By Sarah and Lanie

With the cargo finally loaded into the belly of the small plane, Tess and Ryan climbed up the steps. Ryan pulled the hatch closed behind him and rapped on the door to the cockpit. "We're ready when you are," he called to the pilot before heading into the passenger area. Ryan took the empty seat next to Michael and buckled in. Shortly thereafter, the plane's engines revved, and it began taxiing toward the runway.

Out on the tarmac, Carl stared spellbound after the departing plane. He felt rooted to the spot. "Why do you haunt me still, my boy? Are you trying to tell me something? Or is this a trick of the mind? Oh Ryan…" Carl closed his eyes, trying to fight back the tears and anguish. He turned and slowly walked back into the terminal.

The plane had reached cruising altitude when Michael turned to Ryan. "How are you doing? You've been very quiet since we took off."

"I'm just thinking," Ryan replied quietly. "I can't keep my mind off of what might be happening in Tanquir right now. Is Vicky all right? Has Grant hurt her? But the thing that I keep coming back to is how she's going to react when she sees us. I don't know what she'll say or how she'll feel."

"I keep thinking about the same thing," Michael replied as his gaze shot over to Jake. "Despite the fact that he's thrown a monkey wrench in this operation, it's probably a good thing Jake is with us. Vicky is going to need him."

David took a pad of paper out of his briefcase. He was scribbling some notes on it when he felt the unshakable sensation that he was being watched. David turned his eyes to look at Jake, who was staring intently at the paper. "Can I help you with something, Mr. McKinnon?"

Jake's eyes flew from the paper up to meet David's slightly annoyed gaze. Jake grinned charmingly. "Just curious what you were doing."

"I was attempting to write down anything I remembered from the last time I was in Tanquir that I thought might be helpful." David noted the measuring look in Jake's eyes and said, "You suddenly seem fascinated by me. Should I be flattered?"

Jake stared at him for a moment, then said, "You seem like a really smart guy."

"I like to think so. Your point?"

"I just can't figure out why anyone with half a brain would go after Cindy-"

"This again?" David interrupted harshly. "You've said more than you need to about Cindy already. I'd rather not hear this same speech one more time."

"Actually, I was going to say that it's a waste of your time to go after Cindy. I'm sure she's exactly where she wants to be."

David gave Jake a look of disbelief. "Why on earth would you think that?"

"Because I know Cindy, specifically her past with Grant. I know you weren't around for the show, so let me run it down for you. Cindy and Grant had this weird cycle. She'd go from doing anything he asked to doing her best to destroy him. But she always ended up back in Grant's corner, one way or another."

David shook his head. "It's different this time. Why would she send a message telling me that she was in trouble and where to find her if she doesn't want to be found? That doesn't make any sense."

Jake clapped a companionable hand on David's shoulder and replied, "Welcome to the bizarre world of Cindy Harrison. Nothing she does ever makes sense."

"You're wrong about this, Jake. I know Cindy. She was past the thing with Grant."

"Maybe… when she thought he was dead." Jake met David's eyes for a silent, tension-filled moment. "I can’t tell you what to think, David. I just thought you deserved a warning. Be prepared."

Jake turned his head to stare out the window. David looked down at the pad of paper in front of him, lost in unsettling thoughts.

Amanda and Cindy gazed expectantly at Vicky. She cocked up a brow and mouthed the words "Follow my lead," without speaking aloud. In a distressed tone, Vicky moaned, "Oh… I… I don't feel very well… Please help me to the bathroom."

Amanda and Cindy played along, speaking in calming concerned voices as they followed Vicky into the small bathroom. Vicky reached over to turn on the water faucet. "Hopefully, this will keep Grant from listening to us."

"What's the plan?" Amanda asked.

Vicky's lips quirked upward in a sly grin. "I've come up with the perfect distraction so we can all get out of this nightmare. Here's what we're going to do…"

Vicky laid down on one of the small cots. Cindy was finishing up with her preparations in the bathroom. She walked into the main area of the room and nodded. Vicky grabbed her stomach and started moaning loudly. Cindy rushed over with the items she'd gathered from the bathroom and spoke in a calming voice to Vicky. Then she yelled to Amanda, "Get someone in here now!"

Amanda shot the pair a conspiratorial grin and rushed over to the locked door. She banged loudly on the wood door and screamed. "Open this door! We need help in here!"

As Amanda continued her assault on the door, Vicky screamed with feigned agony. "Oh my God! This can’t be happening, not here, not now!"

After several minutes of chaotic noise, the sound of a key turning in the lock answered Amanda's screaming and pounding. Phillippe entered the room, leaving his companion outside. "What the hell is with the racket?" he growled angrily.

Amanda glared at him. "What do you think is going on, genius?" she sarcastically replied as she gestured toward the bed. "She's in labor! We need to get her to a doctor!"

Phillippe turned suspicious eyes on Vicky and Cindy. Vicky was panting and holding the edges of her swollen belly. The lower part of her body was covered with a sheet. Cindy had an arm around Vicky's back to support her and was wiping Vicky's brow with a damp cloth. Cindy stared at Phillippe with outrage. "Well don't just stand there! Help us get her to a car! She needs to go to the hospital immediately!"

Phillippe looked from one to the other of them in silence for a moment. Then he said, "Hang on. I need to find out what to do."

"Hurry up!" Amanda demanded as he walked past her. "We don't have much time!"

When the door shut behind him, Amanda turned her gaze over to where Cindy and Vicky sat. She smiled and quickly ran her finger along the side of the bridge of her nose. Vicky continued huffing, but there was a grin on her face as both she and Cindy returned Amanda's signal.

