Australia - Location Very Much Unknown 11AM local
Due to the exhausting events of the previous day, everyone in the Scorpio party slept late. Andrew was the second person to awaken. The first was tending to the main fire.
"Morning," said Robin chipper as a bird as she repositioned the grill over the fire pit.
"Ugh!" Andrew shielded his eyes from the sun's brightness. "Coffee first."
"Not a morning person," said Robin. "I was starting to make coffee. Good timing."
Andrew found the table and sat down. He mumbled, "Father still asleep?"
"Snoring. He must have been dead tired. I don't remember him snoring so loudly before." Robin rummaged in one of Robert's food packs and found a large pot with a lid. She put it on the grill and began to empty two bottles of water into it. "But there's a lot of thing I've found … different."
"I … I have a coffee pot." Andrew rose on unsteady legs. "Let me get it."
"That may not be possible," said Robin.
"Do you like French Roast like … like Eve did?"
"Yes, I do, actually." Robin watched his progress. He'd discover the truth any second now.
Andrew walked like a sleepwalker towards the spot where he'd tied his horses for the night. He got to the spot and went past it. His eyes snapped open.
He counted the horses. "1-2-3 … where are the rest of them?!"
Korolev House - Moscow 8 AM local
Constantine entered his dining room dressed and groomed impeccably. He found his house guest already at breakfast.
"My apologies for missing Ava's departure," said Faison upon seeing Constantine. He put the morning paper down.
"You are our guest, Cesar. We should not be disturbing you with minor matters," said Constantine taking his seat.
"Not at all. Your charming wife is a delight. She will be missed," said Faison.
"I miss her already," said Constantine.
"I was told that she left early. Last night in fact," said Faison. "I thought she was to leave later today."
"Nina is ill." Constantine poured his coffee. "Ava had two miscarriages before she had Nina. She was our … our little miracle. They are very close. I could not persuade her to wait."
"I am aware of how much greater a mother's love can be for her child," said Cesar. He looked away. "No sacrifice is too small or too big. Never."
Constantine cleared his throat. "Do you need a driver, Cesar? I can have mine return here after he takes me to work."
"Ah, yes, work. There is a matter I need to discuss with you."
Constantine watched with growing trepidation as Cesar shut the doors and closed the drapes. He sipped his coffee trying to calm his thudding heart.
Faison returned to take the seat next to Constantine. He spoke very softly. "The questioning of Hans' co-conspirators has been … difficult. But one thing is clear."
"What is that?" asked Constantine neutrally.
Faison leaned closer and said, "That I must deal with another traitor."
CHIONE Labs - 3 PM local
Peter peered over Charlotte's left shoulder. He read the courier's verification email that delivery of his package had been successfully made to Faison's London townhouse. A small window on the monitor had displayed footage of the actual delivery.
"Thank you, Charlotte, for a very professional operation," said Peter crossing his arms and leaning on the edge of Charlotte's L-shaped desk.
"That was merely the first phase. I shall not count the operation finished until the product has reached its final destination," said Charlotte. "How soon will that event be?"
"That's up to the client. Once they get the call, they usually return the call within the hour with details on delivery - when, where, how. Until then we wait," said Peter.
Charlotte rose and beckoned for Peter to follow her. "Let's have tea time. It's a little early but my internal clock has not adjusted yet. How about you?"
"Anxiety equals insomnia for me. Once the delivery is made, I will be able to relax," said Peter.
They entered the small dining room. Charlotte opened cabinets hunting for a kettle and other tea things. "Is Earl Grey all right?"
"Fine." Peter opened the bread box on the counter. He found a plate and proceeded to stack some croissants left over from breakfast.
"You expect no problems?" asked Charlotte filling the kettle.
"None. We've never had issues in this phase. The client is very organized and careful."
"You always refer to them as the client rarely by name. Why is that?" asked Charlotte setting the kettle on the stove and turning it on.
"This particular client early on expressed a desire to simply be known as the client. It's become a habit," responded Peter. "And before you ask, I know very little about the company itself."
Charlotte smiled. "You're starting to read my mind, Peter. You'll bear watching."
"I'm nearly at my former capacity, mentally and physically," said Peter. "Elena's death and all that happened in Vladivostok was one too many shocks to the system. I cannot thank you and Helena enough. And … and oh I forget her name ah-"
"Arielle," provided Charlotte.
"Yes, that's it. I'll remember," said Peter. "You handle operations. Helena is in charge of finance. Elena was charged with strategy. What is Arielle's role in the organization?"
"Arielle is our people person. She has extensive contacts all over the world and in a variety of social strata," said Charlotte. "She has a natural ability to cultivate social friendships which Helena and I lack."
