Airborne
Anna gasped. She shared a questioning look with Robert.
"There was no choice to make, son," said Robert. "The exchange was for all of us. Family is plural."
"Did Mum make the deal for herself? For you?" asked Andrew. "Or your deal with the WSB? How was that for you?"
"Andrew, how long have you felt this way?" asked Anna.
"Only recently," said Andrew. "How much sooner could Father have revealed himself to you if I wasn't holding him back? If … if you hadn't been pregnant with me, you could have escaped sooner and b-b-been able to come home."
Robert was about the respond but Anna gestured for him to stop. She rose from the bed and moved towards Andrew who sat hunched and disconsolate in the chair. She took his face in his hands. "Listen to me. I have no regrets about you. None. I don't ever want you to believe for a second that I did. Promise me that."
Andrew nodded. He swallowed.
"Just before Robert and Andre got aboard, I asked Faison … I begged him to let me contact Sean and Mac so they could take you away. In exchange for that, I would stay with him," said Anna.
"No, Mom!" exclaimed Robin.
Robert stared at Anna as if trying to divine what was on her mind at that very moment.
"How can you deny that this mess wasn't my fault?" asked Andrew.
"Your mother would have done anything for her family. Anything," said Robert. His voice softened and he asked. "What were you going to do afterwards, luv?"
She glanced at Robert. "The same thing you were thinking of doing at Club Paradise after getting the last Christmas present."
Robert shook his head. "Unnecessary."
"I wasn't going to leave you and the kids in limbo. I would have made sure that you knew that … that you could move on … without me," said Anna.
"Limbo?" asked Andrew.
"It's a state of hell on earth, actually, " said Anna. "Years of keeping to a commitment, a promise. Denying love yet craving it. Dreaming and believing in what could have been because reality is too brutally bitter a pill to swallow. The longer it goes on, the more you just live that way because it's easier and less risky. You take other kinds of risks. The kind that doesn't involve your heart. You compound everything by blaming yourself. It's an endless loop of guilt, pain, anger and longing. So much longing it's nearly a physical ache inside you. I lived in that state for too long to want that for anyone. My leaving would have been on my terms at least. No loop for you all. Just an ending. You, sweet boy, would have been with YOUR family. Growing up loved and loving in return."
Robin sat up on the bed. "You would have killed yourself, Mom? You would have left us that way?"
"It was my final option. Once Andrew was safely away, I was going to use it. Faison would never have let me go. Your father would never have stopped looking for me." said Anna.
"You got that right," said Robert.
"Faison would have had Robert killed once he had me locked away somewhere."
"I'd like to see him try," said Robert. "I could have taken him first you know."
"I wasn't prepared to risk you and watch you die in front of me, Robert!" said Anna heatedly. "Faison had this vision, this plan, about us that he wanted to make come true. You had no place in that plan. Our children would have been without either parent. That was NOT an option." Anna took a deep breath then said, "But if I was gone then you could all move on in time." She looked at Robert. "There was plenty of support - Sean, Mac, Tiffany and … and Holly. I would have been all right with you moving on, Robert. Truly."
"I … I don't think that-" spluttered Robert. "That you could believe that-"
"Shush. We'll talk later," said Anna.
"Our list of conversation topics is growing to epic proportions," said Robert.
"Good thing you and Andre came when you did then," said Anna. She turned to Andrew. "You see I wasn't just thinking of you. My deal, my actions were for us, all of us. Things turned out very different but …" She looked all around. "I see you and your sister and your father. The most important people to me in this world are here. That's what counts. If everything happened again, I would have done the same things. You were my lifeline, sweetheart, not my downfall. Is that clear?"
Andrew nodded. "I think so."
She tapped his forehead. "Maybe I ought to engrave it on your forehead - I am not at fault for the last seventeen years happening."
"Unnecessary," said Andrew.
"You'll never, ever, think like that?" asked Anna.
"Never ever," promised Andrew.
"Well, I'm glad that Dad found you in time, Mom. Your final option was … was … I don't even want to think about it," said Robin. "What happened after Dad got there? Why did the WSB say you were dead? Was Faison blowing up the boat his final option?"
The three other people in the room exchanged quick glances. Robin noticed the looks.
"Why don't you get the hard stuff out of the way, Mom? Dad? Just get it over with. The suspense is killing me here!" said Robin in a light tone attempting to lift the tension of the last few minutes.
"Let's tell her everything," said Anna as she sat back on the bed beside Robin. She enfolded her daughter in her arms. Robin snuggled against her like she used to when she was younger.
"Everything?" asked Andrew.
"You'll never hear the end of it if you know something that she doesn't," said Robert. "Okay, let's roll with it. Before I left, sweetheart, I told Sean to make sure that if things went bad that he would tell you the truth that we weren't coming back but to spare you the details. Allow me to filll in the details." Robert stood up and began to pace. "Faison did not blow up anything. The WSB told you we had died because … because I told them to."
"What?" exclaimed Robin.
