Majestic Theater
The lobby was a picture of neatness and order. The chaos of the day's fittings, interviews and styling challenges was gone. In its place were rows of clothes racks with each item labelled and ready for use, sparkling clean counters and the quiet murmur of voices mingled with soft soothing music.
Robert nodded at various members of his team who were doing their own preparations for the party's security needs. He took the lobby stairs two at a time. At the landing, he spied no one waiting for him. The space was eerily empty. He ascended to the balcony level.
BANG! CRASH!
"Ah, the dulcet sounds of my beloved," said Robert turning towards the opening balcony doors.
"Mrs. Scorpio, please stop!"
"Enchanting! Angry suits you."
"Anna, you really need to chill!"
"Do it for ... for world peace!"
"Get someone else!" Anna burst out of the balcony doors. Rollers bounced on top of her head. Creams of various colors were slathered on her face and neck. She yanked at a white smock that hung loose over her body. With effort, she pulled the smock over her head dislodging most of the clinging rollers. "Enough!"
Tiffany, Maxie, Felicia and Frisco ran after Anna. They pulled up short once they saw Robert. He stood a few feet away with his arms crossed grinning like a madman.
Felicia caught Robert's eye and said, "About time. A little help here."
"Enjoying the spa?" asked Robert walking towards his furious wife.
"Hell you mean," said Anna pulling the rest of the rollers from her hair. She ran a hand on her face and grimaced. "Ugh. Someone get me a towel."
"I think you look cute like a ... a mad badger," teased Robert. He took the discarded smock and began to gently wipe lotion from Anna's upturned face. "All this to wear a dress?"
"Not just any dress, Uncle Robert. THE Dress!" cried Maxie. "She's the only one who can wear it."
"She's got the attitude to carry it off," added Tiffany.
"Spare me," said Anna. "Let's get out of here, Robert. I could murder some chicken piccata!"
"She looks fantastic in it!" said Felicia.
Tiffany quirked an eyebrow and gave Robert a meaningful look. "It's red, Robert. Dark, clingy red. Very tactile."
"Please, Uncle Robert," pleaded Maxie. "The news feeds are gonna jump on that dress! The publicity is going to be HUGE!"
Robert winked at Tiffany as he scrunched the smock into a ball. "You did volunteer, luv."
"But, but ... do you know what they've been doing to me in there?" asked Anna.
"Making the dress worthy of you?" Robert tossed the smock ball towards Maxie.
"I am immune to your charms," snapped Anna. "I thought I would just get my hair done, a little facial, some makeup. Not model bootcamp. What is wrong with the way I walk? Why do I have to change?"
Robert lowered his voice, "Do it for Frisco. We both owe him."
"I'm supposed to lose three pounds by tomorrow morning. I could but ... but it's ridiculous," said Anna. "The dress fits fine and I am not fat. Okay. I've had three pregnancies. My body shows it!"
Robert put both hands on Anna's waist effectively stopping her escape. "I just bet it fits like a second skin. It's Valentine's Day tomorrow. Time for a new dress. I can't wait."
Anna would not be placated. "And TOMORROW I have to spend HOURS here preparing for the show. HOURS!"
Frisco caught the basic flow of his friends' conversation. He had an idea to get the reluctant one's full cooperation. "Anna, I think it's YOUR turn to be, um, treated to a ... a unique and unforgettable experience. Borderline life changing."
Anna's shot Frisco a look of pure annoyance. It became an intense glare as she realized what Frisco was alluding to. "We agreed to never discuss THAT ever again."
Robert smirked. "Frisco's right."
"No, Robert," said Anna firmly.
"A few variations come to mind," said Robert. "Something easier on the back and the knees."
"And the shoulders," put in Frisco helpfully. "It looked painful."
"Took me three chiropractor visits to get the knots out," said Robert flexing his shoulders in memory.
"What are y'all talkin' 'bout?" asked Tiffany.
"Nothing," said Frisco.
"Utter rot and nonsense," said Anna.
"The good old days," added Robert. "Or is it the bad old days?"
The ladies came closer to Anna. They formed a semi circle around her like pack animals surrounding a wounded pack mate or a helpless prey.
