Chapter 5

The day after seeing the dark-haired lady the man woke with a start from one of his many naps. It was dark and muggy in the little room but he knew he had to find her. Where is she? He got up and quickly grabbed a shirt. He was at the front door of the house when he heard a voice behind him. "Where are you going?"

"I have to find her, he has her! That evil man has her!"

"Who has her? What are you talking about?"

The man tried to come up with a name but all he could really think of was that nauseating stench from the cigar that evil man smoked. He was capable of terrible things, he'd done unthinkable things. That man is dangerous, she is not safe as long as he has her. "He took her!"

"Hey, didn't she get away? I thought you said you saw her last night." Juan hadn't seen him this upset before. He was about to run out of the house and he doesn't even know who he was looking for. What if he had left, would he have come back? Would he have been alright?

"Right, right. She got away. I saw her. She's still out there, though. You don't understand. She could still be in danger!" What if that man is after her? What if he finds her and hurts her? The man put his hand to his head and closed his eyes for a moment.

Juan stepped a little closer, the man looked very pale suddenly. He's too excited and he doesn't look good. Juan reached out to help support him as the man started to sway and put his other hand to his head. "Come on, you should sit down."

The man leaned on Juan for support, he suddenly had a splitting headache. He didn't know where that pain had come from or what had brought it on but he wasn't going anywhere now. He closed his eyes as the pain washed over him. Sleep was always the best thing for him when these headaches came on.

Some of the time he found peace while he slept, other times he was haunted by that stench and his laugh. The monster that had his wife, that had taken her away. That mam hated him and wanted to ruin everything good he had. Those were the times he felt worse when he woke.

Thankfully, he had found quiet walks in the evening, once it started to cool down outside, helped him sleep. He didn't know if it was the fresh air, the quiet, maybe it was that he was moving around some that helped. Whatever it was he found peace in the night air, especially when he was close to the water. He could stand there for hours if Juan would let him. There it was easy to believe she was coming for him. There, by the water's edge, there was something that let him know she does the same thing, somewhere she could be looking out at the water, thinking about him. As he drifted off to sleep that was what he envisioned. Meeting the beautiful woman by the water, them running off to safety together. Taking her hand they would face anything. There was a smile on his face as he fell deeper asleep.

…

Yes, it was summer and yes, she could be out with friends but she didn't feel like hanging out and chatting about boys. Robin didn't really feel like chatting about anything with her friends lately. She was tired of them all feeling bad for her and she hated having to lie about how she is feeling. Instead, Robin sat in her bedroom. Friday, on the bed with her. "She's gonna find him. Yes, she is." Robin could swear he smiled at her. "Were as surprised as me to see her? I bet you were." Robin laid down and Friday laid down right beside her. She smiled and put her arm around him. Having him here helped. He missed them too. He wanted them to come home like she does. "I'm so glad you're here, my dad's dog, Friday." Then she laughed, she really laughed. It felt like it had been forever since she let herself be silly. She put her head on her pillow and relaxed a little. Here alone with this furball, Robin could let herself be happy.

Ever since Anna had been here Robin often talked to Friday like this. He'd happily wagged his tail as she spoke. Sometimes he'd get excited and lick her face while they talked. Robin didn't have anyone else to talk to about this and Friday could keep a secret better than anyone she knows. Her mother is alive and she is going to bring her father home. Friday had been her companion through all of this and everyone, even Holly, just let them be when Robin would shut them both away in her room.

Robin knew Holly was downstairs and she didn't want to talk to her today. They hadn't yelled at each other in a couple of days and Robin was hoping to keep it that way. Knowing the divorce papers were filed had helped. Robin didn't feel as angry with Holly now but she still wished she was somewhere else. If she didn't see her as much maybe she wouldn't get so angry with her. Especially since Robin didn't even know why she was so angry. Was it anger? Annoyed. Bitter. Angry, yeah it's still there.

Robin knew it wasn't right to feel this bitterness or resentment she had towards Holly but she did. Robin didn't want to feel this way but she did. How can she convince Holly to just leave her alone? The more Holly tries to 'help' the more it annoys Robin. And that meant Robin spent more time alone in her room. Holly leaving town would be great but Robin knew that was too much to hope for. She wouldn't get that lucky.