Grant was going over some plans in the study when there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in."

The door opened and Kirkland stuck his head inside the room. "Hi, Dad. Are you busy?"

Grant smiled tenderly and took off his reading glasses. He set them on the desktop and stood up. As he walked toward Kirkland, he replied, "I'm never too busy to see you, son. Let's sit down."

The pair sat down on the couch and Grant looked closely at Kirkland. There was a troubled expression on the child's face. "What's wrong, Kirkland? You seem upset about something." Grant hated to ask the next question, but he couldn't stand to see Kirkland upset. "Are you missing your Mom?"

"Yeah. I miss Mom and Steven and Jake." Kirk didn't notice Grant's jaw clench when he'd said Jake's name. "I'm having a great time here, but… do you think I could call them and say 'hi'?"

Grant gave Kirkland an apologetic look. "It's a little late for us to call them. But I'll see what I can do. Maybe we can try to call them a little later. How does that sound?"

The happy smile that Kirkland gave him made Grant smile in return. As Kirkland was about to speak, a loud knock sounded on the door. Grant's brow furrowed as he stood up and stalked over to the door. He opened it up and found an anxious looking guard waiting for him. The man started to speak, but Grant held up a finger to silence him. Grant looked over his shoulder at Kirk and said, "I'll be back in a minute, Kirkland."

Grant stepped out of the room and closed the door behind himself. "What is it?" he snarled impatiently.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a bit of a situation upstairs-"

"I don't care!" Grant interrupted angrily. "Whatever it is, you deal with it! I'm too busy to worry about one of our 'guests' breaking a fingernail."

"It's a bit more serious than that. She's-"

"Just take care of it! I'm with my son, and I don't wish to be interrupted again! I'll speak to you about the three witches when I'm finished, is that clear?" Without waiting for an answer, Grant went back into the study.

Andreas waited outside the locked room for Phillippe to return. An agonized howl from inside the room finally convinced him he couldn't wait any longer. He unlocked the door and walked into the room. He quickly shut the door behind himself and looked at Vicky. "Why are you screaming so loud?"

All three women turned disgusted glares his way. "You've obviously never seen a woman in labor before," Amanda replied in a snarky tone. "It's not exactly a walk in the park."

When the guard turned his eyes to Vicky, Cindy and Amanda exchanged a meaningful glance. "Amanda, take my place for a minute. I need to get something from the bathroom."

Amanda nodded and walked over to the cot. Andreas watched as the blonde woman took the redhead's position and supported the pregnant woman's back. Cindy strode toward the bathroom as Vicky gave out another agonized cry. Andreas glanced at the door, hoping that Phillippe would return soon with news of what they were supposed to do. "Isn't there something you can give her? I don't think she should be hurting this badly."

"That's why we need to get her to the hospital!" Amanda yelled with frustration. "Only a qualified doctor can help her now."

"I can't do anything until-" Andreas abruptly dropped to the floor in a heap.

Cindy stood directly behind where the unconscious man had collapsed, brandishing the metal shower curtain rod from the bathroom. She tapped the palm of her hand with the rod and grinned triumphantly. "Nighty-night you brainless son-of-a-"

Vicky shot out of the bed. "We don't have much time. Grant could be up here any minute.

"Catch," Cindy called out as she tossed the curtain rod toward Amanda. Amanda caught the bar as Cindy crouched down and took the guard's keys and his gun. She pitched the keys over to Vicky and headed quickly for the door. "Let's get going."

The three women exited the attic room and Vicky turned to lock the door. Cindy went a few steps down the hallway to keep an eye on the stairwell. Vicky glanced over at Amanda and muttered under her breath, "Are we really sure we want to trust her with a firearm?"

"Unless one of you princesses knows how to fire this thing, you'll keep your smart remarks to yourself," Cindy whispered. "The coast is clear. Let's go."

The trio descended the stairs to the second floor of the house. They fanned out along the hallway and began opening doors. At the sound of footsteps ascending the staircase, all three women looked at each other with wide eyes and ducked into the closest room.

Cindy stood at the door. She'd left it open a crack to keep watch. Vicky looked around the room. It was decorated to suit the tastes of a young boy, but it was empty other than the three of them. She turned to Amanda and said, "Looks like we found Kirk's room."

From her post at the door, Cindy had seen Phillippe race up the steps toward their prison room. They were quickly running out of time. "We need to get out of this house, now!" she whispered intently.

Amanda and Vicky followed Cindy into the hallway. Vicky grabbed Cindy's elbow and spun her around. "We still have time. We have to find Kirk."

"I agreed to try, but enough is enough," Cindy replied in an angry whisper. "We can't search this entire house for your kid. We'll get caught! We need to get out of here while the getting is good!"

"I'm not leaving here without my son," Vicky replied in a determined whisper.

"Fine! You stay here with Beelzebub and his flunkies, but I'm outt'a here, and I'm taking Smith and Wesson with me," Cindy said with the gun held up for emphasis. Before the other two women could reply, Cindy headed down the steps to the main floor. She proceeded cautiously until she could see the foyer. It appeared deserted. Cindy rolled her eyes upward and mouthed a quick "thank you" as she quickly descended the flight of stairs. She cautiously opened the front door and slipped out into the warm night.

Amanda looked over at Vicky. "Cindy may be right. If we can get out of here now, we can send help for Kirk right away. We can go to the local police-"

"And risk that they're on Grant's payroll?" Vicky replied with a shake of her head. "No way. If I can’t take Kirk with me, I'm going to stay here and make sure that Grant doesn't take off with him."

