in a bright emerald green coat. She tapped the map. "This location has all three. Where Robin's gone to from there is anyone's guess."
"Robin knows help is coming. She'll be looking for us as much as we will be for her. Shall we make ourselves easy to find?" Anna handed Holly a coat.
Holly looked at the coat with dismay. "Hot pink? Maybe twenty-five years ago and only if my closets were bare."
Felicia arched a brow. "I don't even want to remember my fashion sense in the eighties."
Anna added, "This is for Robin."
Holly accepted the coat without demure.
"Where's my jacket?" asked Jackie.
Perplexed, Anna stared at Jackie. "And you are?"
"Jackie Templeton. You must be Anna."
"I am," said Anna. Coolly, she withstood Jackie's obvious perusal of her from head to toe and back up again.
"You're not as fearsome as I expected," said Jackie.
Anna held the reporter's gaze with her own. "Ms. Templeton, there are three things I want you to remember. First, you're here to observe not to meddle. Secondly, stick to the terms I stipulated previously and you'll get the exclusive of a lifetime. Next, do not compromise my people or this operation in any way, shape or form. Lastly, my children are off limits to you for any purpose or intent. Do these things and we'll get along fine?"
"And if I don't?" asked Jackie.
"Smart women don't do foolish things. You haven't gotten to where you are by being stupid," said Anna. She invaded Jackie's personal space and got very close to her face. She let her cold eyes deliver one message while saying, "One thing you ought to know about me. I believe threats are a waste of time. I much prefer timely guarantees carried out with swiftness and finality. Please do think twice before disappointing me. Do we understand each other?"
"Yes, yes, we do," said the reporter meekly.
"Very good," Anna continued, "Dimitri's people have arranged for local transport - sedans and some motorcycles. A motorcycle in Russia in winter will not be fun but the objective is visibility. Concentrate in the green areas specified by Vincent and Dia. Sit in outdoor cafes, stroll and window shop, ride the buses, sit outside churches, take pictures and videos. Go over the same route more than once. Our second objective is identifying the people after her."
"And the bloody dogs," said Robert.
"If we're in stealth mode, how far can we go if we encounter her pursuers on our own?" asked Dianara.
"That's something you'll have to play by ear," said Robert. "While we don't want to tip our hand too early, it may also cause them to back off if they know that there are other interested parties in town."
"If you can, try to sabotage or slow down their efforts," said Anna with a wicked smile. "All's fair and all that. Anyone have anything else?"
Andrew raised a hand. "I have two items. I've downloaded an application called Searchlight on your phones. If you sight or find Robin, simply activate the application and it will instantly log your position on the built-in city map. Then everyone else's maps will be updated with the new information allowing all of us to search more efficiently. Secondly, we are operating too far off the edge of our normal communications systems. I've jury-rigged an interim solution. Please be aware of a slight lag on voice communication. Data should be quite fast though."
"But we're still secure?" asked Anna. "Do I want to know what you improvised?"
Andrew smiled. "I don't think so, Mum. It's as secure as I can make it. We should be able to evade detection for the next two days."
"And after that?"
"We'd best be out of here by then," said Andrew. "Preferably, out of any jurisdiction that could be influenced by the Kremlin."
Edgar groaned and said, "You didn't? Not the military satellite system."
"Be creative with what one has at hand. You taught me that, Edgar," replied Andrew. "There's so much frequency jamming on this island that the only reliable course was to ... to piggyback on military traffic. It's a completely new encryption scheme I've come up with. They may find it but they won't know what it is."
"They'll think they're under infiltration by a foreign power. Lovely," said Edgar.
"At this point in time, I really could care less if we start an international incident," said Robert.
"You mean another one?" asked Anna grinning at Robert. She took his arm and began to lead him to their seats in front. "Everyone get to your seats for landing. We hit the ground running. We go all night if we have to."
Vladivostok
Crossing the busy intersection, Robin snuck closer to a group of children trailing a woman she assumed was their mother. She'd had the ongoing feeling that she was being watched. It was a perception she could not shake. Since escaping her pursuers at the GUM department store, Robin had made a circuitous path to the general neighborhood of her hideaway. She'd eaten at a cafe while memorizing street names and locations. She'd braved one short bus ride as an experiment. Before she had reached the opposite corner, Robin had identified her next target.
