Lola's Bistro at the Megaplex
A live band played a set of jazz fusion melange on the side stage. The listening audience was in a mellow mood. Mac and Frisco made small talk waiting for their ladies to return from freshening up.
"What are you going to be doing after you get back from your honeymoon job wise?" asked Frisco. "If you don't mind my asking that is."
"Don't mind because I have no clue," said Mac. "No, wait. I know I don't want to see a badge for a long time. Or a uniform. Or be an authority figure. It's never been a good fit for me."
"It was for my girls - all of them," said Frisco. "I look at Maxie and I am amazed. She is what she is because of you."
"Felicia did her share. And, uh, who says they would have turned out differently if you had raised Maxie and Georgie."
"I say so because I know so. I loved the idea of family and fatherhood but the reality was something I don't believe I was ready to face," said Frisco. "See, my brother Tony was the realist. He was the one that watched over me and told me off when I did stupid things. He was a fantastic father to Barbara Jean and Lucas. He wasn't one to complain much when bad things happened to him. He got angry, found ways to cope and went on with his life. That wasn't me. I'd want to rant and rave about the cosmic injustice, get more angry and not rest until I was able to do something to fix things to my satisfaction. But getting angry at life is like hitting the waves on the ocean and expecting them to stay down. I couldn't deal with the anger so I focused on what I could do."
"Save the world?" asked Mac wryly.
"Quantity over quality."
"That doesn't make sense."
"In my head, tracing and capturing several hundred kilos of cocaine was more important because that one act affected thousands of people and several countries. The more success I had in the WSB the more warped my personal scales became until my own family weighed too little to matter," said Frisco. He looked down on his plate. "It's a personal weakness that Tony and you didn't have. Maxie and Georgie ended up with the better father. For that I'm grateful and very humbled."
"If we'd met before I came to Port Charles, we would have been more alike. My scales were pretty skewed back then, too," admitted Mac.
"Really? What changed?"
"Losing my family for the second time did the trick. Robbie wouldn't have been in New York City if it hadn't been my birthday. He came to be at a party for me. I've always thought that if he had been home, where he belonged, that Faison wouldn't have dared to kidnap Anna."
"You stayed out of guilt?"
"Not really. After the WSB told Sean and me about Anna and Robert, leaving never entered my mind," said Mac. "When we were young, if anyone wanted to mess with me they had to go through big brother first. When I came here, he still protected me as best he could. After she got over the urge to kill me, Anna smoothed over our brotherly reconciliation. No matter what family was first with them. It became the same for me. I don't know exactly when that happened. Maybe it was seeing Robin, Robert and Anna being so happy together. They couldn't be around for Robin but I sure could be and that was it. Done deal."
"No regrets?" asked Frisco.
"Just one. That I didn't look for them. I had such a strong feeling that they were still alive but I stayed here. Maybe I could have found them. Changed things. I'll never know," said Mac. "But you helped them get out alive after the explosion."
"Hardly. I lost Anna and I couldn't stop what happened to Robert. Knowing that Ross manipulated things behind the scenes for Faison doesn't make it less of a failure."
"Things turn out the way they do for a reason. That's what I believe," said Mac. "The past is over. You're here now. Make things right with Maxie."
"How?"
"Just be here day in and day out. Before you know it the scale will tip over to the family side. You probably won't even notice it until the wanderlust isn't leading you by the nose anymore."
"Bad mental image." Frisco looked at Mac and raised his glass of wine. "Family AND friends?"
Mac clinked his glass against Frisco's glass. "Yeah, mate."
Harbor View Hotel
Arnold Vandenberg edited a presentation slide on his laptop. Chase Masters ran an electronic signal scanner around the room for the second time.
"I told you to stop," said Arnold.
"Two passes at two different times is standard procedure," said Chase.
"You're not going to find anything."
Chase ran the scanner by the exhaust vent. "I had the science guys give me the latest and best scanner we have. It scans five additional wavelengths and sound levels."
"They have better."
Chase put the scanner down. "They have you truly spooked."
"I prefer to NOT underestimate them," said Arnold. "We shouldn't be here. We said we would stay away and-"
Chase held up a vellum envelope. "They've extended an invitation that we cannot decline. This is exactly why we're here. It's a sign, Arn."
"You didn't find it suspicious that the card was in a suite that was reserved in our names BEFORE we even checked in?" asked Arnold.