Amanda nodded. If Grant were holding Alli, Amanda would feel the same way. "Ok. Which way do we go?"

"Let's see if there's a set of stairs at the other end of this hallway. We may be able to get downstairs unnoticed." Amanda nodded and they hastened around the corner of the hall. There was a door at the end of it. As they neared it, both women heard the pounding of footsteps rapidly approaching.

Cindy stayed close to the side of the house as she crossed the front veranda. Under her breath, she promised, "I swear, if you help me get out of here, as soon as I am safely on a jet headed for the United States, I will send help for them. Even though they don't deserve it, I will. Just get me the he- … just get me away from Grant… please." Cindy breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the corner of the terrace. Just a little further to the steps, a quick dash to the hedge maze, and she was home free. Cindy watched the front door for pursuit as she backed around the corner. Her heart dropped into her stomach when she heard the sound of a gun being cocked behind her left ear, "Planning on going somewhere?" a snide voice asked.

Cindy swallowed a lump of disappointment and held up her hands in surrender. Phillippe reached over and took the gun out of her hand as she replied, "I needed some fresh air. Thought I'd go for a stroll in the garden. Care to join me?"

"No thanks," Phillippe replied as he put the gun he'd taken from Cindy into the holster at his waist. "I've read that certain females in the animal kingdom tear their unsuspecting mates apart. That's the kind of vibe I'm getting off you. Now get back inside."

Phillippe ushered Cindy back into the house and up the stairs. When they arrived back at the attic room, he unlocked the door and shoved her inside.

As the door slammed shut behind her, Cindy met the disappointed and frustrated glances of her fellow captives. "So much for plan A," Cindy remarked as she dropped down to sit on one of the cots.

"How long do you think it will be before Grant comes up here to gloat?" Amanda asked disgustedly.

"Not long," Vicky replied as she wearily rubbed her temples. "Gloating is one of Grant's few joys in this life. I'm sure he'll want to rub it in our faces as soon as he can."

Amanda rolled her eyes in agreement. "We need to think of some other way to get out of here. Any ideas?"

Cindy vehemently shook her head. "No! No more plans, no more ideas! We need to stay put and wait for help. Case closed."

Vicky looked askance at Cindy. "What happened to the pistol packing GI Jane from five minutes ago?"

"She was escorted up several flights of stairs with a gun pressed to the base of her skull," Cindy replied tersely. "And she's in no mood to play along with another hair-brained scheme and end up repeating the experience."

"We can't just-" Vicky stopped abruptly at the sound of a key turning in the lock. The door swung open and Grant strolled in with a self-satisfied grin on his face. "You know, it's not very gracious of you to try and leave without saying goodbye. After all my kind hospitality, this is how you thank me? Very bad manners, ladies. I'd expect as much from Cynthia, but Amanda… tisk, tisk. Didn't they teach you anything at that fancy boarding school you attended?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, they taught me that locking someone in a room is not considered to be 'kind'. I think someone needs to give you a dictionary so you can see the difference between the definitions of 'hospitable' and 'hostile'."

Grant raised a brow. "I can see that you're still on intimate terms with hostility, Amanda. It's comforting to know that some things never change. Now ladies, there's no reason to be cross. Quite soon, your time in this room will end, and this will all be nothing more than a distant memory."

Vicky slowly stood up from the bed. The blood drained from her face as she asked, "What are you saying?"

Grant smiled coldly. "I'm saying that I'm finalizing plans for my new home with Kirkland. It's a lovely place. I'm sure Kirk will be quite happy there. I'm not sure if you've heard of it. It's called…" Grant placed his fingers to his lips and widened his eyes with feigned embarrassment. "Oops! Wouldn’t want to give it away, now would I?"

Vicky's hands balled into fists. "You won't get away with this, Grant!"

Grant laughed cruelly. "Of course I will, Victoria! I already have. Don't you know by now that I always get away with everything?" Grant laughed again as he turned and walked out the door.

Michael, Ryan, Cameron, David and Jake were in the process of unloading the equipment they'd brought with them from the bowels of the plane. They were transferring the cases into the backs of two Hum-vees and an SUV that they'd arranged to rent and have waiting for their arrival.

Tess was on the phone with Joe Carlino, informing him that the team had arrived in Tanquir and would call again when they had news. Joe relayed that all was quiet on the Bay City side of things.

As Tess completed the call, she glanced over to see Ryan and Cameron hefting the last crate of supplies. She shook her head slightly as her gaze fell on Jake and David. This was the strangest operation she'd ever been involved with, and that was saying a lot. Except for David, all the men were wearing disguises. Tess felt a smile tug at her lips as she recalled watching the experienced agents instructing Jake on how to apply makeup and a false mustache.

Tess was headed for the back of the plane when the pilot who'd flown them there descended the steps. He called out to her and Tess turned back. "Yes?"

"You said that someone will contact me when you're ready to fly back, right?"

Tess nodded as she pulled a slip of paper out of her jacket pocket. "We've arranged for you to stay at a nearby hotel. We'll expect you to be ready to go at a moment's notice, so don't stray too far from the airport."

The pilot looked down at the paper and nodded. "For the kind of money you people are paying me, I won't leave the room." He glanced over at Tess suspiciously. "You're not doing anything… illegal, are you?"

Tess gave him a disarming smile. "Far from it." Tess reached into her jacket again and retrieved a cell phone. "We'll call you to meet us when we're ready to leave."

The man slipped the phone into his pocket. "Ok. I'm going to rent a hangar for the plane." The pilot began walking away, then snapped his fingers and turned around. "By the way, the other guy should be out soon."