Robin entered the Oriental noodle shop with relief. It was steamy inside and redolent with the scents she remembered from her days in the Asian Quarter staying with Olin Kwon, her much-missed caretaker. The menu smelled delicious and priced right for her dwindling funds. As she ate, she looked out the window or watched the television in the corner. It was midday, cloudy and the temperature was dropping fast.
She had to decide to either head back to her flat or to keep in motion for as long as possible before retreating to her flat. Her mind was made up by pictures flashing on the television news segment. A tow truck was pulling a car out of the water while a covered stretcher was being put into an ambulance. Seeing the car, Robin felt an explicable twinge of anxiety deep in her gut. The twinge became a sharp pain when a picture of Hilda was shown on the screen. Nausea gnawing at her insides and tears stinging her eyes, Robin left the store in a hurry.
"She WAS trying to help me. She was," said Robin quietly to herself as she walked away.
Trench-coated and not in the mood to play around with cover identities and the like, Anna and Robert rang the buzzer to the one business listed on the building directory - Argen Natural Sciences Research, Inc.
Impatiently, Robert pressed the buzzer again. They waited. Still no answer. Wordlessly, Anna moved to pick open the door while Robert shielded her from view. He informed Mac and Dianara who were inspecting the rear of the building.
"We're not getting any answer here. Going to force the issue," said Robert. "Any luck on your end?"
"None, Robby," said Mac.
"The people I've spoke to at adjacent business tell me that this is a normally busy time for Argen but they haven't seen anyone coming to work all day," said Dianara.
"Your Russian does come in handy," said Mac.
"Another interesting thing," said Dianara. "I showed them a picture of Peter Krieg. They recognized him as Dr. Sinclair."
Mac grinned. "This is definitely the place then."
"Did they recognize Robin?" asked Robert.
"No. None of them did," said Dianara.
"They kept her hidden," concluded Robert with a voice laced with icy anger.
A loud click made him turn. Anna bounded into the reception area ahead of him. He followed.
"Strange. The alarm isn't even set," said Anna.
The duo spread out across the first floor. They reached the back door and unlocked it for Dianara and Mac to enter. In pairs, they quickly searched the building before meeting back on the first floor reception area.
"All the floors above are empty," said Mac.
"It is a working laboratory facility though. That's obvious by experiments left in situ," said Dianara. "They just seem to have stopped working."
Anna stood up from the reception desk computer. "On the surface, it seems like a normal business. But, there are a series of databases for which all access have been removed."
"On Dimitri's theory of an underground complex, let's get below," said Robert.
"You three go ahead," said Anna. She paced the length of the reception area and stretched out her arms and legs. "I need to clear my head a little."
BANG!
The sound of backfire made them all look up. Anna peered through the window blinds to activity across the street. "It's Peter!" Anna ran out of the building. The others pelted after her.
Heedless of the oncoming traffic, Anna ran into the street. Her eyes were fixed on a dark gray sedan. The sedan driver turned. Over a short distance, Peter and Anna locked eyes. Recognition was instant.
"Peter!" yelled Anna narrowly avoiding an oncoming car. "Peter!"
Peter blinked and stared at her paralyzed from action for a few seconds. The sight of the others running after Anna jolted him into movement. Tires squealing, the sedan leapt into traffic closely followed by a brown commercial van. Dianara and Robert looked at the fleeing vehicles.
"Got the plates?" asked Robert.
"Reporting in now," said Dianara.
"I'll go get the car!" cried out Mac.
"No! The team will be on the lookout for them, Mac," said Robert.
Anna's eyes went from the laboratory building across the wide street to the three story brick flat in front of her. "C'mon! We ... we have to search the building for Robin," She took the stairs two at a time and stopped at the door. It was locked.
She moved aside for Robert who took his Glock out of his holster and used its blunt end to break the window glass by the door. He reached inside and unlocked the door.
In the entry way, Anna did not hesitate. "Down. Look for a way down. If she worked at the lab, then she lived here."
"Tunnel across the street probably," said Robert pulling open doors until he came to one that was locked with a deadbolt from the outside. He released the bolt and opened the door. A light switch illuminated narrow stone steps leading into darkness. "Found it!"
Robert scampered down the stairs gun held in ready position with its light set to on. The rest followed behind him.