Peter looked directly at Charlotte. "You're underestimating yourself, Charlotte."
Charlotte chuckled. "Oh, I do have to keep my eye on you."
There came a knock the door. One of Charlotte's security staff came forward and said, "Ma'am, team Sydney would like permission to proceed."
"Target is confirmed?" asked Charlotte.
"Yes."
"Then proceed as planned," said Charlotte as if she were inquiring of the weather. "Tell the team that their bonus will be doubled if they evade detection and leave no trail."
Port Charles Airport - 10 PM local
The regional airport while small in size still made big airport money courtesy of the various business interests headquartered in the city. It was adequately handling the load of air traffic and customers but city officials were making expansion plans. The little airport that could would become far more capable once longer runways and new terminals were constructed. Even now, the airport handled customers nearly around the clock. As a consequence, many vendors kept their stores and services available later than usual.
Arnold Vandenberg perused the racks of magazines at the brand new Abbey bookstore in the terminal. It certainly lived up to its claim of being as well-stocked and served as its Parisian parent company. He tucked another magazine into the crook of his elbow. He preferred to relax and not work on his long flight back to London.
At the cash register, Vandenberg paid for his five magazines and other purchases. He said to the cashier. "Business must be good. I'm seeing more and more of your stores in airports and train stations."
The bespectacled Asian cashier with short spiky hair smiled. "We want to provide quality service and products to our customers wherever they are. Did you find what you were looking for, sir?"
"Yes and a few more I hadn't expected," said Vandenberg. "I can't place your accent."
"Hong Kong." The cashier inserted the last magazine into the small bag. "Will there be anything else?"
"No, thank you," said Vandenberg walking away.
The cashier waited until he had finished serving the next customer before signaling the real cashier to resume his post. Khamchatta retreated to the back room and locked the door. He took out his phone. Quickly he sent the video his button camera had collected of Vandenberg to C&C. It would provide the team with a perfect voice print and image.
"Mama, where to? Do I stay here?" asked Khamchatta.
"Affirmative, my son," said Raine. "Stock shelves or dust. Keep our duck in the terminal."
"Got it. What about the rest of the clan?"
"Scattered. Be ready for anything," said Raine. "By the way, the haircut and spikes work. You do look younger."
"Simple disguises work best. He didn't recognize me. I'm sure." Khamchatta, former Hong Kong detective signed off.
As he walked back to his gate, Vandenberg could not shake the feeling he'd had in the last twenty-four hours. He was certain that he was under surveillance but he hadn't discovered any obvious trailers. He had even swept his hotel room for listening devices and found none. Yet, the awareness of being studied and observed persisted.
As a consequence, he didn't dare make any phone calls now or do any kind of work. He'd played the role of businessman tourist to the hilt on his last day - taking meals in the hotel grill and shopping at various shops. His check in luggage was full of his purchases. At the last minute, he had changed his trip out to a late night flight instead of one the next day. Whoever was monitoring had not been fooled.
His phone rang in his breast pocket. He took it out and glanced at the display. It was Chase.
Chase began to say, "Arn, I received a call from-"
"Not now," said Vandenberg. "Let's talk when I get back." He terminated the call without letting Chase get in so much as a syllable. He had a nagging feeling that his caution was useless still he had to try.
He found a seat away from the windows and sat down. A minute later, a tall lean man in a seaman's coat, wool skull cap, mirrored sunglasses and leather gloves sat down next to Vandenberg.
The stranger spoke in a gruff voice with an accent that Vandenberg could not place. "Mr. Vandenberg, we hope you've enjoyed your visit and that it will not be repeated."
Vandenberg was startled they knew his real name. He had used an alias on this trip. He managed to say, "It was full of surprises. About Vladivostok, tell your boss that-"
"We returned your people intact," said Lars. "After that was not our … affair."
"I agree. Do you know who it was?"
"We think so."
Vandenberg knew a seasoned operator when he met one. He didn't bother to play games. "What do you want in exchange?"
"Tell me why you came here."
"I wanted to meet your boss, er bosses in person."
Lars chuckled. "I actually believe that. You should have used the front gate."
"I'll keep that in mind. Your turn."
"Three names all connected. I won't repeat. Ready?"
Vandenberg tensed and concentrated on listening. "Yes."
"Peter Sinclair, Charlotte Devane and Helena Cassadine," said Lars.
With care, Vandenberg controlled his reaction to hearing the names. Inside, his mind began to bubble with questions. He tried to rattle Lars in turn. "Are you after them because of the, uh, little bird? Is she safe now?"