"Sounds important to me," said Felicia. She looked at her husband. "What do you know about whatever it is?"
Picking up on Mr. and Mrs. Scorpio's body language and general tone, Maxie had an instant flashback of her godmother and uncle doing adult things. "I know way too much already. I'm going to see about Marcello." She scurried off to find the mercurial designer.
"Look, we need an answer. What will it be, Anna?" asked Tiffany.
Frisco murmured softly. "Black stockings with red hearts."
"What did you say?" asked Felicia.
Anna's face began to flush starting from her neck and moving upwards.
Robert glanced at Frisco knowing the strategy he was employing and heartily endorsing it. "Does Wyndhams still sell those?"
"Probably one of their best sellers," said Frisco.
"Women get runs on their stockings all the time," said Robert. "Best to stock up."
"Amazing what desperate people will do and-" began Frisco.
"All right! Fine. I'll do it," said Anna.
Tiffany beamed. "Great! I'll go tell Maxie." She went off after her goddaughter.
Felicia looked at each of her friends in turn. "Something just happened here, right? Something involving you three. Do I need to know about it?"
Three people shook their heads vigorously.
"Was it fun?" asked Felicia.
"Looked like it to me," said Frisco with an easy smile. He took Felicia's hand and led her away. "Honey, I've got reservations for us, Mac and Dia at Lola's. My treat. Let's go!"
"Oh, what could have been," murmured Robert.
"I seem to recall you weren't very, um, mobile," said Anna.
"But very motivated. If you'd just stayed and talked instead of flouncing off in a huff like you did, who knows what could have happened between us."
Anna clutched at Robert's shirt. "I got carried away. I didn't mean for it to get that far. I really thought you could have gotten out of those knots."
"I tried. All night. Nearly dislocated my shoulders."
"I'm sorry. Truly." She pressed herself closer to him. "I try my best to make it up to you, don't I?"
"I love it when you get like this. I'm going to hate being a mood breaker but priorities before passion." Robert pulled away.
"What's now?"
"We're needed, Mrs. Scorpio."
Anna laughed. "Lead on, Mr. Scorpio."
Robert and Anna headed back into the theater and backstage to the Writers Room where they would contact C and C.
Kelly's Diner
Doctors Leo Julian and Matt Hunter could barely summon the energy to eat either an extremely late lunch or an early dinner. Helping out, Bobbie fussed over them pouring coffee and pushing more food on the weary doctors.
"Back to back shifts are brutal," said Leo taking a bite of his sandwich.
"They've called in some of us auxiliary nurses. I'm working two shifts tomorrow. What's going on over there?" asked Bobbie.
"You don't know?" asked Matt.
"Between my adoption agency, this place and prepping for the insurance audit, my head is spinning," answered Bobbie.
"Too many absentee staff. Flu season. The ER gets busier and busier every night," said Matt. "You didn't hear any of that from me."
"I know how shorthanded we can be sometimes but this is the first time it's hitting all departments," said Leo.
"If people are sick, they shouldn't be at work, especially in a hospital," said Bobbie. "Double shifts come with the territory."
"IF they're really sick," muttered Matt.
"What was that?" asked Leo. His beeper began to sound. He took out his cell phone and called his service. His expression grew grave. "I'll be right there." He hung up. He made to take his wallet out but Matt stopped him.
"I got this," said Matt. "What's wrong?"
"It's Brittany. That young girl that came in the other night. Her liver is failing," said Leo. "She has no history of liver problems. What is going on? I gotta get back!"
Matt put some bills on the table. He efficiently wrapped his sandwich in a napkin. "She's our special case. I'll follow you there."
On the way out, Leo bumped into Luke coming in.
"Sorry!" said the departing Leo.
"Doctors always have blinders on," said Luke. He dodged Matt who also left in a hurry. Luke saw Bobbie and was about to turn around and leave but Bobbie spotted him.
Bobbie pointed at a far table. "Luke, have a seat over there."
Luke wasn't fool enough to not recognize a sisterly command when he heard one. "I ... I don't have time for this. I got business and-"
"Make time. We need to talk," said Bobbie.
