Robin stood on deck of the RMS Majestic, one of the largest ocean liners in existence. The cool ocean breeze played with his flowing hair which extended down to his shoulders. He looked over to the horizon where the sun was about to sink into the vast ocean and its golden rays gave the clouds a reddish hue. The cawing of seagulls signaled that land was nearby.

A fresh start was what he yearned for and he hoped to find that in America. Being paranoid he couldn't help but scan the other passengers. It was improbable that his enemies would follow him across the Atlantic but then, he was always careful by nature. Most of them were traders or families looking for a better life. Near the railing he spotted a young couple, the man was embracing the lady and it brought back old memories.

Robin had his arms around Marian and her jasmine scented perfume filled his nostrils. Her eyes as blue as sapphires mesmerized him and he realized how much he loved this woman. Taking her hands in his he whispered, "My dear Marian, how I long for these moments when I can be alone with you. If only life was simpler, we wouldn't have to meet out here in secret."

The chirping of birds and the rustling of tree leaves were the only sounds that could be heard for miles. Robin knew Sherwood forest like the back of his hand and this was where he met Marian every Sunday. With a serious tone Robin added, " The sheriff is moving the gold to the treasury for safe keeping. I will take it from him and give it back to the poor if it's the last thing I do."

Seeing the troubled look on Marian's face he comforted her. "There is no need to look so concerned darling, its a simple job." She smiled faintly and he leaned in to kiss her on her ruby red lips.

The blaring sound of the ship's horn snapped Robin back to reality. A woman in a hooded cloak approached him and together the two of them prepared to disembark. The passengers made their way to the gangplank and so did Robin and his companion. They slowly moved along with the rest of the people when Robin spotted police officers inspecting everyone who left the ship. In their hands they had a wanted poster with his picture on it.

"Robin, they are looking for us. What do we do. If they catch us it's all over," his companion said in a shaky voice and gripped his hands tightly in fear.

"Seriously do you not have anything to eat in here?" Maddy said as she rummaged through the refrigerator. "Honestly, if I wasn't here to kill you for the debts owed, I'd kill you for that." 

A man currently kneeling a few feet from her had been pleading for his life, "Miss please, I swear I can get the cash just give me another day or even just 12 hours. I promise I can get it." 

"You've been given more than enough time and opportunity" she said taking a bite out of an apple that had been sitting on the counter in a beautiful glass bowl. Kali always thought the worst part of this job was not the killing but having to listen to the endless whining and bitching they did, as if it was going to really help. 

Her head snapped to the right as she heard someone walk in. A gun appeared around the corner, she pointed hers in the direction of the unknown visitor before there was a flash, a loud bang and blood splattered on her clothes. 

Sebastian came from around the corner shaking his head "Really Maddy, must you play with them?" 

Shrugging her shoulders she reached down picking up the little kitty that had been startled out of her hiding place. "It's the only entertainment I get other than these charity events." Looking over at the clock she realized that she had been there far too long and needed to actually be getting ready for today's event. 

"Oh shit" she said " I gotta go." She ran passed him as he shook his head at her letting out a loud sigh. "And yes I am taking the cat"

The drive felt longer than usual but she knew it was only because she had to be somewhere in less than an hour. 

***

She opened a can of tuna putting it on the floor before stripping her clothes off sprinting to the shower. "I need to get out of here." She thought to herself as she stood there letting the water run over her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the calm and peace for a moment. It was a brief moment that made her job a little easier. She could kill and come here to cleanse herself of what she did. 

She could hear the phone in the kitchen ringing breaking her out of her meditation. Sighing hard she stepped out and quickly dried off. This event was an annual charity event to help the children in her area. Having been an orphan this was something very important to her. 

She slid on a black form fitting gown with her long dark flowing hair cascaded down her back. Hopping down the hallway trying to slip her heels on she could hear her driver, who she was also slowing down too. The docks weren't too far from where she stayed but as the main contributor and speaker she needed to be on time. 

Jumping in the car she could hear James sigh as he passed a stack of papers back to her. "Rough night?" he said glancing at her through the mirror as he pulled off. "you have no idea" she replied as she looked over the stack of plans and events for the day. She was use to hosting these events and it usually went without any issues. She was very meticulous in her planning and execution. 

The docks were packed with people already waiting to get in. She passed by the crowds waving to those that she knew from events prior. They parked in the back and as soon as she stepped out she could smell the crispness in the air. The breeze carrying the salty yet ambrosial aroma across her face. She stood for a second looking out over the water. The scent of the ocean brought back many memories of when she was a child. She had very few good ones but the beach had always been her favorite place to be.

 The loud horn of the ship snapped her back to reality, the ship approaching in the distance was why she was having this event. She had heard their were an abundance of mother's and children fleeing conditions that were less than great, as well as a fleet of children that are coming with no parents.  It was still about an hour out so she headed to where her crew of workers were waiting for further instruction.