Lars replied tonelessly. "Yes to both."
"You want a clear field?"
Lars lowered his voice becoming harsh and menacing. "Leave them to us. Stick to corporate espionage."
"Boarding call for Flight 334 to London," came the public announcement.
Lars stood and walked away without a backward glance at Vandenberg. Lars lost himself in the crowd of passengers rising to their feet, gathering their belongings and queuing for boarding.
Vandenberg sat unmoving for a few minutes heart racing. The conversation had taken a turn for the serious. He had a lot to think about on the flight. The Scorpio team knew who he was and what he did. They knew about Sinclair. Was the man toying with him and revealing all he knew hoping to get a reaction? Vandenberg decided that wasn't the case. The stranger only displayed confidence and self-assurance. This led to other questions - How deep did their knowledge go? How exposed were the Gems?
In a practiced daze, he lined up in the first class line. Only dimly aware of his surroundings, his mind was active turning over possibilities. He kept returning to one name - Sean Donely. Their founder was very close to the Scorpios. Had he provided them with information on the Gems? How else could they have known what they knew?
Vandenberg wanted to knock his head against a wall. He couldn't help thinking that maybe they had let a rat into the organization. He was sure of two things. First, he had a few questions for Donely when he came to London and he wasn't going to stop asking them until he was fully satisfied with the answers. Secondly, Peter Sinclair's use to the organization had to come to an end. Their association was now a growing liability. Something had to be done with Sinclair and soon.
What about Project Minerva? This question brought him into reality like a splash of cold water to the face. Without Sinclair, how could the program continue? But the program, limited as it was, gave the Gems the one edge they relied on. One solution came to mind.
Vandenberg muttered. "We need to make the stuff ourselves. Get the formulas. Cut out the middle man. Permanently."
Sydney, Australia - 12 Noon local
The gray limousine stopped in front of Sydney's hottest lunch destinations. The chauffeur held open the passenger door. Out stepped Andrew Scorpio in a dark suit and sunglasses. On his arm was a stunning if older woman of indeterminate age. On one side, paparazzi who'd stalked the young millionaire since his arrival in Australia wasted no time taking their fill of pictures. Andrew and his mystery companion posed briefly for pictures. Amongst the people on the street, a few were watching the tableau very carefully.
BANG!
Andrew swayed.
BANG!
A well-dressed young man ran in front of Andrew. The bullet caught him in mid lunge. Ivan Korolev crumpled to the ground.
People screamed in surprise and scurried for cover. A broadly muscled bike messenger ran over to Andrew and caught him before he hit the ground. He was joined by a street jogger.
"Ungaro! Keep him covered up." said Agent Tania Lowell. She took off her jogger's jacket and gave it to Agent Paul Ungaro. She motioned for another agent to take Andrew's date, now hysterical, back to the hotel.
Another agent, dressed as a jeans-clad student, stood over the team. "Ambulance ETA three minutes."
Ungaro bent over Andrew whose sunglasses had fallen. Ungaro whispered urgently. "Tania, this … this isn't him."
"I know. Keep pretending it is," hissed Lowell.
"But-"
"It was need to know. I couldn't tell anyone even if I wanted to," said Tania. She glanced to where Ivan lay in a growing pool of blood. Two of his own agents were frantically tending to their fallen chief. "Where the hell is that ambulance?"
WSB Safe House, New York City - Midnight
RING!
RING!
Frisco found the phone on the second ring. He answered without looking at the caller ID. He said fuzzily, "Felicia, honey?"
"Sorry, no," came Connie's strained voice. "Your coverage team has a situation in Sydney."
"What?!" Frisco sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"Assassination attempt on the Andrew double. He's still in surgery."
"If he dies, it's gonna get messy," said Frisco.
"Uh, huh, that's why you're flying down there. Keep things contained. The plane leaves in an hour. Be on it."
"Yes, boss." Frisco hung up and bounded out of bed. Per procedure, he dialed Control and Command.
As soon as the current monitor's face was displayed, he said, "Raine, assassination attempt on Andrew's double in Sydney. I gotta make sure it IS the double."
"Andrew's safe."
"You can physically confirm that for me?"
"He and the family went camping," said Raine. "He's with Anna and Robert. He couldn't be safer."
Frisco closed his eyes as if a painful vision had come over him. "Anna? Roughing it outside of duty? I can't see it."
Raine smiled impishly. "Well, we have bets on how long they will last in the wild. I can text Robert if you want confirmation."
"No, it's all right. I just had to go through protocol," said Frisco. "I'm on my way Down Under to keep the situation zipped up tight. Can you arrange for another double?"