Tess felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck. "What 'other guy'?"

"The guy who rode up in the front with me. Who else?"

Tess watched the man stride toward a building across the tarmac. She turned back to look with narrowed eyes at the open hatch of the airplane. Tess pulled out her gun and called Cameron over.

"What's up, Dev?"

"We have a stowaway in the cockpit. The pilot just told me that there was someone up front with him during the flight."

Cameron's eyes turned icy. "One of Logan's men?"

"It's a distinct possibility, isn't it? He wasn't exactly subtle about the fact that he was coming after me. He may have paid off someone to find out where I was."

Cameron nodded and pulled out his weapon. He quietly mounted the steps of the plane and waited behind the door. Tess took a braced stance on the ground, her gun aimed through the open hatch toward the door of the cockpit. Her eyes met Cameron's, and she gave a slow nod to indicate that she was ready.

Cameron was reaching toward the door of the cockpit when he saw the knob turning. He deftly backed up a few steps to get a better position behind the slowly opening door. Once the man was out of the door and shut it behind himself, Cameron stepped forward and placed his gun at the base of his skull. "Whoever you are, you made the biggest mistake of your life pulling this stunt."

Cameron's eyes flew to Tess when he heard her swear in a frustrated voice. She was staring at the man with a mixture of anger, dismay, and … recognition. Tess's shoulders slumped as she lowered the barrel of her weapon and shook her head. "Dammit, Matthew! I told you to stay out of this!"

Cameron's brow furrowed as he lowered his own weapon and grabbed his brother-in-law's shoulder to spin him around. Only when he was looking directly at Matt was he able to grasp the truth, and the reason he'd felt a twinge of familiarity when the "stranger" had walked in front of him. "What the… Matt? Why did you do this? You do realize that you could have ended up with a bullet in your head, don’t you?"

Matt removed his baseball cap and the aviator sunglasses he was wearing. He stared hard at Cameron, only recognizing him from his voice through his very effective disguise. "I told Tess that I wasn't staying behind, and I meant it."

Tess climbed the steps of the plane. Her eyes were alight with angry fire. "Matt, I told you back in Bay City that it was too dangerous for you to come with us! Why couldn't you listen to me?" Tess heard the plaintive note enter her voice at the end of the statement and tried to choke it back. She was infuriated that Matt was there when she'd practically begged him to stay home. But her overriding feeling was abject terror that something would happen to him. What if she couldn't keep him safe?

Tess's fear fed her anger and she roughly shoved Matt into the passenger area of the aircraft. In surprise, he fell backwards before righting himself and regaining his balance. Tess advanced on him, fury and fear making her shake slightly. Cameron followed both of them, ready to step in if need be. He kept a close eye on Tess as she shoved Matt's shoulder again and growled low in the back of her throat, "I could kill you for doing this! What the hell were you thinking?"

Matt stood his ground, refusing to let Tess intimidate him. "I was thinking that there was no way I was going to let you leave me behind. I told you that you couldn't order me around. I'm here to make sure that nothing happens to you and that my sister comes home safely."

Tess grabbed at her temples and gave out a burst of disbelieving laughter. She ran her hands through her hair in frustration, desperate to keep her emotions under control. "You just don't get it, do you? Having you here won't help! You've just made a difficult mission ten times harder for me!" Tess swallowed hard. She could feel tears welling up in the backs of her eyes. She knew that she needed to talk to Matt alone. Tess shot a glance over her shoulder at Cameron. "Mav, can you go tell the others about our little complication? Matt and I have a few things to get straight between us."

Cameron nearly protested until he caught the look in Tess's eyes. He knew her well enough to realize immediately what that expression meant. "Sure. I'll be back in a couple of minutes. And Matt," Cameron said as he looked over at his brother-in-law with no small amount of frustration in his eyes, "you really should learn when to back off."

Matt stared stoically at Cameron's back as he walked toward the steps of the plane. No matter what Cameron or Tess said, Matt knew in his gut that he needed to be there. His eyes turned back to meet Tess's glare. "It doesn't matter what you say, I won't apologize for this. I had to come."

"I don't care what you thought you had to do!" Tess yelled angrily. "I specifically asked you to stay out of this! Why couldn't you just do what I said? Why couldn't you trust the fact that I know what I'm doing?"

Matt reached out and framed Tess's face with his hands. He bent his knees slightly so that his eyes were level with hers. "Because no matter what you said, I need to be with you. I have to make sure that you come out of this alive! When you left the house, I couldn't shake the feeling that if I didn't follow you… I knew I would never see you again. If anything ever happened to you, and I could have stopped it… I couldn't live with that. I can't live without you. Somewhere along the line, you became my life, and I'll be damned if I'll let you go off and get yourself killed! Tess… if you die, you'll take the best part of me with you. I love you, and I'm staying with you. I won't leave you… not now, not ever."

Tess's mouth quivered. She tried so hard to hold onto her defensive anger, but she couldn't. The words Matt had said broke down the last of her defenses. The tears she'd been fighting back gathered in the corners of her eyes. "I… I can't live without you either," she whispered brokenly.

Matt stared into Tess's eyes, seeing the words she hadn't spoken reflected in the depths of her tear-brightened gaze. Matt crushed his lips to hers. Tess welcomed the invasion with a soft cry. Their lips moved with desperate hunger as Tess's hands feverishly grabbed at Matt's back. All that they felt hung in the air as they clung to each other. Matt's mouth left Tess's to explore her jaw line, the column of her neck. Tess gasped with pleasure and moved her hands to his shoulders. Her fingers tightened convulsively as his mouth opened over the tender skin behind her ear and his tongue shot out to lave the skin there. A bolt of liquid fire shot through Tess and her knees weakened. If she hadn't been holding so tightly to Matt's shoulders, she was certain that she would have collapsed in a heap on the floor.