Andrew stood outside the noodle shop scanning the street while Maxie got them a carryout snack inside. He turned his head as the arctic wind gusted. A small figure crossing the street at the far end of the block caught his attention. The figure looked up and Andrew had a clear view of her profile. He knew that profile.
"Robin!" shouted Andrew. He set to running forgetting about the motorcycle or Maxie.
Robin looked up at the sound of her name. All she saw was a blond blur coming straight for her and calling her name. She ran.
"Stop! Please!" called out Andrew slipping and sliding across the icy road. "I'm ... I'm your ... a ... oh, bother!"
A blue SUV pulled to a stop by Robin and two men burst out. They grabbed his sister and made to carry her into the vehicle. Struggling mightily, Robin was not making it easy for them.
Andrew barreled into them. A chop or two freed Robin. "Get away, Robin!"
Robin scrambled to her knees. She took a second to look at the stranger battling her two hunters.
"What are you waiting for? Go!" screamed Andrew. His opponents were well trained and ruthless. He gritted his teeth maintaining mastery over his emotions. He would not sink into a berserker mode. But the effort to control himself hampered his fighting ability. His lip was swollen and bleeding. He'd have quite the collection of bruises in the morning.
Robin ran away. At the end of the block, she turned once. One hunter was flat on the ground unmoving. Her unexpected rescuer fought on. She spotted a bus and made for it.
Robert's phone rang. He answered in a gravely voice, "Not now."
Maxie's face appeared on the display, "Uncle Robert, we made, uh, contact."
In the background, Andrew's voice came in gasps. "Saw her. Went af-after her but ... lost her."
Anna put the picture frame down on the bedside table amongst all the other pictures on display of Robin's family and friends. They had found Robin's quarters in the warren of rooms under the flat. She wiped at her eyes. "You're sure it was her?"
"Yeah. Two men tried a ... a snatch. I h-h-have one down. Other one ran off," said Andrew.
"Waiting for Edgar now," added Maxie. "Location reported on Searchlight."
Anna pulled out her phone and began issuing orders. She gave Dianara a pointed look when she came into Robin's bedroom.
Mac studied his display. "That's clear across the city."
"Pics done, Anna. Evidence is everywhere. They left in a hurry," said Dianara.
"Converge on Andrew's position. Blanket search procedure. We'll be right behind you," said Anna. She moved to stand by Robert who had been investigating Robin's closet. Dianara and Mac left Anna and Robert standing alone in the room. Anna wrapped an arm around Robert's waist. He was trembling. "Are you okay?"
"G-g-give me a minute," said Robert. One hand fingered a sweater. A faint scent, Robin's, permeated the closet. "She lived here. LIke this. Day in and day out and we had no idea."
"She seemed well-treated, Robert," said Anna.
"It's still a cage, a prison," said Robert.
"She survived this just like you did yours."
"Barely."
"Rage later please. I need you thinking clearly."
"Yeah, trying to gain control. I just want to kill every single one of them." Robert slammed the closet door shut.
Anna left him to compose himself. She gathered all the pictures into her arms. Other than the pictures there were no other mementoes in sight. That saddened Anna more than the gilded cage. No matter how strong a person was there were bound to be scars from an experience like this. What was Robin like now? How deep did her scars go?
"I'm ready," said Robert. "Let's get our baby and go home."
Outside, in their car, Anna got an update from Edgar.
"They are definitely professionals. Gave Andrew a hard time," said Edgar.
"How is he?"
"He and Maxie are back on the streets. He'll be fine. Bumps and bruises," said Edgar. A sketch and description of Andrew's attackers flashed on the screen. "There's something about all this that's setting off all my alarm bells, Anna."
"Same here," said Robert from the driver's seat.
"Andrew says that their jackets had insignias, a logo like a ... a stylized hourglass," said Edgar. "What organization are we dealing with here?"
"Let's worry about that later," said Anna. "Issue the order out, Edgar. If any of these professionals are spotted, take them down without prejudice."
"Disposal how?"
"Dead or alive, leave them at the gates of the embassy," said Anna. "Let the devil sort his own."
Hunter put his headset on. Forced out of the laboratory by a panicked Sinclair, he and his team had been forced to take lodgings at a hotel. His technician Hendricks was busy setting up his systems. Hunter was not a happy man.
"What? Who was it?" yelled Hunter.
"No idea. Young guy, a kid really, but his moves, Hunter, they were polished, expert level," said Miller. "He got Barry with a clean kick to the neck then took his legs out with a sweep kick."