"It further confirms that they have the technology resources we need plus conveniently placed informers," said Chase. "I do wonder how they knew we were in town. Sean didn't know. He couldn't have told them."
"I was probably tagged at the airport or my ticket was." Arnold began to ramble. "They probably know about this presentation. We're going to get told off at the fundraiser or, worse, be made an example of."
"Arn!"
Arnold pointed at three pieces of paper tacked on the wall. They said three words: We know you.
The message had been the first thing they had seen on entering the suite followed by the invitation.
"I am taking that message seriously. We are being set up, Chase."
"In public and on their property? I doubt it," said Chase. "Besides, Sean will run interference. He won't let things go too far."
"You think Sean is going to want to tip his hand? I don't think so. We are on our own."
RAP. RAP.
The two men turned at the same time. Chase reached for his sidearm.
Arnold pressed close to the door. "Who is it?"
There was no answer.
Arnold inched the door open and peered into the hallway. It was empty. He opened the door fully and spotted a large brown envelope at the door. He took the envelope and closed the door. Artfully drawn on the front was the Gem logo. He took the envelope inside saying, "We got a present it seems."
Arnold turned the envelope upside down. Photos rained down on the desk. The two men sorted through them.
"Pictures of the team in Vladivostok. Me at the airport both times," said Arnold.
Chase pushed three pictures to the side. "There's me checking in. There's the two of us in the elevator. Another one here in this room." He looked around the room. "I couldn't find a camera. The scanner didn't detect anything. How are they doing this?"
Arnold pointed at the message on the wall. "They're sending the message loud and clear."
General Hospital
Hollow-eyed, Matt collapsed on to a bench in the hallway. Emanating from the room he had just left were the heavy sobs and anguished cries of Brittany's parents. Leo was still inside doing his best to comfort the inconsolable.
Matt slapped the side of the bench in frustration. Around him, the ward was returning to a normal routine. Matt felt anything but normal. He stared at hands that trembled with helpless fury. He wasn't aware of his brother sitting down next to him.
"Hey," said Patrick. "I'm here if you want to talk about it."
"N-n-no words ... just ... it's so unfair," spluttered Matt. "She was stable and then ... then she wasn't."
"We're doctors not gods. You did what you could."
"Fly. We knew it was in her system. We should have tried harder to save her." Matt took several deep breathes to calm himself.
"It was an accident that she took it right?" asked Patrick.
"Fly pills were mixed in with her mother's real prescription. Her mother left the bottle on the dresser and Brittany tipped it over. She thought it was candy."
"A complete accident then. Her parents weren't drug users. It was complete chance. Nothing you could have done would have changed the outcome."
"You're wrong! I should have acted," said Matt. "I did the analysis and I couldn't hand it off to ... to Lucky fast enough. I washed my hands off the issue like it was nothing."
"You didn't know what it really was about, Matt. You're not a cop. You're a doctor and a good one," said Patrick.
"Fly is being distributed as a counterfeit drug. Counterfeit drugs is what brought me here in the first place. I backed off that investigation. I didn't even give my notes to the police," said Matt.
"Have you forgotten that it was either that or your life?"
"It wasn't a choice, Patrick. I was terrified for my life," said Matt. "You know when we're in the operating room, we ARE gods. That's a world that's fully under our control. We make life and death decisions all the time and we don't back away. We attack the cause and leave things better than how we found it. Out here, we strut around like prized peacocks. But when things get really rough, we don't attack, we duck our heads in the sand like ostriches."
"Wait a minute. The training and experience of a surgeon isn't something to sneeze at. You or I can pick up a gun and shoot. How many people can use a scalpel and make someone better?" asked Patrick. "Personally speaking, my survival instincts will kick in before any thought of heroics. That's for adrenalin junkies like my in-laws. We'd look pretty silly with a shield and sword."
"What about the pen is mightier than the sword? I could have turned my notes to the police. Maybe if they had been allowed to investigate, Fly would never have happened," said Matt.
"Ah, this is about guilt. Let me tell you about guilt," said Patrick. "I talked Eve into accepting Nikolas' dinner invitation. She didn't want to but I talked her into it. If we hadn't gone, we'd never been caught in that maze or you and Maxie either. And I could go home to my wife and baby. I'd be a lot happier than I am now."
"I'm sorry. I'm the one who's supposed to be supporting you."