Keeping his head down Robin advanced along the gangplank with the hooded woman in front of him. Beads of perspiration ran down the back of his neck as he watched the police officer inspect the faces of the passengers one by one. 

"Name?" the officer asked his companion curtly.

"Madelyn," she replied in a soft voice giving a false name. "Is there a problem sir?"

Robin was impressed by her calm demeanor and quick wit. As she passed the officer, Robin took a step forward and lunged towards him, knocking the officer off his feet. The crowd gasped and moved out of their way as Robin took hold of his companion's arm and dashed into the street. A shrill whistle sounded behind them, the officer was summoning reinforcements. The wound in Robin's shoulder throbbed but he didn't let go of her arm. He was not going to let go this time.

"This way," he steered her into an alleyway and took a moment to catch his breath.

"Robin, what do we do now, where do we go?" she asked.

The wagon laden with the sheriff's gold sped along the cobblestone road. "Hee yah!" Little John urged the horses to move faster while Robin was perched atop the carriage, bow in hand ready to shoot down their pursuers. The job was not as easy as Robin thought it would be.

"Dammit, how did the sheriff get the royal guards to help him transport the gold," Robin muttered while John shrugged in reply. The road forked up ahead and Robin was unsure which path to take. "What do we do now, where do we go?" he asked John.

"To the town of course. The best place to lose our pursuers is in a crowded place."

"Robin?" his companion repeated, this time with concern in her voice.

"The best place to lose our pursuers is in a crowded place. Over there," Robin nodded towards the building across the street where a large crowd had gathered outside. They moved through the crowd without drawing much attention to themselves and passed through the arched doorway into the building.

The soft melody of stringed instruments welcomed them as they stepped inside. They were in a vast hall with marble pillars and bright chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Numerous chairs were scattered around the room and the place was getting filled with people, mostly women and children. The sweet aroma of freshly baked bread wafted towards them making Robin's stomach grumble. He made a beeline towards the food, when he bumped into a woman knocking the papers she held in her hand.

"I'm so sorry miss, I should have paid more attention," he apologized and bent down to pick up the paper strewn all over the floor.

The building by the pier had sat vacant for years before Maddy got her hands on it. It was huge and elegant now but when purchased it was disgustingly run down. She had put countless hours into getting it fixed up. Upon walking in you are greeted by massive marble pillars and the most exquisite chandeliers. There  was a kitchen and banquet hall to the right for receptions, and events. To the left was a common sitting area lined with chairs, couches, playing tables for cards and dice as well as a large radio that played the best music. Straight ahead was a grand staircase that led to a second floor she had converted into living spaces. Each room had 6 beds and dressers to accommodate the families coming in as well as any stray children. 

Today the freshly converted building looked amazing. The banquet hall was lined with food as well as waiters walking around with hors d'oeuvres. When Maddy hosted there was no expense that was to great. The common area had extra seating and an envious amount of toys. Maddy loved children and to see the smiles on their faces was worth every bit of it. There was a table set up for people who needed clothing that had been donated and another where they could sign for a room free of charge. She wanted it to be a safe haven for those who had been displaced and needed help getting back on their feet.

The doors opened and people slowly started coming in. She was going through her papers and looking over her speech one last time when a man bumped into her causing her papers to fall. Apologizing he started helping her pick them up. Earlier in the day a police officer had given her two wanted posters that she at the time put at the bottom of her stack. Picking them up off the floor she looked over at the gentleman and his companion realizing these were the people on the posters. The man caught on quickly that she noticed this and went to hurry away, but before they could get far she reached out and grabbed the woman's arm. 

Whispering,"I know who you are. I can help. Just follow me and keep your head down." She glanced around looking for any potential sheriffs. 

Not wanting to cause a scene, Robin followed the woman without saying a word. His mind was racing as he tried to make sense of the situation. The woman in the black gown led them up the stairs and she didn't give him an opportunity to ask any questions. Who was she? How did she know who they were? But most importantly why was she helping them instead of turning them over to the police?

Robin had seen her look at the papers that had their pictures and there was no way she had mistaken them for someone else. There was the possibility that she was leading them into a trap or worse, and he was not about to let his guard down.

After landing on the first floor she guided them to a room at the far end. Passing through the hallway, Robin noticed that some of the rooms were occupied. The simple folks that inhabited the rooms contrasted sharply with the elegant architecture of the building which ruled out the possibility of this place being a hotel.

Robin pulled his companion closer to him and whispered, "Stay on your guard and use the name Madelyn." They reached the end of the hall and the woman gestured towards the empty room. They made their way inside and Robin went over to the window and peered out into the street below.

"Who are you and what do you know about us?" he asked her, once he was satisfied that they were safe for the moment.