The Cottage, Villa Scorpio
It was very late but still a fire crackled in the fireplace. Vincent sat down beside Robin on the couch. She held out a glass of wine which he took. She clinked hers with his.
"Here's to a good day," said Robin.
"It was busy for me, cara," said Vincent. He stretched his right arm around Robin. She snuggled closer. They sipped their wine.
"Are your spy-sitting duties over?"
"It will be part-time. Ivan is recovering quickly. He needs to be busy and not think too much," said Vincent. "I hope all his team decide to stay. We will need numbers."
"Need?"
Vincent sighed. "Forget I said that."
"Too late," said Robin. "Besides trying to make an antidote or reagent, keeping this place secret, hiding defectors and me, keeping Andrew safe and hunting down Charlotte and Peter, what else is going on? Mom and Dad had their serious spy faces on today."
"That is all that is going on. It is more than enough."
"I'm not disagreeing, simo." Robin studied Vincent's face. "You're exhausted. Swimming underwater for more than a mile to get to the boat is unreasonable in this weather." She grabbed a blanket that hung on the side of the couch and spread it over the two of them.
"We accomplished the disappearing act Robert needed. That is the important thing." He yawned and settled deeper into the couch.
"Couldn't they use someone else? You're still limping a little," said Robin.
"Today, you had a confrontation with the husband of your ... your replacement, appeared publicly with your parents and possibly found a cure for Fly. Who took greater risks? Who did more?" asked Vincent. "You do not look tired though. You look content."
"The owner of the restaurant said that he knew about my helping the Ancient One. Did I tell you about that?"
Vincent shook his head. "Not that I recall."
"Let's go to the Asian Quarter one of these days and then I'll tell you," said Robin. "It's nice to know that I'm remembered for me even if it was the cute six year old me."
"This is your home. You have many memories here. Happy ones."
"I've spent years not thinking about them."
Vincent kissed the top of Robin's head. "You are home. Safe. You can feel again, cara."
"I can't. Not until I know for sure what I am," Robin said softly, "I talked privately with Monica today. We need a place where she can examine me. She can't sneak me into the mansion or come here anonymously. Mom would find out for sure and the guilt would kill her. Dad and Uncle Mac would ... would go all mercenary or something. I don't want them blaming themselves more than they have already."
"I will take a room at the Metro Court then-" began Vincent.
"No. Too busy. Someone might see Monica. I don't want to put her in a bad position."
"A motel on the highway?"
Robin grimaced, "I don't have much choice. Do it."
"When?"
"Monica said she was off tomorrow. Sometime in the afternoon is best."
"You will work in your lab in the morning and we will go out for the afternoon," said Vincent. "Did Alex suspect anything when she examined you?"
"No. Once I told them I had never been raped or abused sexually, they breathed a sigh of relief," said Robin. "It never entered their minds that there are other ways to violate someone. You're the only one I could talk to about it."
"I'm honored you'd trust me so much."
"You would know something was wrong. I couldn't hide it," said Robin. "What if I'm stuck like this? I've had years of exposure. My system is so abnormal, I think it's forgotten what normal is."
"The human body is an amazing creation. You will have all of yourself one day. We have to be patient," said Vincent. "I am more concerned about your spirit than your body. The body heals. The mind adapts. The heart and spirit are much harder to fix. I want to see you truly joyful like you were when we first met."
"That woman's gone."
"I disagree." VIncent stroked her arms. "You are still that woman in EVERY way. Tu sei bella."
"You always say that."
"I always mean it." Vincent repeated, "Tu sei bella. You are beautiful but you should FEEL beautiful. You do not. Not yet."
"I feel loved. That's much better." Robin leaned against Vincent's body enjoying his solid presence. They lay silent for a time. Only the crackle and snap of the fire could be heard.
Vincent stroked her hair and said, "You are loved, cara, and much, much more." He noticed that Robin had fallen asleep. He leaned back and closed his eyes, too.
It had been a long day.
Cromden Court, Buckinghamshire, England
In the dining room, a large pastoral mural dominated one wall while smaller paintings hung on the other walls. The drapes were open allowing in the weak early sunlight.
"Good morning, Aunt Augusta, Uncle Elyot," said a pretty, willowy brunette of higher than average height nearing forty but certainly did not look it.