The sound of the engine on a truck starting outside the plane broke through the fog of desire surrounding Tess. She suddenly pushed at Matt's shoulders and fell back a few steps from him. Matt's surprise at her sudden withdrawal had allowed Tess's escape, but he immediately moved to take her back into his arms. Tess held up a hand to ward him off and firmly said, "No, Matt. This doesn't change anything. You need to get on the next flight home to Bay City. I mean it."

Matt shook his head, equally as determined to stay as she was to make him leave. "I won't go. If you send me away, I'll just come back. I'm not leaving you."

Tess's hand flew to her forehead as if she had suddenly been assaulted by a splitting headache. "Don't force me to do something we'll both regret, Matt."

"How do you plan on keeping me away? Do you think you can send me back to Bay City and have some of your FBI lackeys watch me day and night? I'll find a way back here, Tess. You'll have to have me locked up to stop me."

Tess said nothing, unable to lie to him but not wanting to let him know that the FBI knew nothing of this operation. In a weary voice, Tess replied, "Please, Matt. I need you to listen to what I'm saying. If you stay here, I'll need to watch out for you. I'll be safer if you leave. I'll be able to focus on what I'm doing instead of worrying that something is going to happen to you. I need you back in Bay City. We have to keep things looking as normal as possible. With Cameron and I both gone, you can’t just go missing too. Logan could catch on and warn Grant that we're coming."

"Logan doesn't know that Cameron is your partner, does he?"

"No. We have no reason to think that he suspects Cameron's involvement. Why?"

"Because that means it's better for you if I stay. It will keep your cover story in tact."

Tess's brow furrowed as she looked at Matt with slight confusion and growing concern. "My cover story… Matt, what have you done?"

"Carl is going to make sure that everyone knows where we are. You and I are currently flying to Europe to put together the closing contract on the Austrian deal."

"Carl… Carl Hutchins…" Tess muttered with disbelief. "Since when do you trust Carl or accept any help from him?"

"Since I didn’t have any choice if I wanted to make sure you were safe. Trust me, I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but Carl has connections and he offered to use them to help. I didn’t think that I had a choice."

Tess sighed with resignation. "It looks like neither one of us has a choice now."

Matt closed the distance between them and asked, "Does that mean you're going to stop trying to make me go home?"

"What it means is that you've made it impossible for me to send you back to Bay City without arousing suspicion where I can’t afford to have it raised. But let's get one thing perfectly clear - Now that you're here, you're going to do exactly what we tell you to do. I want your word, Matt."

Matt nodded and reached out to brush his knuckles down the soft skin of her cheek. "As long as you don't send me away…"

Tess covered his hand with hers and briefly closed her eyes. When her lids raised again, she sighed, "I swear, Matt, if you put yourself in any danger whatsoever, I'll kill you myself."

"I will do what is best for both of us, I promise." Matt hoped Tess didn’t notice the careful wording of his statement. He couldn't look her in the face and swear that he wouldn’t put himself in danger. Matt didn’t have a death wish, but he wasn't about to promise to stand aside while Tess put her life on the line. He had stowed away so he could watch over Tess, and he had no intention of backing down from that decision.

Tess gave him a relieved look then glanced over to the doorway when she heard footsteps. Cameron appeared in the doorway and said, "So have you talked some sense into him?"

Tess quickly explained the cover story Carl and Matt had come up with, and Cameron shook his head in unwilling resignation. "Great. Just what we needed, a third amateur in the middle of this mission."

Matt ignored the gibe and asked, "Third? Who else is here?"

Tess and Cameron shared a look, both of them realizing at the same time that David and Jake being involved wasn't the only thing they were going to have to explain to Matt. Tess looked back at Matt and replied, "Matt, there's a few things we're going to have to tell you… This is a lot more complicated than you know."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll explain on the way," Cameron replied. "I sent the others ahead and told them we'd follow once we figured out what to do about our unexpected guest. Scout and Hawk are not going to be happy about this, Dev."

"Yeah? Well they can join the club," Tess replied. Cameron headed out of the plane and Tess followed him. Matt walked behind her across the runway toward the waiting Hum-vee. "Who are 'Scout and Hawk'? Are they your partners, too?"

Tess nodded. "Yes, they're part of the team with Cameron and me, but there's a lot more to the story than that."

"More? What more could there be?"

Tess laughed humorlessly and opened the passenger door to the idling truck. Cameron was already sitting behind the wheel waiting for them. Tess climbed in and Matt followed. Once he pulled the door shut, Cameron glanced over at them and said, "Buckle up. From what Halliday told me, the road to this place is practically nonexistent."

Matt's eyes flew wide. "Halliday… David Halliday? What is he doing here? Is that part of the 'story' you were talking about?"

Tess gave him a somber look. "That's the least of the surprises, Matt. Fasten your seatbelt. You're in for a bumpy ride… in more ways than one."

Matt secured the buckle on his belt, surprised by the intensity in Tess and Cameron's expressions. He braced himself mentally as well as physically, unsure of what lay ahead but certain that he could handle it. After all, how shocking could their story actually be?

"Sinclair, here."

"Here, too."

"Hi, hon, how are you?" Gary asked as he kept his eyes on the warehouses.

"I missed you last night."

"Believe me. I would much rather be there with you than cooped up in this car all night watching this thug."

