Chapter 21

"So what did they tell you today?" Mac asked when he saw Sean enter the Outback and start walking toward him. Mac had been here most of the day already, it wasn't busy so he was actually just waiting for Sean's update. Sean looked around and then sat at the bar. Mac saw the concerned look on his face and came over to him. "What's going on?"

Sean glanced around once more then said, "They missed the scheduled call."

"They might have been held up. Maybe it was a long appointment."

Sean nodded along with Mac, "I thought I might have called a little too early the first time. So I waited a couple of hours. The second time I called, I was told they'd checked out. So far, they haven't checked in anywhere else either."

"That's not good." It was Mac's turn to look around uncomfortably. He didn't like this one bit. "Let's go talk in my office."

Sean got up and followed Mac, this was not something people should overhear. Mac was trying to figure out what could have gone wrong, what could have made them run. Robert was meeting with a new doctor to help with his memory. There wasn't any concern about Robby's health. As Mac walked around his desk Mac picked up a bottle, then two glasses. He poured them both a scotch and then sat down.

"Thanks." Sean took a seat as well then took a sip. "There has to be a reason they left. I don't know why they haven't checked in anywhere new yet though unless they felt the need to go underground."

Could they suddenly feel threatened? "Have they made travel arrangements? What if they felt they had to leave, what if it's not safe?" Mac asked as he leaned forward, putting his elbows on his desk.

"I've checked for any activities on the cards they have. So far there's nothing."

"Not even a meal? When did they check out?" He checked his watch, the call was scheduled four hours ago.

"That I don't know. When I called a little over an hour ago and was told they had checked out I started checking and like I said, nothing."

Mac did not like this. As long as they were out of contact he would be worried about them. "Have you told Robin?"

"No. I don't want to freak her out. It hasn't been that long. They will do something we can track," Sean insisted.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Mac leaned back again. As long as they left on their terms, not someone else's. "That doesn't mean I like it."

"I don't like any part of this. We should have been hearing about his treatment plan and what the doctors told him today. How does that lead to them taking off? Something had to have happened."

Mac hated the feeling of helplessness consuming him. "But what?"

"I don't know," then Sean let out a sigh. "There's no point stressing ourselves out trying to figure this out. I couldn't sit at home and not talk to Tiffany about this. I really hate that I can't tell her any of this yet."

"Yeah, that can't be easy but you know the fewer people that know the better. We can't tell anyone what we know."

"I get that and that's exactly why I'm here. I wanted to be somewhere I could let myself worry a little and not be asked what was bothering me. You get to go home and the only other person there knows the truth."

"Alright, I get it." He knew this entire situation is hard on everyone involved. "We have to kill some time. Why don't we get something to eat? Maybe after that, they will have turned up somewhere," Mac suggested hopefully.

"Yeah, alright. I told Tiff I was working late on a case so she won't expect me home any time soon."

"Let's go grab a table, there are distractions out in the club. Might help keep our minds busy." Then the two men walked back out into the club. All they could do was wait and neither one of them liked it that much.

…

Robert sat sipping a coffee. "We were doing so good, now we're back to eating our meals in bus stations."

Anna smiled over at him. It had been some time since they had eaten in a place like this but maybe they were on the run again. "We are passing sometime." He looks as bored as she is.

They had agreed that they needed to lay low for a while. They didn't know if there were people here looking for them now. Sitting in the little diner by the bus station they could kill some time and get a feel of what was happening if anything. They want to appear to be a couple that came into the city by bus this evening and when they leave again it will most likely be as Lyle and Beth. For a short time, they had even considered leaving Halifax but the need for answers had made them decide to stay for now.

"I know." He leaned forward. "That was strange, right? A woman that for all we know could be your twin just happens to be picked as my doctor. That's strange."

"It's definitely random." Anna paused, "You don't think this was somehow a setup, do you?" Anna wondered.

Robert thought about that for a moment, "I don't think so. Alexandra seemed just as confused as we did. I do believe there is a very good chance she is the woman the WSB is using. A few pictures of her start circulating, with chatter about who it might be. That would get Faison's attention. I don't know if it would be enough to get him out of hiding but it might be."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too." Anna didn't like this at all. She knew there was an Aunt Charlette. Does that mean the WSB went looking in her family tree to find someone to use? Was it possible they had known about Alex before this? What would it mean if there was someone that could pass themself off as an agent? Would that be a reason they would have known about her?