"Good morning, Sabrina," said Augusta turning a cheek for a kiss from her niece while putting a piece of buttered toast on her husband's plate.
"I feel wretched for the ... the alarm I raised yesterday. I could have waited to be debriefed."
"It was fortuitous," said Elyot, the Red King. "What caused you concern, child?"
"Cesar Faison."
The Red King's eyes narrowed. "Did he hurt you?"
"No. He was most considerate. Too much so."
"Explain."
"He was exceedingly charming at dinner. He is articulate, sophisticated and well versed in many topics. The assignment portfolio was incredibly accurate," said Sabrina.
"You did superbly. Everything went as planned," said Augusta.
"It was too easy," said Sabrina.
"Shouldn't all assignment be that way?"
"Auntie, I barely did anything. Halfway through dinner, it was as if he was with someone else. He grew more attentive and ... intense," explained Sabrina. "When we were together, he called me Anna."
"That was a possibility. In fact, we went out of our way to make you as similar to his ideal woman as possible."
"And who is Anna?" asked Sabrina.
Elyot glanced sharply at his wife before turning to Sabrina and saying, "For you, she is a mere name. She has no face, no voice, no presence."
"She was very real to him." Sabrina took a deep breath and said, "I had never been made love to the way he worshipped his Anna. His eyes did not notice me. His touch was not for me. He said her name with such wonder."
"You do look remarkably like her," said her aunt.
"Augusta, please!" admonished the Red King.
"She's real?" asked Sabrina.
"Yes and entirely out of his reach." Augusta looked at her husband. "She might as well know given what will be asked of her."
"I have another assignment?"
"In a matter of speaking, you will be continuing this assignment," said the Red King.
"I'm going to see Faison again?"
"Oh, no. Absolutely not. I require you, as your cover identity, to play hide and seek, my dear Sabrina. Only for a short time until I feel I have this Faison's measure."
"For how long, uncle? I do have other obligations."
"I am not certain."
"YOU are not certain?" teased Sabrina.
"Hare is arranging for your cover identity to remain viable. A trail shall be laid to entice Faison to a friendly hunt. I want him to try to find you to study his methods for myself. I feel it insufficient to rely solely on the portfolio of information we have, extensive as that is," said the Red King. "In this age of modern marvels, I expect the exercise to last a month at the most."
"When do I start?"
"That is a problem. Faison has disappeared," said Augusta pouring tea into Elyot's tea cup.
"You must hold yourself in readiness for the time when he makes a reappearance." Elyot carefully raised his cup to his lips. This early in the day he still had his strength and could with small effort manage to feed himself.
Sabrina protested, "I can't stay in limbo. I'll go mental, Uncle."
"I have given Hare one month to lure Faison. If that time passes with no result, then you will be free of the assignment."
"And Faison?" asked Sabrina. "You'll leave him out there? Loose?"
"You rather that we do something else?"
"Yes! Lock him up and throw away the key!" exclaimed Sabrina. "And do not wait a month!"
Augusta was surprised at her niece's fierce emotion. "What happened, Sabrina?"
"There were two items not noted in the portfolio. One, Faison does not sleep before his companions. Two, he talks in his sleep. Obviously, Anna has never been intimate with him."
"There are many kinds ... ways of intimacy," murmured Augusta. "Go on."
"I played a period of meditation for sleep. An hour after he dozed off, he began to dream and speak aloud," said Sabrina. "Physically, he was calm but his mind must have been in chaos. He spoke passages of the fantastical with such sincerity that they seemed true."
Elyot cleared his throat. "No man can fascinate a woman so ..."
"It's never about the man, darling," said Augusta.
The king's serious expression softened. He looked at his wife. "Terms of endearment are a good omen."
"My mind remains unchanged, Elyot. I simply prefer to be civil." Augusta placed several slices of bacon and some mushrooms on her husband's plate. "What did Faison ramble about?"
"He spoke of a champion reborn who would wield fire and reign for ages uncounted fulfilling the Krieg Destiny. He said-"
"A rather cliche plot don't you think?" asked Elyot.
"Hush, Elyot," said Augusta. "What else did he say? How did he say it?"