"Any new developments?" Josie asked.

Gary sighed deeply. "Nothing important. There's been some movement. The nightclub was in full swing until the wee hours, but so far Logan hasn't slithered from his lair."

"Are you coming home soon?"

"I don't know, J. I promised them that I would keep an eye on him. Call it intuition, but I've got a gut feeling that he's going to make a move real soon."

"Promise me that you'll be careful."

"Cross my heart," he replied. "I love you."

"You, too. Bye."

Gary pushed a button to end the call, then picked up his binoculars once again. He leaned forward when he saw movement at the side of the building. A limousine had pulled into the alley between the buildings.

"This could be it," he muttered out loud.

He slumped in his seat in mild annoyance when the phone began ringing again. With a sigh, he grabbed it and brought it to his ear.

"Sinclair."

"Hey Gar, have you got anything?"

"Not yet, Joe, but I think that Logan is about to make a move."

"Tess called a little while ago. They've arrived in Tanquir. I'm expecting uh--Hawk to check in again once they get settled, and I want to give him a full report."

"Just tell him that I've got it covered here. He doesn't need to worry."

"You'll let me know if something does happen? You won't try to do a one-man show?"

Gary laughed lowly. "No, Joe. We're playing with a guy who doesn't play by the rules here. I'm not going up against him without back up. You have my word on that."

"Good. Check in with me later."

"Sure thing," Gary replied and hung up the phone.

He started the car and waited. "It won't be long now."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Carl whistled as he made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. He had a navy blazer nonchalantly thrown over his left shoulder. Rachel was reading the morning paper as Helen prepared breakfast. The kitchen was filled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls.

Carl laid his jacket over one of the barstools and walked up behind Helen as she worked at the stove. He placed his hands lightly on her shoulders.

"Helen, you are going to have to quit tempting me with all of this delicacies, or my waistline is going to disappear."

Helen smiled, then swatted at Carl. "Oh, Mr. Hutchins!"

Carl laughed quietly, then turned to Rachel who had put her paper aside. He kissed her gently on the cheek, which brought a bright smile to her face.

"Good morning, to you. Now that's the smile that has brought men to their knees," he told her as he gave her a hug.

"Good morning, darling," Rachel replied, then gave him a curious look.

"Any word?" He asked with concern.

Rachel shook her head. "No, nothing. Do you suppose that they have found them yet?"

"Don't despair, my darling. They couldn't be in better hands."

"Do you really believe that?"

Carl tilted his head to the side. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't."

Rachel leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Thank you. Why are you all dressed up?"

"I don't understand. Matthew will be there. Do you think that he's too upset about Amanda and Tess's involvement in this whole mess to do his job?"

"Not at all. Matthew is not here."

"Not here? What do you mean, Carl?"

Carl placed his hands on her shoulders. "Matthew has stowed away on the plane with the others."

"Stowed away? No, he didn't! Wait. How do you know that?"

Carl sobered for a moment, then smiled widely.

"Carl! You didn't!" Rachel said in wonder.

"Ah, but I did. I helped the lad myself."

"Oh, Carl…."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Logan stuffed a wad of money in his hidden safe and closed it. He walked across the room to his desk. He flipped open a folder that contained a photograph of Tess Richardson then tapped his finger on her cheek as he grabbed the phone.

"It's me. Any word on Tess Richardson?……..Keep looking!" He thundered then slammed the phone down. "Where is she? She thinks that she can walk away so easily. She has another thing coming."

Logan smiled menacingly, then picked up the phone again.

"Bring the car around," he ordered. "It's time for a little visit."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

David was drawing out a rough sketch of the floor plan to Enrique Cabalas's house. Ryan looked over David's shoulder, studying the drawing. "This is where Cindy said she'd be going?"

David nodded. "Cindy's message said that she was going to go to Cabalas's house to search for proof since that's where she saw Grant. I'm willing to bet that's where they all are."

"What makes you say that?" Tess asked.

"I guess you'd need to see the place to understand why I think that's where Grant is keeping them. This isn't your garden-variety summerhouse. The place is practically a fortress. It's surrounded on three sides by a huge wall, which has an elaborate security system built into it."

"Three sides?" Jake said. "What about the fourth side? Let me guess, the gates of hell?"

"Not exactly." David replied with a slight smile. "The back of the property abuts the beach… with a couple hundred foot cliff in between."

"Did you get a good look at this cliff?" Michael asked.

"Not up close."

"What about the house itself?" Tess added. "What can you tell us about the layout inside?"

"It's three stories, Spanish influence architecture. I was inside several times, but I only saw a few of the rooms on the first floor. The ballroom, the study, and the foyer." David looked around at the others and continued, "Speaking of, I should get going."

Cameron glowered at him suspiciously. "Going where?"

David gave him an innocuous look and replied, "To the hotel, of course. I need to officially check in, just in case our friends decide to be thorough and check up on me. After that, I thought I'd stop by Enrique's place. I told him I'd contact him once I arrived. I'll return and let you know how things went."

As David walked past, Ryan caught his shoulder and said, "Not so fast. We need to get a few things straight first."

David raised a brow. "Such as…?"

"Such as, no unnecessary risks," Michael asserted. "We can't risk tipping our hand before we finalize our plans. Don't go snooping around where you shouldn't be. Grant is far from stupid so don't give him reason to be suspicious."

"Understood. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, there is," Tess replied as she walked over and opened one of the latched cases sitting on the floor. "Since you're going into the lion's den, we should make good use of your visit." Tess turned around holding some items she'd removed from the case. "I think Mr. Halliday could use a few accessories, don't you?"