Robert could tell she was trying to work this all out. "You're not going to figure it out. I don't think it matters how they knew about her. It's the fact we are way too close to ground zero that worries me."

"What are the chances? Of all the places we could have ended up. We came right to where Ross is planning his great showdown." Anna said in disbelief.'

"It does seem that way."

"I don't like this, Robert. None of it."

"Neither do I." He put his now empty cup down. "We've been here for hours. When are we going to find a bed?"

Anna reached out and stroked his cheek, "You do look a little tired."

"I definitely want to lay down. My head is killing me."

"Baby, why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't want to worry you but now," he closed his eyes and she noticed how truly tired he did look. "I think we need to get out of here."

"Alright, let's go." They grabbed their things, then went and flagged down a cab. Anna had it take them to a small bed and breakfast. She had called and made the reservations a couple of hours ago. They were only going to stay there a couple of days but wanted to make sure they knew where they were heading when they made their next move. The best part was they didn't require a credit card and were happy to take cash as payment. For the next two days, no one would know where they are. They knew the people back in Port Charles were not going to be happy about this but for now, they wanted to stay invisible. It was the only way they would feel safe.

…

Robert dropped onto the bed as soon as they entered their room. He let out a sigh, "Yeah, this is what I needed." With his eyes closed, he put one hand above his head. After a moment he grinned, "What names did you give them, Annie?"

She let out a little laugh and sat on the bed beside him. "Bob and Ann Hill. If they didn't need ID I figured we could use a couple of days unnoticed."

"I'm glad you did. We need a little time to reset." He reached out for her and put his hand on her leg.

Anna put her hand on his chest. "I don't want to think about any of that for the rest of the night."

"You'll get no argument from me." He turned his head and looked up at her, "I don't want to think about any of this, Luv." They both knew that today this all got a lot more complicated and dangerous. There was no way of them knowing what was going to happen or when and that didn't make either of them feel comfortable about this situation.

Anna was now looking into his eyes, there was such love there looking back at her. They are together and they will get through this. She smiled as she leaned in and kissed him tenderly.

"I can tell today took a lot out of you." There was such softness in her eyes as she stroked his cheek. "You should get some rest."

"Only if you join me, Luv. This was a rough day on both of us."

"Alright, I'm just going to get ready for bed." Anna gave him another quick kiss and then stood up again. She smiled back at him, even if they didn't know what was going on. The fact she is here with that man is what matters, they will get through this too. They always do.

…

Mac walked into Kelly's the following day, it wasn't until he saw Ronda that he remembered she had mentioned she would be here today. He smiled briefly when he saw her, then walked over to her table. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all. I was kind of hoping you might show up," she said with a grin. Once Mac was seated Ronda leaned closer to him. "Ross knows we have talked so I let him believe I am trying to get intel about your brother by getting close to you."

"Um," Mac wasn't sure what to say. "Oh."

"I don't want to know anything about him or Anna. Can we keep it that way, please?" Then she smiled at him.

"Sure," he agreed with a smile of his own.

"So what can you tell me about Mac Scorpio? How did you end up in Port Charles?"

"I've already told you this. The boat I was on sank in the harbour, my brother lived here and we reconnected so I stayed."

"You weren't feeding me some line before? I was so worried you know who I was then," Ronda admitted a little shyly.

"I didn't suspect anything at first. I must have seen you somewhere else around then too and that was when I figured out who you must be. Can 'we' just talk today?"

"I'd like that." Just then their waitress came to take their order. Once they were alone again, Ronda smiled and asked, "What were you doing before coming here?"

Mac happily started telling her about himself. They exchanged stories ed and enjoyed their meal. It was nice getting to talk to such an interesting woman. She has had quite the life of her own and doesn't shy away from a little adventure. The WSB made sense as a career choice for her. She was witty and she could make him laugh and he liked that. It was nice to think about something else and not worry about where his brother and Anna are for a little while as well.

"When I first saw you and again just now I saw something in your face. You're worried about something today. Aren't you?" Ronda concluded.

"It's nothing. Just," Mac paused, "communication problems."

Ronda felt she understood what he wasn't telling her and why. "That must be tough."

He grinned, glad she seemed to understand him. "All of this sucks, some days more than others."

"I hear that."

Mac stopped and they looked right at each other and laughed. "This was nice, maybe we should do this again," Mac suggested.