"There was a death sentence on both our heads, Robin. I left the way I did because I needed to get to Anna before anyone else did. It was our only chance at coming back home," said Robert. "We were blackboxed by the WSB. That means shot on sight. No questions. No mercy."
"But … but you didn't do anything wrong!"
"Not then but they had reason to suspect that we had," said Anna. "Remember when Faison hypnotized your father?"
"Yes. You said it was to cause trouble in your marriage."
"True but it got other people thinking about and seeing Robert in a different light. The Bureau suspected Robert of passing information to Faison and the DVX. Willingly or unwillingly, it hardly mattered," said Anna. She stroked Robin's hair. "Then when I was taken, my … my past was re-examined. In the course of helping to find me, the WSB found evidence that … that … " Her voice trailed off.
Robert sat on the edge of the bed. He took Anna's hand in his. "They found evidence of your Mum's work for the DVX. She was a double agent working for both sides."
Manhattan, New York City
BUZZ!
Martin Ross rolled over in bed and automatically picked up his office cell phone. Emergencies were a fact of life for a WSB bureau chief. His wife lying beside him had long since trained herself to not hear the phone ring.
"Ross here," said Ross.
The voice on the other end was low, precise and persuasive, "Mr. Ross?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"A friend with a question. Are you listening"
"It's late. Make it quick," snapped Ross.
"Have you climbed the highest mountain, swam the deepest sea and gazed in love at beauty?"
Ross drew in a breath. His shoulders sagged. His eyes looked dazed. "Yes I have."
"You know who I am?"
"Yes."
"You obey only me, my voice, do you understand?"
"Yes."
"You shall respond to no one else but me. Repeat."
"No one else."
"Have you been given orders before by someone else?"
"Yes."
"Has this person ordered you to actions in conflict with my orders?"
"Yes."
"I countermand all those orders. End of conflict. What were those orders?"
"To secure information about Guardian in any way I could. To test the system for weakness and accessibility. To deliver my findings when requested."
"Has a request been made?"
"No."
"How fortunate. I have new orders for you. Are you listening closely?"
"Yes."
"You will destroy, or if unable to do so, you may hide information on Guardian in any way you see fit. You will obstruct any attempts to disable or dismantle Guardian. You shall hinder any attempts of discovery or analysis of Guardian's systems. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"One more thing. You will inform me of all information you acquire about Anna Devane, Sean Donely, Robert Scorpio, Helena Cassadine, Peter Sinclair and Charlotte Devane. I want the latest information. You will send the information to me in the usual manner. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Very well. Go to sleep now. When you awake, you shall feel refreshed with new purpose and ambition to do well. You will also treat your wife better. Try to be more considerate to her. Count to five and hang up the phone."
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5," said Ross. He turned off the phone. He slipped back under the covers and slept. In the darkness, he wrapped an arm about his wife's waist.
Faison ended the call on his end. "There is my good deed for the day and I don't even get a thank you."
One Temple Court, Port Charles, New York
Sean studied the screen of his laptop intently. He had too many choices. He flipped to his calendar then Tiffany's.
"There has to be a date that works," he muttered. More flipping and matching ensued for a few minutes. "Gotcha! That week will work. Tiffany will be very occupied with the opening of the Galleria."
He switched to another website, deftly finished his transaction and started up his email program. He typed in a terse message and sent it off.
Chase, coming to London. See dates below. Looking forward to the tour you offered to me. See you then. Sean.
Metro Court Hotel
Arn poured his fourth cup of coffee. On the round table was laid out his laptop, his open briefcase and a leather bound notebook. He'd spent the last two hours updating Chase and sending out orders. He was beginning to see double he was so tired. Chase was handling the matter of identifying the team's killers while he dealt with clean up and the inevitable cover up. Hopefully, he'd have something soon.
His laptop chimed indicating an incoming communication. He accepted the communication. It was Chase. "Well, was it them?"
"The first incident, yes, but not the second one," said Chase. "According to the hotel cameras and staff, Scorpio's men, and presumably his son, brought our team back unconscious but all alive. They even gave a sizable tip to the person who let them in. The second team didn't bother with a tip. They garroted the front desk clerk. Our people are heading over to the Scorpios' hotel now."
"Are they going to try for contact?" asked Arn.
"No. I told them to ask if they were still there or if they'd left. They're not the enemy, Arn, and I'm not going to fight a battle on two fronts. No one ever wins those scenarios without a lot of losses," said Chase. "I don't want to make any decisions when we're in crisis mode like this. You look terrible, Arn. You don't want your ulcers to flare up."
"Too late," said Arn. "You're right. We should hold off on confronting anyone. I … I just want to … kill someone. It was senseless."
"The marks of true professionals are all over it," said Chase. "Good angle to make it seem like a Russian mafia hit. The ambassador thinks on his feet."
"At least someone was. I was completely paralyzed, Chase. Never happened before," said Arn. "What's next?"