David walked over and took one of the items Tess was holding. As he examined it, a smile spread across his face. "I like the way you think, Ms. Richardson."

Ten minutes later, David exited the trailer and headed for his rented SUV. He climbed into the truck and started the engine. A grin crossed his lips as he laid a hand on the briefcase in the seat next to him. "That worked out perfectly."

Back inside the trailer, Cameron watched out the window as David drove off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. He jumped slightly as Tess placed her hand on his shoulder. "You still don’t trust him, do you?" she asked quietly.

"Not as far as I can throw him. Did you see that smug look on his face? He thinks he pulled one over on us. He knew we'd give him surveillance equipment when he mentioned visiting Cabalas's house, but he didn’t suggest it himself because he thought I'd argue about it if the idea came from him."

Tess smiled slightly. "Was he right?"

Cameron finally turned away from the window. He met Tess's knowing gaze and gave a short laugh. "Probably."

"It's a good idea, Mav, regardless of who came up with it. We need all the information we can get about the house if we're going to successfully break in there and get all of them out safely."

Cameron reached back to rub at the tension in his neck muscles. "I know that, it's just… Halliday is so damned slick. He had everyone fooled for months back in Bay City. It almost cost Amanda her life the last time I let my guard down around David…" Cameron turned back to stare out the window again. "I just hope I'm not making the same mistake twice."

He stepped off the elevator and was relieved to see a group of people around the receptionist. The low drone of their voices had drowned out the noises of the elevator. No one saw his arrival. Logan walked around the edge of the partition and through the area unnoticed.

Logan smiled smugly. He felt like he had infiltrated the enemy camp. He walked slowly toward Tess's office eagerly anticipating her response to his surprise appearance.

The thought of frightening her gave him an adrenaline rush. His pulse accelerated when he found the door to her office slightly a jar. The element of surprise was heightened. Logan gently pushed the door open. Her chair was turned away from the door. Logan walked to the center of the room and cursed when he discovered the room was empty.

He turned around in frustration intending to leave. He reached for the doorknob only to be jolted backward when the door opened. Logan could not stop his jaw from dropping when he met the eyes of Carl Hutchins.

"Emmanuel, this is unexpected," Carl said as he walked into the room forcing Logan to back up.

"Carl. I had heard that you were back, but---"

"You didn't expect to see me here. Death is good for the spirit. I feel revitalized--- Were you looking for Ms. Richardson?"

Logan stood silently for a moment before answering. "Actually, yes, I was hoping to speak with her."

"I'm afraid that you've wasted your time, then. She is not here."

Logan raised his eyebrows. "I hope that she isn't sick."

Carl smiled slowly. "No, not at all. She is out of town on business with Matthew."

"I see. When do you expect them back?"

Carl shook his head. "I really couldn't say. They left their plans open-ended. It was a business slash pleasure trip. You know young love? They adore spending time alone."

Logan's face showed no emotion. "I did not realize that Tess and Matt had become----an item."

"Working together in close quarters sometimes provokes the deepest of emotions."

"I'm wasting my time, then. I will just try to get in touch with Ms. Richardson when she returns."

Logan smiled. "Ah---you're always looking to make a deal, aren't you, Carl? Some things never change."

"Certain things just come naturally. I hear this new nightclub of yours is quite successful. Congratulations."

"I have been pleasantly surprised."

"It's quite a boon in an effort to revitalize the waterfront."

Logan nodded. "It's nice seeing you, Carl. I must be on my way," he told him then turned to leave.

"Is there a message that I can pass along to Ms. Richardson for you?"

Emmanuel paused with his hand on the doorknob and turned slightly. "No----uh---on the other hand----yes. Tell her that I am eagerly anticipating our next meeting."

Carl nodded. "I'll pass that along. Good day, Emmanuel."

Carl narrowed his eyes as he watched the door close behind Logan. His memory was still returning in bits and pieces, but he did remember Emmanuel Logan, and those memories were not good ones. Carl's memories might be clouded, but there was nothing that could impair his instincts. Carl had sensed the menacing nature of Logan's intentions in one sweeping glance. Whatever Logan had planned for Tess was not pleasant.

Carl pondered on what to do about his encounter with Emmanuel Logan. He turned around quickly when he heard the sound of the door opening behind him.

Carl's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he asked, "May I help you?"

Gary quietly closed the door and walked toward Carl.

"What business do you have with Emmanuel Logan?"

Carl smiled in amusement as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"You do come right to the point. What brings you here?" Carl inquired expertly avoiding the question.

"Logan," Gary replied flatly.

"Are you investigating him?"
"Carl, just tell me what he wanted."

"Now, now, Gary, don't be too hasty in your inquisition. You might miss something."

Gary took a deep breath trying to control his frustration with Carl's slick evasion. He knew that Carl would not tell him anything until he was ready. Gary hoped he could keep a hold on his temper for that long.

"I wasn't expecting to find you here. Are you back to work?"

Carl shrugged. "Sometimes you have to keep up appearances for appearances sake."

"Is there some reason that you are avoiding my questions?"

"I wasn't aware that I was."

Gary smiled slightly. "Of course you are. You are aware of everything you do. You forget how well I know you, Carl. We used to be friends."

Carl nodded. "Friends, were we? You and I have had some adventures together, yes?"

Gary nodded.

"Yes, we have," Carl continued. "You and I look at things quite similarly. We have common enemies. You have always been more like a son to me than a friend."

"Carl…."

"So you'll forgive me if I expect a little honestly out of you, Gary. Don't you think that you owe me that much?"