"I'd like that. I should probably get going. If anyone has seen us I might be expected to report back. The longer we're together the more they might expect me to know."

Mac stood up with her, "Well, we can't have that."

"We'll do this again, soon." Ronda touched his arm as she passed then left. Mac smiled after her, this had been nice. He paid their bill, then left as well a smile on his face, Ronda Norris occupying his thoughts.

…

Robert lay stretched out on the bed. They had gone down and had breakfast a while ago but decided to just stay here for the day and had returned to their room. He wasn't trying to sleep but didn't know what else to do. Neither of them really wanted to talk about what was on their minds. All that would do is have them going in circles about the things they don't know.

Anna came back into the room and saw him there. She walked over and without saying a word curled up beside him, putting her head on his chest. She had nothing that needed to be said. Anna looked over at the wall and let out a huff of air. She didn't want to think about the things in her head. When do they get to just have a normal day where all they are wondering is what they are going to have for dinner that evening and that is their biggest concern of the day?

Robert reached down and took her hand in his and let a sigh out as well. He squeezed her hand slightly before letting her pull it away, to put it on his stomach. Robert stared at the ceiling not sure what else to do.

Anna's hand moved slowly back and forth at first. Then once in a while playfully pulled at the fabric of Robert's shirt. Absentmindedly moving the material through her fingers, pinching it, even tugging slightly, slowly she moved his shirt. When her fingers brushed his bare skin, Anna smiled, then moved her hand under his shirt.

"You know, at this moment we don't exist," Anna informed him.

"Oh?" he asked without moving.

"There is no record of us under any name anywhere. Officially Robert and Anna Scorpio are dead."

"That is true. What are you telling me?"

Anna ran her hand up his chest, she gave his pec a little squeeze, then moved her hand further up almost to his shoulder. Slowly her hand moved back down, her thumb moving along his sternum. "For someone that doesn't exist you feel very real."

"And I am having a very real reaction to you." His hand moved down and cupped her ass making her gasp.

"There is only one thing I want to think about today."

"Do tell," he said as he looked down at her, Anna was grinning up at him.

"All I want to think about is you and me and doing wonderful things to each other."

"I was hoping for sex." A big smile beamed on Anna's face. "Oh, that's what you mean," he teased.

Anna bit her lip, then slowly moved closer, when their lips met, it was a long slow sensual kiss. "I want to lose myself in you. You are the only thing that matters today." Robert rolled them a little and started kissing her neck.

"That's all want. Today it is only me and you. There is no outside world." Her hand moved up his back, pulling his shirt up some as it went. Robert sat up enough to pull his shirt off. Anna sat up as well, they claimed each other's lips. As hands pulled at clothing still in the way. Their need for each other growing with every passing moment. They knew this intensity, it was so often there when they are together with an unknown danger lurking.

As they moved together as one everything else faded away. The only thing that mattered was the two people in this room. The outside world fell away as they got more and more lost in the other. Tomorrow there will be a need for thought, a need for a plan and so much more but that was tomorrow. As Anna called out his name in ecstasy, tomorrow was the furthest thing from their minds.

…

Ronda was working in the boardroom that was serving as their base of operation here in Port Charles. She had reports to file, even if they were as pointless as all the other ones she had filed since arriving here. There is nothing to report and no one would care if there was.

Colin Ross and Matthew Tucker walked in shortly after she had turned on her computer. She nodded and said hello politely as they passed. When had Tucker arrived back, she wondered. Was this an important update? Keep your head down, don't make it obvious you're trying to hear them, she told herself as she started typing slowly.

Matthew was usually a rather relaxed man. He's normally a laid-back boss that all the agents up at the Crow's Nest liked. This worked-up excitable man is not the Matthew Tucker she was used to seeing. Ronda could tell he was anxious about something. Was that because of something he had found out? Why was he here in Port Charles updating Ross in person? She was trying to hear what they were saying but they were talking in hushed tones. Then she finally heard something interesting. "I'm telling you that dead guy was the hacker that was digging around. I would be willing to bet he was tying up loose ends before he left."

"Before leaving?" that was all she heard before they turned and walked further away from where she was sitting. Since she couldn't hear them, Ronda tried to watch their interaction to determine what might be going on. The two men talked for about five minutes then Tucker turned and left quickly. Ross sat down and picked up the phone. With any luck maybe now Ronda will find out what's going on.