"Barry's two hundred pounds of muscle! You have to be kidding me!"
"Not kidding. He nearly broke my arm before I got out of his hold," said Taylor. "The kid knew the subject. He shouted to her to get away while he kept us occupied. What the hell is going on, Hunter?"
"I wish I knew. Stay sharp. Keep on the hunt," said Hunter. "I'll inform HQ."
"What about Sinclair?"
"He's somewhere. Panicked after he heard about the Foundation attack," said Hunter. "We can't worry about him. His people are still searching so will we."
"Got it. Taylor out."
"Hendricks, how's it going?"
"Nearly done," replied Hendricks plugging connections into his console.
"I need a secure satellite line to Arnold Vandenberg."
"All the way up to him?"
"If this op blows up in our faces, I want to have a damn good reason for it," said Hunter. "I may need to evacuate the team out. Only Arn can make that call."
Robin's heart still hammered inside her though her legs had stopped trembling. Feeling calmer, she thought back to what had just happened. The blond boy had helped her but she was no closer to finding out who he was or why he had helped her. For the brief second that they had looked at each other, she had sensed a connection like she had seen him before. He had the height of a man but the face of a teenager. But he had had fought them off with skill and knowledge.
A flash of hot pink outside the window caught her attention. She saw a woman, a tourist obviously, posing for pictures for her companion. For a fleeting moment, Robin thought the woman was Holly and her companion seemed like Dimitri.
"Great. Now I'm hallucinating," said Robin. "I need air."
Robin got off the bus on the next stop.
Alex and Nestor left the cafe carrying coffees. They joined Holly and Dimitri playing tourist outside.
"Anything?" asked Alex handing Dimitri his coffee.
"No," replied her husband.
"This is ... is like finding a needle in a haystack. She could be anywhere," said Holly. She eyed a tall poster displayed on the window. "Maybe we should put up posters or billboards. Something that only Robin would know. Have her call a number or something."
"That may be the next step," said Alex studying the streets. She pointed at a van driving by. "Is that it? The one to watch out for?"
Nestor peered at the license plate. "Yes! Let's go!"
They got into their waiting cars and sped after the van with Nestor and Holly in one car and the Maricks in the other. While Dimitri drove, Alex reported in.
"We have the van in sight. Plates confirmed. We're following," said Alex into her phone.
"Your location is close to Robin's last sighting," said Anna.
"I think the field is getting crowded," said Dimitri. He and Nestor exchanged positions following the van to prevent the van driver from realizing he was being followed.
"Don't lose them," said Alex.
"We won't. Who else is responding?"
"Felicia and Vincent are bus checking. Andrew and Maxie are too far off. Mac and Dia will be joining you," said Anna. "Look for a logo of some kind on their clothes or equipment. It looks like two gold slashes parallel to each other with bars across the top and bottom. The sides are curved a little like an hourglass."
"It sounds like the astrological symbol for a Gemini," said Alex.
"We're only guessing at this point. Find a sample if you can."
Suddenly, the van veered to the left and made a u-turn in the middle of the boulevard. Nestor and Dimitri did the same.
"What's happening?" asked Nestor rhetorically.
"She's there!" cried out Holly. She stuck her arm out and pointed towards the sidewalk hoping that Alex, in the car behind them, would understand.
"Okay, you go after Robin. I have to get to that van," said Nestor. "Get Robin's location on Searchlight."
"Oh, hurry! Can you get ahead of the van?" Holly fumbled for her phone and entered their location.
"Too much traffic," said Nestor.
In the van, Ben and Jerry were too engrossed in following the fleeing Robin to notice the two cars in pursuit of them.
"If she goes into a building, we have her," said Jerry.
"We follow until she is tired," said Ben behind the wheel. "She cannot run forever."
"Stop! She's going into that store!" The van stopped to a halt and Jerry got off and ran into the building.
Ben drove over the sidewalk and left the van running after his partner. He didn't notice Alex, Dimitri, Nestor and Holly running in behind him.
Jackie looked aghast at Edgar as he deftly navigated the streets heading for Nestor's location. In the back seat, Nyssa watched for surveillance and kept in contact with Felicia and Vincent who were crisscrossing the city via the bus system.
"You do realize you have a dead body in the trunk," said Jackie.
"He's only sedated not dead," said Edgar.