All Robin wanted was to be left alone so she could wait for her parents to come back. She didn't want to answer questions, she didn't want to talk about her feelings. None of that. She wants to believe that her mother has found a lead and already knows where she has to go, what she has to do, to bring her father home.

...

Anna had been up early again today and was back out there looking for clues about Robert. She'd been here for ten days, she had checked the surrounding area and felt he had to be here in San Bernardo del Tuyu. This was the only place anyone had said they had seen him. She just knew deep down inside, he is here. Today she had to find something, she just had to.

It was mid-afternoon and Anna was just leaving a small cafe when she noticed a young man was following her. Discreetly, she watched him as she went up the street asking different people she would pass if she had seen the man in the picture she would show them. Once she knew for sure it was her he was following, Anna decided to lead him to an alley close to a busy street market she had gone through earlier. She wanted to see if she could get the drop on him and talk to him but didn't want to risk being somewhere where no one would see their interaction if there was danger. If he is following her there must be a reason.

The young man watched the dark-haired lady walk through the market. Jose wanted to keep a little distance between them. He wasn't even sure if she was the same person Juan and the man had seen the other evening. She most likely was though, she looked like the lady he had seen asking around and unless he was very wrong that's what she is doing again today.

Jose's mother wanted to know why this woman was asking about their new friend. Jose knew his mother wanted the man they had taken in for herself but if this woman was indeed his wife then she deserved to know where her husband is.

The problem was Selena, Jose's mother, saw the man as a strong male who could take care of her and her family. She would flirt with him but he either didn't notice or didn't care. It was a little sad to watch but Jose couldn't say anything about it without upsetting her. He hated when his mother was sad but felt certain that's what was going to happen.

He and Juan were used to men not sticking around, neither of their fathers stayed after their sons were born. They were just part of a string of men that had been a temporary part of their mother's life. His mother is lonely, she wants the security a man can provide her but that doesn't mean she gets to keep another woman's husband just because she found him hurt in the street. They had all seen his ring and none of them doubted he was married but that still didn't mean this woman is his wife.

As Jose made his way through the market he lost sight of the dark-haired lady a little ways ahead of him. He quickened his pace and was now at the end of an alley. Would she have gone down here?

Jose didn't go far down the alley before turning around again. Why would a woman go down here, she must still be in the market somewhere. As soon as he turned and started walking back to the street he was grabbed from behind. His right arm painfully bent behind his back.

"Why are you following me?"

Her breath was hot on his neck when he felt the gun barrel dig into his back. Jose knew he had made a mistake. "I'm not," he lied.

Anna looked at him a little more closely. Maybe she is being a little more aggressive than needed but she wasn't going to take chances. "I spoke to you the other day. I am looking for someone. He could be in danger and I'm worried he might be injured. That's why I'm here. I am going to ask you this again. Why are you following me?"

"Why are you looking for this man? Who is he to you?"

"He's my husband, he was in that tanker explosion a couple of months ago. He was there to rescue me. Now I'm here so I can find him and take him home so we can finally be together again."

"How do I know you don't want to hurt him? That you, aren't the one he's hiding from?"

That was all she needed to hear to know he knew something about Robert. Anna spun him around, "Where is he?" The gun was now under his chin.

Jose was very scared, nothing like this had ever happened to him before. Finding out why she wanted to find the man shouldn't cost him his life. He looked in her eyes, this woman didn't look like she wanted to hurt him but he got the distinct impression she would if she had to. This woman seems desperate for any information she could get. He didn't think she actually wanted to hurt him though.

"Alright, I'll take you to him but only if you can prove you're who you say you are." His voice was shaky but he hoped he wasn't letting on how scared he was of the woman facing him. He could tell she meant business.

"Don't move!" Anna lowered the gun some and pulled a couple pictured out of her pocket. "This was taken last year. We got remarried in June."

Jose looked at the picture, it was clearly of this woman and the man they mostly just referred to as the man. Maybe she really is the man's wife. Then she showed him the other pictures. Another one of her and the man, him with a girl that had to be their daughter. Jose knew what he had to do. "Okay, come with me. My mother shouldn't be there right now, she'd kill me if she finds out I brought you to our home."

"Lead the way. If Robert is at your home I don't care what anyone says, I am going to see him."

"Yeah, well my mama really likes the man staying with us so you might not be leaving with him."

