090:

The helicopter landed, Abby was asleep, Melia had Hannah in her arms as well, now sucking the binky for all she was worth, looking at her mother with very scared eyes. Melia was amazed she wasn't screaming. But Melia had dialed back to Robert and then back to Megan several times, and her concentration and focus had been picked up by the child, and for once that focus had been transmitted.

The three abductors jumped out the door like jumping beans into a very windy, rainy puddled grayness. The air was charged with heated electricity, as they grabbed Melia's arms and she jerked away, effectively using her martial arts training to free her arm without causing too much awareness on the parts of her abductor. He managed to look as if he were escorting her rather than forcing her now, and they boarded a plane without any undue attention.

Melia tried to recognize any landmarks, but she couldn't. She knew she was completely out of her league.

At least she had no one to blame but herself, and she was too scared to even think about the consequences. The most she could do was keep her daughters alive as long as possible. And pray.

*****

Robert didn't know Richard. He liked the way he spoke, concise, to the point, and very controlled. But he didn't know either Steve or Matthew and considered them a couple of punk actors, surfer dudes and publicity muscles. He liked them, the couple of times they'd been in functions together, but he didn't know them. And therefore he couldn't count on them, couldn't use them to help him.

He did know Kell Stevak. He knew him fairly well actually, and he liked him immensely. He knew Kell was connected, in fact, knew quite a bit about his connections. But Hugh had told him that Kell had been beat up and sent to new York with porn pics as well. What was the connection between Kell and Melia? Kell and Carlos Villarino?

Who Robert really liked was Hugh.

He'd asked Hugh several times who he worked for and was told simply, Jared Patrick.

How could Hugh work for Jared? Jared was dead.

Hugh agreed that Jared was dead, and the person who had reactivated him was Jared's brother Ryan. Ryan had been left with the activation codes for Hugh, as had Melia. But Melia was in danger, and Ryan was in surgery.

Hugh was basically like a super fast mega internet. Any thought or question Robert had, Hugh figured out the answer and could access almost any other screen or camera he needed.

Robert went up the steps from his cabin to the deck and gazed out to sea. The horizon was misty white and blue, with small white caps and crystal green water.

His heart felt heavy with regret.

He'd known Melia was depressed. In fact, he thought he was the only person who knew just how depressed and unstable she really was, not to mention he'd known she was thinking crazy with this recent development. But she hadn't been completely forthcoming, and she'd acted tricky, compliant. He should have known she wasn't compliant, not after she'd basically told him she wanted to go to the drop-off herself.

Now it was up to him--- and his little tiny crew, and his mega-mind computer access--- to become her super hero.

But how?

He asked Hugh.

And with only a very short moment to consider, Hugh had told him that if he were Master Jared, this is what he would have done.

"Master Jared?"

"Yes, he asked me to call him Master Jared."

"Like--- Master Bruce Wayne? Seriously, Batman?"

"Master Jared is the protégé of the head scientist at MIT who helped to develop me before his death in 1985. As the son, or heir, he would be called Master as a sign of respect."

"I get that, I get that!"

"Your reference to Batman is appropriate, Robert. Would you prefer that I also call you Master Robert?"

"Does that give me Batman status?"

"If it helps you become more focused in your mind, it can be done."

"Yes. You can call me Master Robert, and you can call me Batman when we are actually blowing this thing. Let's get started."

"Shall I locate the closest suspected pirate vessel for you, Master Robert?"

Robert folded his arms across his chest as he stared at the white caps. "Yes. Make it so."

"Your last three words would indicate you are a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan, Master Robert, do you also consider yourself to be Captain Picard?"

"I'm an actor, Hugh. I can be anybody I want to be."

*****