"So, you're not going to kill anyone?"
"I didn't say that," said Edgar. "We're not going to shoot first though. Not our style."
"Anna sounded like she meant business about the embassy."
"Don't doubt she did not." Mounted on the dashboard, Edgar's IPhone activated. Nestor's face appeared on the display.
"We're following Robin followed by two big guys. I need back up here. The place is pretty big to search," said Nestor.
"Mac and Dia should be there any second. I'll be on perimeter watch in front," said Edgar. "Nyssa will love to join you inside."
"Affirmative. Out."
"Staying up in trees overnight and now stalking the enemy. What next?" asked Nyssa.
Edgar's head whipped to the side as a dark gray sedan sped past. He caught a glimpse of the silver-haired passenger talking on his cell phone. "SInclair!" He punched at his IPhone. "Anna! Sinclair just went past my location."
"Leave off perimeter watch. Follow Sinclair," said Anna. "We're nearly there. We'll join the inside search."
"Affirmative."
"Do not confront. Just follow, Edgar," said Anna. "He's seen me. He knows we're here. Be careful."
"Understood. Edgar out."
Robin rushed through the sparse afternoon shoppers. Her mind screamed at her to run and hide but her lungs burned for air and her head pounded with a headache. She felt bile building up in her throat.
"Gotta ... rest. Hide," she murmured even as she kept running.
Alex ran headlong into the store. Holly and Nestor went towards the left. Alex and Dimitri went right. She spotted one of the searching men in the men's apparel section. He was on his phone. Alex signaled Dimitri to be quiet. She pretended to browse the racks getting closer and closer to the man.
"We followed her inside. She's here," said Ben. "I cannot wait. You must come now."
Alex could make out some words from the other end of the conversation.
"I have two units close by. They're on the way," said the voice. "Do not allow her to escape this time."
"This time?" bellowed Ben. "You have not found her yourselves have you?" Angrily, he turned the phone off.
Alex came up from behind Ben and put him into a choke hold. "Cooperation or your life?" To make sure he got the point, Alex jabbed her knee into the small of his back. He fell to one knee with a yelp of pain. "On the floor. Lie down. Now." Ben did as she bade.
"I've got him covered. Go find Robin," said Dimitri.
"He's sent for reinforcements," said Alex.
"Then we have to hurry. Go!"
Robin crouched under a rack of long coats. Sometimes being as small as she was was a distinct advantage. She could hear Jerry calling her name softly. She hugged her legs to her trying to be as small and inconspicuous as she could.
Suddenly, the coats parted and Jerry was on her. Robin yelped and crawled out of the rack. Head down, she collided against something pink and soft. Robin regained her feet. A figure rushed past her. She heard Jerry grunt in pain. Robin ran.
Holly had the wind knocked out of her by Robin's surprise surge out of the racks. Nestor and Jerry careened into several racks of clothes as they grappled with each other.
"Go after her!" cried Nestor. "This ... is ... piece of ... cream puff."
Jerry rolled and got up. He threw a mannequin at Nestor who reflexively tried to catch it. Holly ran past them calling Robin's name.
Taylor and two other agents came jogging down the street just as Robert and Anna pulled into an empty parking spot. The gold logo of the Gemini Group was plainly visible on the hunters' jackets.
Robert glanced at Anna and nodded at the men. "Our lucky day."
They followed the three men into the store. The entrance hall was crowded with entering and exiting shoppers. The hunters made their way slowly as did Robert and Anna.
Robin sped up as she bounded down the stairs into the entrance hall. She paused at the top of the stairs for a second. She was focused on the large front doors and nothing else. The urge to flee was strong and drowned out every other sense of her environment. She didn't hear Anna's cry of "Robin!" Neither did she see the three men turn towards Anna then towards the stairs. Robin descended the stairs at a run and blended into the crowds. She was on the move again.
"There! Get her!" cried Taylor.
"Like hell you will," said Robert getting in Taylor's path. He and Anna stood slightly apart moving forward like a wedge. Their eyes and ears straining for any signs of their daughter in the milling crowd.
Robert stopped Taylor in his tracks with a look. "Going somewhere?"
Taylor recognized a fellow predator on sight. "Get out of my way."
"You're after my daughter. Stop right now."
"Or?"
"You don't want to find out."