Writers Room, Majestic Theater
The large overhead monitor displayed two split images - Giles in C and C and Andre in Paris. Robert tapped keys furiously on the computer while Anna sat on the edge of a desk lost in thought.
"The trace back is confirmed. The merchandise that Sinclair funneled through Faison's townhouse went to a company fronting for the Gem Group," said Andre. "I have confirmation from two different sources."
"They do keep popping up, don't they?" commented Giles. "Warnings don't seem to be making a difference."
"Perhaps our warnings are too subtle. Some people literally need to be hit on the head with the truth," said Andre.
"We can't risk revealing too much too soon to the wrong people," said Robert.
"Let's make an example for them. One that I can leave on their doorstep. Today perhaps," offered Andre.
"Bored already?" asked Giles.
"We did ALL agree to take the offensive. We can't go halfway and stop," said Andre. "We lose all momentum and waste the element of surprise that we have painstakingly crafted over a decade."
"The Gems aren't easy to intimidate," said Robert. "Or they're desperate."
"Or both," said Giles.
"Their cage needs rattling. Good, hard and convincingly," said Robert. "They're going to be at the fundraiser tonight. I'll pull their chain a little. See what happens."
"Don't pull too hard, Robert," said Anna.
"They haven't stopped targeting Robin. They continue to do business with Sinclair. Connie has told us to lay off the Gems but Frisco said he disagreed but complied. I trust his instincts. If there is the slightest possibility that Tim was taken out by the Gems, I want to know about it," said Robert. "I'm not playing tiddlywinks with them, Anna."
"Just don't scare them off. Keep them interested."
"Why? We're not in the corporate espionage business," said Andre.
"The Gem Group has too many connections. We know relatively little about them while they know more about us. And, when someone is this persistent, there's usually a good reason. The fact that it seems to involve us in some unknown way makes me ... nervous," said Anna. "So, we will proceed with caution."
Robert cleared his throat. "Fine. Kid gloves for you but Abelard will be following a harder line."
Andre grinned. "Abelard going to be making his public debut then?"
"Unavoidable. Better to be on my home ground I think," said Robert.
"What are you planning?" asked Anna.
Robert pondered, "Not sure yet but I have some ideas. It depends on the straight lines I get when I meet them. Let's move on to my favorite topic - Faison. Where is he?"
"Is he sane?" asked Anna.
Andre consulted his notes. "He left a homicidal trail after he got treatment for a ... a hand injury in a clinic in Finland. A doctor, a truck driver who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He disappeared. Then we got a break. One of Fedosya Shikova's temp workers was doing baggage duty at Koltsovo International Airport. He identified Faison coming through in an arrival terminal."
"Koltsovo? Where is that?" asked Giles. "Doesn't sound familiar."
"It serves Yekaterinburg, the capital city of the Ural Mountains," said Andre. "Not your typical tourist destination."
"Identification is absolute positive?" asked Robert.
"Fedosya has her people trained. As soon as an ID was made, the worker called it in. We have two more sightings. Once when Faison bought a newspaper and once more getting into a taxi outside," said Andre. "I managed to snag a bit of security camera footage." He tapped a key on his console. A grainy but identifiable image appeared on the monitor. "I think we can all agree that that is Faison."
"Ural Mountains here I come," said Robert rising to his feet.
"And that's probably what he wants you to do," said Anna.
"He doesn't know I'm coming. He doesn't even know of my ... our involvement in the destruction of his power base," said Robert.
"How do you know he doesn't know?" challenged Anna. "We can't have destroyed everything. He still has resources and he's not afraid of using them."
"This has to be finished. The sooner the better."
"He broke cover to lure you out there. It's probably a trap. Again." Anna bit her lip. "He has your number, Robert. He knows how to predict what you'll do."
Robert faced off against Anna. "He's on the run. He's at the end of his tether and I'm going to be the one to sever it completely trap or no."
"Think. Don't react. Please. You've waited this long, Robert. Wait a little bit longer until we know more information," pleaded Anna.
"We know where he is. It's time," said Robert.
Andre interrupted, "Actually we don't know where he is. He's not in any of the hotels in the city. Fedosya's brought in more people to scour the city. They haven't come up with a single sighting or potential location."