Raine gasped. "He was hit? How badly?"
"All I know is that he's in surgery right now."
"Oh, gods, I hate collateral damage."
"Me, too," said Frisco. "Can you let Felicia know please? I don't want to wake her."
Raine nodded. "Will do. I'll let you know about the second double. And I better check on the other doubles deployed in the field."
Frisco ended the call and dressed haphazardly. He grabbed the duffle bag that was always packed and ready to go.
"The more I want to get home, the more I get pulled away," muttered Frisco as he locked his door. "It's bad karma catching up to me. Gotta be."
Scorpio Ranch - 1 PM local time
Edgar examined the handcuff around Salim's wrist. The other end was fastened around Edgar's left wrist.
"I think this is going way over the top," said Edgar as he tapped one handed on the keyboard.
"After earlier, I do not wish to take chances," said Salim.
"Nothing happened."
"That you or I know of."
"Maybe you were sleepwalking."
"I doubt it," said Salim. "I went outside in the middle of the day with no visible purpose. Why?" He gestured at the handcuffs. "As uncomfortable as this is, I believe it is the only thing to do. Someone must always observe me."
"But we have no proof that-"
"I KNOW I am compromised mentally. That is the proof."
"You realize that you could immobilize me or anyone attached to you very easily," said Edgar. "Then what?"
"Then I would have an unconcious bit of dead weight that would greatly hinder and perhaps prevent whatever thing I am meant to do," said Salim. "Any kind of delay can be beneficial."
"But to who?" asked Edgar. The monitor came alive with Raine's face.
"Oh, good, I got both of you," said Raine. "We have a situation."
"Something's happened to the dress?" asked Edgar. He turned to Salim. "When did I turn into a hysterical wedding planner?"
"Officially? Yesterday," said Salim.
"Pickup is scheduled at Sean as planned. No snafu there," said Raine. "Andrew's double in Sydney has been shot. He's in surgery now. Assassin unknown and at large. Frisco is on his way there to do damage control."
"The other doubles?" asked Edgar.
"King reports the Robin and Vincent doubles are enjoying themselves at a mountain resort. The Anna and Robert doubles here are kept on premises. They're fine," said Raine.
"This is a troubling possibility of Andrew becoming a public personality," said Salim. "I suppose we cannot provide for every scenario there is."
"We do our best. That is all we can do," said Edgar. "We need another double."
"I've already contacted Andre to arrange for another double in the event."
"Put King on alert if he's not already. We must assume that this is the start of another round of trouble," said Edgar. "Robert must be warned."
"I've been trying his phone several time before I got you. No answer," said Raine.
"What? Do you have a location fix?"
"The signal is weak. Drained battery," said Raine looking aside at another display. "Aren't they supposed to be at the cabin?"
"Yes," said Edgar.
"The phone isn't there. It's four miles west of the cabin."
"Perhaps, they got lost," said Salim.
"Andrew knows the area almost as well as Robert does," said Edgar.
"They have not been back for years, Edgar. Things do change."
"Send over the coordinates, Raine."
"Edgar!" Genji's voice echoed from the back of the house.
"In here!" yelled Edgar.
Genji entered the room and sat down. "The chairs have been delivered. You need to confirm where the tent is to be positioned."
"We have a situation here," said Salim. Beside him, Edgar called Robert's phone on speakerphone.
Genji saw the handcuffs then the concerned faces of the two senior officers. "Is this going to be a good story?"
RING!
RING!
RING!
On the fourth ring, voice mail activated. Robert's voice said "The beep's coming up. Make it short and sweet. I'll get back-."
The phone went silent.
"Battery's done," said Raine.
"This is an official SNAFU!" Edgar began to issue orders. Occasionally, he would forget about the handcuff and would raise Salim's arm with his. "Genji, arrange for transport. We will be tracking the campers. Raine, stay on for the duration. I do not want anyone else covering comms. Keep us posted on Sydney."
"Done," said Raine.
Genji left the room in a rush.
"You are not discounting the possibility that they have met with a situation of their own out there?" asked Salim.
"What else can I think?" asked Edgar. "We both know how often they went camping in the SAME area when they lived here. I could see them getting lost but not answering the phone? That's unlikely."
"Why did Robert forbid anyone else from having a phone?" asked Raine.
Edgar sighed. "It was to discourage them, all of them, from working. Anything else, Raine?"
"Just one," said Raine. "Can you tell me why the handcuffs?"
"No," said Edgar.
"It was MY idea," said Salim.
"Enough!" said Edgar with mounting irritation. "Shopping assistant, wedding planner, attached babysitter, what next?"