"I know it sounds unbelievable but he was utterly serious. He mentioned a weapon, a gift he called it, that was awaiting something. I couldn't catch all he said," said Sabrina. "Then he ... he opened his eyes and he looked right at me. He called me Anna. He asked if ... if she approved. I said yes. That seemed to be what he wanted to hear. He smiled. He said that he anticipated the day he would hold my hand while we beheld our son taking his power as the crystals sang their blessings to him in the ... the places of mourning. I know it sounds like a ... a movie plot but you had to see his face, look into his eyes. I did and I was terrified. His eyes were naked in their madness. Cesar Faison is dangerous, ruthless and insane," Sabrina closed her eyes. "There was another name he kept saying - Anna, Krieg and ... and Andrew."
This bit of information was greeted by silence. Sabrina glanced at her aunt then her uncle. Both were deep in their own thoughts.
"Is ... is there an Andrew like there is an Anna?" asked Sabrina. "Is he their son?"
"There is an Andrew," said Elyot. "And he has his own ... rabid protector."
"He IS Faison's child?" asked Sabrina.
"Only in his mind and spirit," said Augusta. She reached out and grasped Elyot's forearm. "There is yet another reason for my mission. Do you agree now?"
Without a word, the Red King maneuvered his wheelchair away from the table. With some speed, he left the dining room.
"I've upset him. I'm sorry," said Sabrina.
"It was not you. There were too many reminders of ... of times past. That's all. Elyot will be fine once he's thought it through," said Augusta.
"What about the past?"
"The Game is very old. We play it now but there were others before us."
"Others?"
"The ones who made the rules, of course. To them it was just a game with winners and losers and nothing in between."
Sabrina was puzzled. "There IS nothing in between. Black or white. Victory or defeat."
"My dear, the longer one lasts in the Game, the more one realizes how great the margin, the divide, that exists between those extremes," said Augusta. "Enough prattle. Tell me more about the mission."
"You do believe me about what he said?" asked Sabrina.
"Oh, yes, I do. I most assuredly do," said Augusta. "It is for that reason and others that I must go away."
"From here? But you never leave," said Sabrina. "Uncle Elyot will be lost without you."
"A wedded pair cannot always be in each other's pockets."
"Where are you going?"
"To right an old wrong and reconnect the family tree."
"No wonder uncle was so upset."
"It's past time, Sabrina," insisted Augusta. "My mind is firm and that is that."
CHIONE Base, Mersin, Turkey
Charlotte walked into the dining room on steady legs. Her pace was far from fast but she did so without her cane. She considered that to be no small victory. She spied Peter sitting opposite Helena.
"Peter, I'm surprised you're joining us," said Charlotte.
"I have another hour to wait for test results. I might as well eat," said Peter.
"Would it help if we modernized our computers? Get faster ones?" asked Helena.
"The chemical analysis programs are complex. They have always taken time," replied Peter.
"Have you found the correct formula?" asked Charlotte.
Peter grinned like a schoolboy who had received good marks. "Yes, I believe I have. On this fourth trial, none of my animal subjects have terminated. I will try it on a human subject after the chemical analysis is completed."
"That is very good news. How soon can we return to full production load?" asked Helena.
"If all goes well, I can put this version into production this evening."
"Excellent!" Helena beamed at Peter. "Ariel is awaiting word of the next shipment. Dino's plans are progressing on schedule."
"I have always said that Arielle, once provided direction, can do a superlative job," said Charlotte.
"She has Dino's favor but not his name," said Helena.
"Not yet," replied Charlotte. "A woman cannot seem too eager, can she?"
"I suppose not."
"A man enjoys the chase," muttered Peter.
The two woman looked at him.
Peter shrugged. "It's a simple biological imperative."
"I call that the damsel in distress syndrome," said Charlotte.
"And when it is the female saving the male, it's called an accident," said Helena.
"Like it or not, ladies, human beings are animals. We are vulnerable to the demands and manipulations of our biology," insisted Peter. "No amount of intellect can ever override said imperatives. Courtship and dating are mere decorative synonyms to mask our primitive natures. We are thinking animals. That is all."
"Do YOU enjoy the chase, Peter?" asked Charlotte.
"A more refined version of it, yes."
Charlotte smirked and said, "And what if YOU were the prey?"
"Wh-what do you mean, Charlotte?" asked Peter.