"So it was a stopover on the way to another location. Hopscotch," said Giles.
Robert leaned against the tall windows looking out over the Megaplex's main courtyard. "He could be anywhere in the world by now."
"Stalemate," murmured Anna.
"He's never been more vulnerable than he is now. We're getting closer and closer as we peel away more and more layers," said Robert. "I ... I can be patient a little while longer. Since I can't have Faison, I'll settle for a near relation of his. What's the word on Peter Sinclair?"
"I'm in the middle of back tracing the merchandise and people trail from the London townhouse to its origin," said Andre. "We should have something definite within a few days."
"What's taking so long?" asked Anna.
"Charlotte Devane. This particular transaction seems to have involved multiple transfer points and couriers zigzagging through Europe and Asia. Based on what we know about her, this smacks of her style," said Andre. "I don't want to tip her off so intelligence gathering is slow and also done through multiple avenues of information. It takes time."
Heloise appeared on the monitor over Andre's shoulder. "Hello, everyone. I have just received some interesting news from our friends in England, Robert."
Robert groaned. "I haven't recovered yet."
Heloise chuckled. "Augusta said to expect a visit."
"Just her? No Red King?" asked Robert.
"That's all the message contained."
Robert's shoulders relaxed. "Oh, well, that should be fine. When?"
"I would assume at any time."
"What's the protocol for this sort of thing?" asked Anna.
"I believe it is best to simply play it by ear. Is that the correct saying?"
"Just wonderful," said Anna. "More house guests to hide."
Kelly's Diner
Bobbie sat down and studied her squirming brother. "You're up to something."
"I always look like this," said Luke. "You're reading something that's not there."
"Uh, huh, sure I am," said Bobbie.
"To prove my point, I'm going to tell you something new and positive."
"Like what?"
"Two things. First, Lulu paid me a visit and we talked about ... about dating, jobs and other stuff," said Luke. "She came to me to talk. We didn't argue one bit."
"You could go talk to her a few times, too. Don't lose out on the chance to be in her life, Luke. That's all I'm saying," said Bobbie. "What's the second thing?"
Luke sighed dramatically then said, "Robert and I, well, we're amigos again."
Bobbie beamed. "That's great! You two can be so grouchy when you're on the outs."
"We're not attached at the hip, Red."
"I like it when you and Robert are friends."
"Didn't you have your eye on him back in the day?"
"Maybe a little. Who didn't?" giggled Bobbie. "Anyway, I feel better that you and Robert are on good terms. I can't be the only one looking out for you."
A shadow fell across on their table. "I thought Spencer was a lone wolf."
"I am, Johnny. Always." Luke pulled an envelope out of his pocket. "Here you go."
Johnny took the envelope and he stuffed it into his coat pocket. He extended a hand towards Luke. "Congratulations, Mr. Spencer, sir."
"Yeah, yeah. Get out of here and keep your nose clean," advised Luke letting go of Johnny's hand.
"Aye, aye." Johnny left the diner.
Bobbie looked sharply at Luke. "A handshake deal, money in an envelope, Johnny Z and you. What's the story? The truth, Luke."
"Nothing nefarious, sister mine. I just bought out Johnny's shares of the Star. I'm the majority owner now." Luke grinned. "That's positive news number three. I'm on a roll."
Quartermaine Mansion Gardens
The solarium air was warm and moist. It was a welcome change from the February chill. Wearing gloves, Edward bent slightly and expertly used a pair of shears to prune a pink rose bush.
"You really like it in here don't you?" said Edward.
A barely audible bell-like chime sounded.
"Yes, my dear, it was a stroke of genius to have an enclosed garden. I happily admit I was wrong," said Edward gazing upwards. "As to your plants, well, they're stubborn just like their owner."
With a satisfied smile, he squeezed the shears until the stem snapped. He pulled at the rose and placed the long stem into a vase half full of water. "What do you think, Lila? Pink roses for the dinner table?"
Another chime sounded. The rose bush swayed left and right. Footsteps grew closer. Dillon entered the solarium.