"If that man is Robert Scorpio. Just watch me!"

Jose just nodded glad the gun seems to have vanished now. He didn't care where she put it now that it was no longer pointed at him. "Alright, let's go." Then they left the alley together.

...

Agent Ronda Norris was meeting with Agent Matthew Tucker again. So far there had been no sign of Anna Scorpio anywhere in Port Charles. They had been watching her house, and the two men they were certain would be the people she would have turned to for help. They needed to have a better idea about what Anna was thinking before she escaped. That was why Ronda had been ordered to come to Port Charles and join the surveillance team.

When Ronda entered the room she noticed a senior agent there, if she was right, he is Agent Colin Ross. "Thank you for coming in, Norris," Agent Tucker said, then offered her a chair. "We just want to ask you a few questions. Maybe you know something about Anna's plans and don't even realize it. She might have said something and you didn't realize it was important, that type of thing."

"What are you going to?"

"We just want to ask you questions and talk about Anna. Hopefully, that will trigger something that can help us."

"We need to find her, the sooner the better," Agent Ross offered from the other side of the room.

Agent Colin Ross' head was on the chopping block with the WSB. First, he hadn't wanted to believe Scorpio when he tried to tell him Faison was alive. Then he had been part of the transport team that had let Faison escape. Then there was that mess with him insisting the recording of Anna had to be real and if that hadn't been bad enough he had lost Robert the night the WSB was making their move and that was how he had made it onto the tanker and is now injured and missing.

Ronda looked over at him, still not sure why he would be here. "Alright, if you think it will help."

"Ever since she escaped she's been in danger," Ross responded quickly. Was that completely true? Maybe not but as long as Faison is out there, there is a very good chance he would come after her again. If Ross wanted to keep his job then he had to be the one that found Faison. He had to be the hero this time.

Ronda looked at Ross, confused by his statement. "Escaped? She wasn't a prisoner."

"She was in our protection."

"Not by her choice," Ronda said under her breath. What do they want to know, she wondered. "We didn't talk a lot. When we did it was usually an argument about why she couldn't see her daughter then that would turn into her demanding to know where Robert is. Sometimes we started with 'where is Robert?' just to change it up."

"Do you think this is funny?" Ross accused. Who does she think she is, this is no laughing matter.

"No this isn't funny. None of it is. We were keeping a woman from her family and you want to pretend we were protecting her. I had to listen to her day after day worrying about the people she loves. I had to tell her over and over that her husband is alive when we don't know that for sure. All she wanted was to see her daughter and find her husband. I've said this already. She would end up getting angry because I know she knew I was lying about Robert. We were keeping her prisoner and I think she ran so she could go find her husband. If Anna came here, she's long gone."

"You sound pretty sure about that."

Ronda Norris stood back up and got right in Agent Ross' face. She did not appreciate that accusative tone in his voice "If I was in her position and I knew my daughter was safe. I would do everything in my power to find the man I love. Was there something here she needed? Yeah maybe, but maybe there was someplace else they kept what either of them would need to go on the run. Robert and Anna Scorpio are both trained WSB agents, they both know how to go underground. Do you really think a trained agent would let any part of their escape plan slip to their captive? I was not her friend, I was her jailer!"

Ross was not used to this kind of insubordination from agents. "Who do you think you are?"

"An agent doing their job. You wanted to know what I know. That's what I know. Anna Scorpio was worried about her husband. She would still be worried about him. After she escaped maybe she came here maybe she didn't, I wouldn't know. Would she have looked into where that tanker the WSB blew up exploded? Yeah. Would she have gone there to look for her husband? Yeah. I was told there are agents there looking for her. So what do you want from me, Agent Ross?"

"Nothing, you're dismissed." He was angry but knew she was right.

Ronda turned and left, she didn't want to be around either of these men another minute. She has had to deal with a lot of different agents since joining the WSB but Agent Colin Ross might be the most annoying one yet. She hated men like him. Who does he think he is? Once she was back on the street Ronda let out a slow breath putting that encounter behind her. She was here to watch for either Robert or Anna Scorpio to return and that was what she was going to do.

A/N: I'm tired of Agent Ross not having a first name so I gave him one lol In the General Hospital Scrap Book he is only listed as Ross. I hope you all still enjoying this, lots yet to come. Enjoy