"My morning begins with a scan of various message boards and contact groups. An interesting item was passed on to me," said Charlotte taking out a folded piece of paper from her coat pocket. She passed it to Peter.
She waited a minute while he read the printed posting. Peter dropped the note on the table as if it had burned him. Helena picked it up and read it.
"I think you ought to be flattered," said Charlotte taking a sip of her iced tea.
"That is a mistake. We have ... an agreement," said Peter.
"From my experience, few people make mistakes worth a quarter of a million dollars," said Helena.
"A half million," said Charlotte.
Helena and Peter looked questioningly at her.
"There are two items about you, Peter. The first is a contract for your detainment worth $225,000. The second item, posted today, is $500,000 for your person plus all your research. I verified that both offers are from entities fronting for the Gem Group."
"This in addition to the outstanding warrants for your arrests. My, you've become very popular in such a short time," said Helena.
Peter stood up and began to pace. "I can fix this. All I have to do is ... is give them a sample of Compound X that works like before."
"Were you not supposed to give them Compound A as well?" asked Helena.
"Yes but I ... that ... the version of Compound A that I have managed to re-create is extremely unpredictable."
"Unpredictable in what way?" asked Charlotte.
"It's lethality has decreased to an acceptable thirty-five percent on initial application. However, the surviving subjects do not retain and assimilate new information to the same degree as they had before. If I didn't know better, I could swear Compound A has gotten worse. I must make more adjustments to it before I can hand them a sample."
"I do not understand something," said Helena. "If you have the formulas in your possession, why do you continue to have issues with their recreation?"
"It's not like cooking from a recipe!" exclaimed Peter. "Chemicals have transformations throughout the production process. At different points of the process, adjustments have to be made. And ... and it does not help that some of our base ingredients are tainted or not available and I have to make substitutions."
"And you are absolutely certain that Robin Scorpio's notes are accurate?" asked Helena.
"Yes! I checked them against the computer records. They match perfectly and I see nothing very different from what I myself remember," said Peter. "This last batch is promising. We will know within the hour of success or ... or not."
"And if it is not, then what do we do?" asked Helena.
"I don't know. We do not have a Plan B," admitted Charlotte. "It is all up to Peter."
"This last version will work. I know it will," said Peter.
"Much more is riding on this that ever before," stressed Helena. She smiled warmly at the scientist. "I know you are doing your best. Your efforts are appreciated, Peter."
"Thank you, Helena. I owe you, the both of you, everything," replied Peter. He lifted his lunch plate. "I'll get back to the lab. I'll let you know in an hour."
After Peter left the room, Charlotte and Helena both regarded the other in silence.
"We must have a Plan B," said Helena simply.
"I agree. We will have one," said Charlotte.
"I can see the wheels turning in your mind."
"Do you still have the packets of Compound X in your possession?" asked Charlotte.
"The ones delivered to me in Port Charles? I believe I have one packet in my purse."
"Good. Give it to me. I will have it analyzed by someone competent. On the outside."
"We have the formulas and-"
"And what if they are wrong?"
"Peter verified their accuracy."
"Robin is a Devane. They are known for certain family traits - daring, personal honor and cleverness," said Charlotte. "I know how clever she can be. I am living proof of that."
"You suspect she did something?"
"So did you a few moments ago. Robin is only human. If you were held captive for as long as she was, would you not want revenge?" asked Charlotte. "I have procured untainted base materials for Peter at great cost. If this batch fails, then we have eliminated contamination as a cause. It leaves only one other possibility to consider."
"The notes and the records were changed," said Helena.
"Yes."
"That would take years and ... she had that," said Helena with dawning comprehension. "And the will and the means."
"She is a Devane and a Scorpio. Would you put anything beyond her given sufficient cause and motivation? I wouldn't," said Charlotte.
"All that is very plausible, but would she? It smacks of pure revenge," said Helena. "Robin is a compassionate person. I have seen that compassion work miracles."
"For years, she was someone with nothing to live for. Wouldn't revenge be a filling dish in that scenario?" asked Charlotte. "We underestimated her ..."
"To our cost," finished Helena. "What do we do?"
"Let us pray, Helena, that this version is satisfactory because if it is not, then we have a problem with a very thorny, expensive solution," said Charlotte.