"Grandfather, let me do that for you," said Dillon. He pulled off his tie then put on a pair of gardening gloves. He relieved Edward of the shears.
"Fill the vase, please, Dillon," instructed Edward. He took a seat by the round metal table next to Monica. "How was your first solo day, my boy?"
"Nerve wracking," admitted Dillon. "Making films is easy by comparison."
"Any lessons learned you care to share?"
"That figures on paper aren't just numbers. They're people. They're the difference between steady employment and layoffs." Dillon snipped a series of roses and put them in the vase. "Good decisions and bad decisions. The worst part is you never really know whether your decision is good when you make it."
"That's where hindsight and experience count the most. You will make bad choices, Dillon. Those will happen. What you should guard against are choices made in haste, ignorance or sheer malice. Avoid those. The returns are almost always unpleasant," advised Edward.
Dillon carried the filled vase to the small table. "I don't want to make any bad choices at all."
"Admirable but unavoidable," said Edward with a chuckle.
"There's so much to learn. I could never know as much as you do."
Edward pointed at his head. "There's nothing much in here believe me."
Behind Dillon, the rose bush swayed gently.
"A stupid person couldn't have built ELQ. Someone asks you a question and you know the answer. My mind goes blank and my tongue gets all twisted."
"Things will get better, easier. Just learn as much as you can. We are all here to answer your questions," said Edward. "If I have one good piece of advice it would be this. Don't be afraid of taking calculated risks."
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained?" asked Dillon.
"Audentes fortuna iuvat. Fortune favors the bold," clarified Edward. "Creating ELQ wasn't the biggest risk I've ever taken."
"It wasn't?"
Edward caressed a rose. "No. It was ... was asking Lila to be mine."
CHIME.
Dillon looked around. "Did you hear that?"
"Lila knew exactly why I was there. My knees were knocking so loudly that I swear they could hear me coming from ten feet away."
"Of course she said yes," said Dillon.
"She did but she didn't have to. Not really."
CHIME.
Dillon looked in the direction of the various plants and bushes. "Is there a phone in here?"
Edward laughed. "Heh, heh, yes, my dear, love is indeed blind."
Study at the Mayor's Mansion
Vodka was liberally splashed into the crystal glass. Mayor Floyd stoppered the decanter with jerky motions. He took a hefty gulp then slammed the glass down on the counter.
"Garrett?!" asked Andrea Floyd as she rushed into the room.
"Cancel your weekend trip," said the mayor.
"I can't. It's been planned for months. I really need a break from this place," said Andrea.
Drink in hand, Floyd sat down on the couch. "It's going to take both of us to do damage control."
"What damage control? There's nothing going on."
"Remember, we celebrated when Scorpio resigned?" asked Garrett staring moodily into his drink.
"The champagne flowed that night," said Andrea with a grin. "It took long enough but it was worth it."
"Everything we thought was going to happen, hasn't happened. Instead, the department is more popular and effective than ever," said the mayor. "The department's quarterly report was just delivered to City Hall. The numbers are ... amazing. City crime rate is way down. Arrests are up by at least thirty percent. And, we have more out of state companies planning visits here."
"That hardly sounds like the end of the world, Garrett." Andrea curled her legs under her. "A safe city attracts good citizens and good employers."
"But who has been getting all the credit, the press and interviews? Not us," said Garrett. "My ... our biggest campaign contributor isn't happy. He's losing money and he's looking bad to his people."
"It's temporary. Captain Wells is hardly as experienced as Mac Scorpio. And, she doesn't have the ... the cache of the last name thing," said Andrea. "She's riding on a wave of popularity that's going to end real soon. We can wait her out, too."
"No, we can't. Our special funding is being cut by half," said Garrett.
"What?! He ... he can't do that."
"Of course he can. He already has." Garrett finished his drink. "So, no vacation, no jewels and cancel that new car you wanted. We watch every penny going out. You understand?"
"We've done what we're supposed to do, Garrett. He can't cut us off," protested Andrea.
"I don't know how it happened but we've lost more control this year than ever before," said the mayor. "My poll numbers are low. I need to raise them before the election next year. I need to have a police commissioner who'll play along."