Chase consulted his note pad. "Hmm, confirm the Scorpios' stay at the hotel, find Sinclair and, oh, I got an email from Sean. He's coming to London in about a week."
"Good. I want to squeeze everything he knows about the Scorpios."
"They're close friends. He won't say much on the record," cautioned Chase.
"I want to know how much he knows about their operation not their private life," Arn said. "That farm is no farm. They are up to something."
"They were up to finding their daughter, Arn. They pulled out all the stops. You and I would do the same."
"What about the guards and the anti-surveillance on the property?"
"Based on their files, how could they live in peace any other way?" retorted Chase. "They have children, a grandchild, to protect."
"This brings us back to Eve, Sinclair and Robin Scorpio. I know you don't believe me but there is a connection there. I can feel it even if I can't see it yet," insisted Arn.
"Gut feel?"
"Oh, yes. Deep, deep down. I'm still compiling research on Doctor Scorpio-Drake before I leave here but Sinclair is the key. We need to find him."
"We will and when we do you can have the first shot at him," said Chase. "I need that compound and that agent. I have to give Connie and Ross a realistic schedule for the project."
"Inserting an agent into the high ranks of the DVX isn't going to be easy," said Arn. "We have to pick just the right person. Can't you delay it?"
"I'll try but I don't want to. It would make us look bad," said Chase.
"Better to look bad than to fail outright," said Arn.
"We have an ace in our sleeve, remember? Sean knows that level of the DVX backwards and forwards. He'll let us know what will work and what won't," said Chase.
"You're putting a lot of faith in one man, Chase."
"Just wait until you meet him. You'll be as convinced as I am," said Chase. "I'll monitor from here while you get some rest. Good night, Arn."
Arn placed his room service tray in the hallway. He motioned to a night staff member polishing a table near the elevator. He pointed to the tray. The elderly woman nodded and put down her rag. She came over to get the tray.
"All done, sir?" asked the woman in a vague British accent.
Arn nodded sleepily. He put the do not disturb sign on the door handle. "Could you change my breakfast order time from six to nine in the morning?"
"Of course, sir. My pleasure."
"Thank you." Arn locked his door and fell asleep as his head hit the pillow.
Command and Control
An impromptu team lead meeting was underway in the wee hours of the morning. Lars, Dani and Giles sat around the table comparing notes and planning for the days to come.
"You've had more experience with this Lars. You should take lead," said Giles.
"I agree. With Anna and Robert in radio silent mode for the next week and Genji and Edgar with them, we need your experience," said Dani.
"All right. I accept lead," said Lars. "Things are too loose, too chaotic here. We need order. Get our people back on a routine." He looked at Giles. "And sleep. Go!"
Giles rose to his feet. "No need to tell me twice. I'll be in the bunkroom upstairs. Wake me if-"
"No I will not. Dani will relieve me. You will relieve her on watch after at least eight hours of sleep," insisted Lars.
"Fine, fine," called out Giles. "Night!"
On the stairs, he met with a grinning Alys Norton. She pulled off her bushy gray wig in passing. She placed a brown bag on the table in front of Lars and Dani.
"Genji's hunch paid off and SIMON riffling through the hotel records got a match," said Alys.
"It was him in the picture?" asked Lars.
"Visually confirmed, yes, bloodshot eyes and all," said Alys. "He was the one snooping in the back road. The picture wasn't very good but it was him."
"When is he checking out?" asked Dani.
"Day after tomorrow according to the front desk," said Alys.
"That gives us time to check his room out," said Dani.
Alys shook her head. "The maid I borrowed the outfit and pass from told me that he's rarely left his room. When he does, it's only for a short time."
"Any idea what's inside?"
"She said that the room was always neat when she came."
Lars nodded. "He's working in there then cleaning up before the staff comes in. Smart. Have Neal and Khamchatta watch him tomorrow. If he leaves, let's try to plant an audio bug in there. Perhaps, we'll get lucky. What's in the bag?"
"His coffee cup and utensils. All full of useful fingerprints," said Alys.
"I love dealing with experienced operatives," said Lars. "They were idiots to let you go."
"It was voluntary, Lars. The agency and I had to part ways. It happens to us all." Alys left up the stairs and to her bed in the Lodge.
"So, we're on our own?" asked Dani.
"We can handle it," said Lars confidently. "Whatever comes, we will deal with it." Lars cleared his throat and asked casually, "What else should we do tonight? Talk about maybe?"
Dani was puzzled. "Do about what? We have a good start on tasks tomorrow. I'll start writing out assignment and we can review them before I go to bed."
"Um, sure, good, right," babbled Lars. "Do that and I will, um, check SIMON."
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Dani move to a console and begin working. He muttered under his breath, "Du bist ein dummkopf."
"What was that, Lars?" asked Dani absently. "Something you need from me?"
"Nothing. Just being a fool, a dumb one, seeing things that aren't there," Lars sat down at the main console and began doing diagnositics on SIMON's vast global network. He looked at the team's ongoing project board. They were behind on nearly everything. They could use the week to catch up.