On the other side of the hall, Anna didn't bother with smalltalk. She had ruthlessly brought one man down with a combination of kicks and chops. She twisted the arm of the other hunter who got out of the hold then bodily threw Anna against a stone pillar. The expression on her face as she rose back to her feet was not pleasant.
Sensing imminent defeat, Taylor went for Robert's throat. Out of the corner of his eye, Robert saw Robin pushing aside an elderly woman in her desperation to escape out of the door. He called out, "Robin!"
Robin stumbled out the door. She shook her head. She couldn't have heard her father's voice just then. He was dead. She took a deep breath and began to look for a bus. She spotted one across the street. She sprinted for it. She heard feet pounding after her but she fear had closed her senses again. The engine of the bus moving forward drowned out Mac and Dianara's cries of her name.
On the bus, Robin sagged against her seat back. Her entire body trembled with exhaustion. Perspiration beaded on her forehead. She gulped lungfuls of air but it didn't seem enough as she kept gasping. One stop sped by. She laid her head back unable to stop the voices calling her name over and over again. She loosened her coat. She was feverish. She'd missed her last two drug cocktails in her running about.
Her seat mate, a well-dressed elderly woman, did not pay any attention to her ramblings. She got off on the next stop. Exhausted, Robin lay her head against the frosted window pane. The chill soothed her aching head.
"Not good. I need to rest," said Robin. Her mind was playing tricks on her as a consequence of missing her medication and being run off her feet. She began to drift off into sleep.
Minutes later, she felt a weight settle on the empty seat next to her. She jerked to full awareness when she felt her hand engulfed by another.
A familiar voice said, "You're safe."
Robin looked at their clasped hands and then upwards. Under a big furry hat, it was the same face she remembered and the same smile. "Vincent? I'm dreaming."
"Then so am I," whispered another familiar voice from behind her.
Robin gaped, "Felicia?"
Felicia leaned over the seat back and squeezed Robin's shoulder. "The cavalry is here."
Vincent sent out a text message to the team and updated Searchlight. He could feel Robin's hand shaking in his. "We'll be at the hotel soon. You're safe."
Robin kept looking from Vincent to Felicia in amazement. Felicia pointed to the window. "Look!"
Robin burst out laughing at what she saw. Maxie clinging with one hand to her blond rescuer and waving frantically with the other hand while speeding along on the back of a motorcycle. The cycle sped past as the bus made another stop. It began to move again after a minute.
Felicia pointed at a car that had come up along side. "More of the cavalry."
Through the open windows of the sedan waved Alex in the front and Holly in the rear. Robin said, "Alex? Holly? Is ... Mom here? Has something happened to her? Tell me!"
"Robin? Luv?" asked Anna from the seat in front of Robin. Her expression was anxious and unsure.
Robin jumped from her seat. Her arms wound tight around Anna's neck. Eyes bright with unshed tears, Anna nuzzled Robin and stroked her face. No words were said or needed. There were no more doubts.
"Hey," said Robert turning around beside Anna. It was the only syllable he could manage through the lump in his throat.
Robin shook her head. She stared at her father. "No. You c-c-can't be here. No."
Eyes never leaving Robin's face, Robert said very gently and, in the same casual tone reminiscent of their first meeting when Robin was six years old, he said, "I'm Robert. What's your name?"
"Robin." Robin tentatively reached out for Robert's hand. As their fingers touched, Robin began to cry softly then harder as their fingers closed together. Robert leaned and she touched her forehead to his just like they had always done. Robin wrapped an arm about both her parents sharing a quiet moment to themselves.
A few minutes later, Vincent said, "We're at the hotel stop."
Vincent led the way off the bus. Robin was sandwiched between Anna and Robert. None of them wanting to let go of the other. Felicia brought up the rear. As Robin got off the bus, a cry from Maxie came, "Robin!"
Robin could only smile still overcome by her emotions. She hugged Maxie. Then, she noticed everyone else standing around them - Alex, Dimitri, Holly, Mac, a stunning woman who had Mac's arm and her blond rescuer. There were hugs, kisses and tears all around.
"C'mon, let's get this motley crew into the hotel," said Robert. He bent down to whisper to Robin. "Can you make it?"
Arm tight around her father, Robin nodded. Anna held onto Robin's other hand.
"I ... I think I could still carry you," said Robert.
"I'm fine, Dad. I'm home now," said Robin in her simple sincere way. "Everything is just fine."