"What we need is an old-fashioned crime wave or a big disaster. Something that will make me, I mean you, look good and likable." said Andrea. "Let's give this some thought."
Port Charles Police Department
Detectives Alvin Martinez put down a bag bearing the Zekkers Bakery logo on top of the desk of his partner Lucky Spencer. Lucky grunted recognition but did not take his eyes off his computer display.
"Take a break. Dinner time. Have a bite," said Alvin. "I love Zekkers."
"In a minute," replied Lucky. He stood up, picked up a red push pin and walked over to a city map posted on the wall. He placed the pin next to a blue one. "Well? See anything?"
Alvin stood some distance from the map. "Yeah, lots of pins that look pretty but don't make a pattern."
"We don't have enough data. That's the problem," said Lucky. "The green pins are pharmacies where the victims picked up their prescriptions. The blue pins are the offices of the doctors who issued the prescriptions. But where are the drugs coming from in the first place."
"It's a slick operation. The source is unknown. We have to do a lot of investigation to prove our suspicions. We have to be careful before we start arresting doctors and closing drug stores," said Alvin. "I don't even want to think about the feds coming in."
"If we can only find out how the drugs are getting to the pharmacies in the first place, then we could crack this wide open," said Lucky pacing in front of the map.
"We've done six stake outs with nothing to show for it. Every delivery we've covered was legitimate. Maybe they use carrier pigeons."
"Fly is coming into the city and then getting distributed. We're not talking little amounts here," said Lucky.
"I say we bring a few suspects in for questioning," said Alvin.
"And send everyone involved into hiding or force us to make sloppy, hasty prosecutions," came the voice of new police chief Samantha Wells. "This is too important. The answers are there to be found. Let's do our job and find them."
"How?" asked Lucky.
Captain Wells handed a yellow Post-It note to Alvin. "I've spoken with a professor of Pharmacology at Port Charles University. He's willing to prep one of you to act as a Pharmacy Technician student assigned to observe at a pharmacy for a few weeks. While you're interning, you'll be officially on vacation. You two decide which one goes undercover and where."
"Flip you for it," said Lucky.
"It should be me. I don't have kids who'll miss me," said Alvin.
The captain glanced at the map. "That's just a starting point." She held out a manila folder stuffed with documents. "This is the real deal. Anna gave me a contact at the Drug Enforcement Administration. He passed me these evidence guidelines that will help us build an airtight case to take to the DEA. We give them what they need and they can't refuse to take action."
"Catching someone red-handed isn't going to be easy," said Lucky. "Arresting one or even five people won't make much of a difference. We need the boss. We need to clog up the pipeline."
"What we need is to prove just cause for the DEA to come in. Right now that's more important than getting a collar and being on the front page," said Wells.
"But-"
"This is a local problem that could become a national issue for all levels of law enforcement."
Lucky was persistent. "Exactly! Which is why we ought to be-"
"Focused and dedicated." Wells crossed her arms. "I can see you're suffering from a case of Spyitis where you long for danger, excitement and chances to be the hero. The more evil the baddie is, the better."
Alvin looked at Lucky. "She's got you pegged."
"I know that the old case files have become suddenly popular lunch time reading material. I don't have a problem with that. But there are some things that aren't in those files that made those files possible. Things like the discipline to follow procedure or the times we got a break because we never let up even when things got dull and ordinary or the time we spent away from our families and friends because we were needed here," said Wells. "Those things are conveniently brushed aside when cases go to trial and perps go to jail. But, us, the ones in the trenches, we shouldn't forget what's behind the thrill of the chase or the danger of a sting operation. Robert and Mac never forgot. Let me tell you Robert was more proud of this department when we solved the local, quieter cases than the high profile ones. Why? Because that's what cops do and that's what we are. Personally, I prefer to leave the high wire act to the spies. I suggest you decide whether you want to be the one falling from the sky or the one holding the safety net. I need cops, Lucky, not dreamers."
The Captain bade the detectives good night and left them to their thoughts.
"Ouch! She doesn't mince words," said Alvin.
Lucky sighed. "She's right. What do I really want? Do I know what I want? I have no idea."