"I'm okay. Getting better day by day. It's my turn to play big brother," said Patrick. "What happened tonight is tremendously sad for everyone involved. Go ahead and grieve. Be angry. Cry your eyes out. In the morning, remember that you're a doctor. Pick yourself up and help as many people as you can. That's the best way to pay it forward for yourself and for Brittany."
"My head knows you're right. A doctor is taught how to handle the loss of a patient. But this one, Patrick, this one is personal," said Matt.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Get some rest and tomorrow I'm going to the PCPD. I'm going to make a pest of myself until they commit to investigating the network and letting me help," said Matt.
"You? Help?" asked Patrick dubiously.
Matt pointed at his head. "I spent years tracing the counterfeit drug network from hospital to hospital, state to state. There's a lot of data in here and it's time it got put to use. This time I'm not going to fold so easily. No one is talking me out of it."
"I wasn't thinking of trying," assured Patrick. "Matt, you're already working on the antidote. Isn't that enough?"
"I don't have the research and development expertise that the others do. I'm more on the clinical side. But the information on the network is all mine," said Matt. "Patrick, it's not enough to find an antidote. The network has to be shut down. I might be able to help do that."
"Then do me a favor. Keep your head down, huh?"
"You think Anna would teach me some Kung Fu moves?"
Patrick chuckled. "I'd pay to see that." He tapped Matt on the shoulder. "Time to get you home."
Matt stood up and walked alongside his brother. "What are you doing here this late?"
"Emergency surgery. I was the closest surgeon on call," replied Patrick.
"You've been on call all week. Take a night off."
"After ... after Valentines Day I will. I gotta keep busy until then," said Patrick. "My patient is going to be in post op for a while so I don't want to be too far in case I have to come back. Can I crash at your place?"
"Sure. Who has Emma tonight?"
"Having dozens of potential babysitters on 24/7 speed dial is really convenient. Emma is with her doting grandparents and uncle," said Patrick. "C'mon, let's get some much needed sleep."
Venturi Warehouse
Johnny slid a briefcase across the table. Dino smiled and passed it on to Paulie.
"You're not going to open it? Count it?" asked Johnny.
"Why? I trust you," said Dino. "And from now on it's Dino and Johnny. Agreed?"
Johnny's smile was ear to ear. "Oh, yes. Yes, it is."
"Welcome to the family, Johnny. Do you have time to talk?"
"Absolutely."
"Follow me." Dino led Johnny down a corridor to a door marked "Storage." Dino opened the door.
Inside, Johnny spied two pallets stacked seven feet high with boxes marked "Jera Solvents Ltd."
"The shipment came in earlier. This will assure us of supply for at least six months," said Dino. "The question mark is production."
Johnny swallowed. "I have to be honest. I can't process this much raw material. I don't have the equipment or the labor."
"Honesty is always the best policy with me. Very good," said Dino. "Franjo and his people are setting up a larger facility with all the necessary equipment. He'll let you know where it is once it's ready. Labor, however, will be your concern. Can you get what you need?"
"Give me a day and I can," assured Johnny.
"You have two days. It's Valentines tomorrow after all," said Dino. "Once the facility is running, I expect continuous production."
"You got it. My word," said Johnny.
"You have the run of production, Johnny. I won't be looking over your shoulder," said Dino. "I just have one rule. I expect to be informed of any and all issues that could cause delays. Can you follow that rule?"
Johnny nodded. "And the distribution side? Luke's got that doesn't he?"
Dino said nothing but his smile hinted at an answer.
"I know how I get the raw powder but how does my finished product get to the pharmacies? How come no one has caught on to the phony prescriptions the docs are giving out? I've never been able to figure that stuff out," said Johnny.
"We have developed a system efficient in action and result. That's all you need to know for now. Knowing less keeps you safer and indirectly all of us," said Dino. "Focus on your part of the puzzle, Johnny. Without your efforts, we have nothing."
"Message understood, Dino."
"I knew you were a smart man."
ELQ Pharmaceuticals Packing Department
An open shipping box rumbled along the assembly line rollers. It was one box in a series of boxes that passed across the scanner which was the last point of quality control. Furtive eyes glanced at the display. It verified that the box was intended for Orson Pharmacy in Port Charles. Gloved hands felt among the packaging peanuts matching the contents with the manifest taped on the box. A quick movement dropped three large plastic pouches into the shipping box.
In the morning, Orson Pharmacy would be fully stocked with their expected order and something extra - a month's supply of Fly tablets.