Gary seemed to ponder the question for a moment before quietly saying, "What do you want to know?"

"There, there---that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Gary glared at him in response.

"Are you working with Cameron? I don't mean at the detective agency. I mean right here right now. Are you helping them with this rescue mission of theirs?"

"I have been asked to watch things on the home front while they're away."

"They believe Emmanuel Logan is involved in this mess?"

"Yes. They think he is involved with Grant."

"That's all I wanted to know. Oh and where have they gone to find the ladies?"

Gary smiled. "Everything but that."

"Understood. I am quite harmless, Gary."

Gary's smile widened. "Crazy like a fox?"

"Indeed."

"So now that I've told you what I can, what do I get in return?"

"My full cooperation, of course."

Gary became serious once again. "What did Logan want?"

"It wasn't exactly a 'what', but a 'who'."

"A 'who'?"

"Tess Richardson."

"Tess?"

"Yes, I believe that he has plans for our Ms. Richardson."

"Tell me the whole story."

Carl walked to the desk and leaned on the edge of it. "He did not make an understated visit. Although, once inside the building, he did try to be discreet."

"So you were watching him? Go on."

"My security people alerted me to his arrival as soon as his limousine pulled up. Knowing his reputation, I'll say that I was very intrigued to know what business he had at Cory. Of course, my people kept an eye on him as he worked his way toward this office. He was rather shocked when I walked in on him."

"So he told you that he was looking for Tess?"

"Yes. I detected that he was very perturbed when I told him that she and Matthew were off on a trip together. When I alluded to the trip being more about pleasure than business, he looked as if he would like to----cause someone bodily harm."

"You purposely provoked him?" Gary asked not bothering to hide his amusement.

"Would I do that?" Carl asked with a laugh.

"In a heartbeat. So you think this business was personal?"

"I think Emmanuel Logan has got it in for Tess. Maybe an unrequited love?" Carl surmised.

"It could be. She's safe for now, so we don't have to worry."

"I think she can handle herself."

Gary nodded. "There's no doubt about that."

"So where do we go from here?"

"'We'? There is no 'we', Carl."

Carl nodded and smiled surreptitiously.

David pulled to a stop at the gated entrance to the house and rang the buzzer. When he was asked to identify himself, he gave his name and asked if Mr. Cabalas was available to see him. The guard told David to wait while he checked on Mr. Cabalas's schedule.

In the study, Enrique turned to Grant. "What do you think? Should I let him in or have the guard tell him to meet me at my downtown office?"

Grant's first impulse was to follow the second suggestion, but then a delicious thought occurred to him. A slick smile spread across his face as he replied, "By all means, invite him in. I'll instruct the nanny to keep Kirk in his room and I'll stay out of sight. I think Mr. Halliday's timing is impeccable. I need you to do something for me, Enrique. I need you to help me deliver a very special message…"

The guard's voice came through the intercom to inform David that Mr. Cabalas was available to see him. The gate opened in front of him and David put the car back in gear. He drove down the long, tree-lined drive and parked in front of the house. As he got out of the SUV and headed up the terrace steps, the front door opened to reveal Enrique, his face wreathed in smiles. "David! So wonderful to see you again. I hope your trip from the States was an easy one."

David shook Enrique's outstretched hand. "Smooth sailing all the way. How have you been?"

Enrique escorted David into the foyer and shut the front door. "I've been eagerly anticipating your return. I'm certain this business deal will be highly profitable for both of us. When do you think the crew will be ready to break ground on the site?"

Up in the attic room, Vicky and Amanda were busy trying to brainstorm another escape plan. Cindy was studiously ignoring both of them. Suddenly, the television screen showed the unwelcome sight of Grant's smirking face. "Oh great," Cindy groaned. "Like this day wasn't bad enough already."

"Greetings, ladies! I hope you're enjoying your stay at Chez Grant."

"I would compare the experience to Chinese water torture," Vicky snarled at the unresponsive image on the screen.

"I thought you all could use a little entertainment, given the circumstances, so I thought you might like to see my most recent visitor."

"Unless it's the FBI here to arrest you, Grant, we're not interested," Amanda replied with antagonism.

"In this case, I think my guest will be of greatest interest to Cynthia. Listen up, darling. You're about to receive a wake up call."

Cindy's eyes had narrowed when Grant had singled her out in his speech. She didn't understand his meaning until Grant's face disappeared and a shot of the foyer, obviously being fed from a security camera in the house, took its place. Cindy moved to the edge of the cot to get closer to the TV and whispered, "David." Cindy listened intently as David and Cabalas discussed the project.

Back in the foyer, David decided to try to get a look at some of the other rooms in the house in an innocuous way. "Forgive my manners, Enrique. I forgot to ask about your lovely wife. Is she home? I'd love to say 'hello' if she's here."

Cabalas smiled inwardly. He couldn't have asked for a better opening. "I'm afraid she's out for the afternoon, shopping and whatnot. I must tell you that she was gravely disappointed when I told her that your lovely companion would not be accompanying you on the trip. They got on famously, as I'm sure you recall. Are you certain that Ms. Cindy will not be back?"

David's suspicion sparked. There was only one reason Cabalas would want to retread this territory. "It's starting to look that way," David replied with a carefully chosen tone and words. "She left me a cryptic note about needing to take care of something out of town, and I haven't heard a word from her since."

Cindy's face blanched as she watched the television screen. "No… no,no,no… how could he not get my message?"

Enrique gave David a speculative look and said, "But she seemed so devoted to… the project. Do you not think she will return eventually?"

David choked down the furious impulse to choke the life out of the man. Cabalas knew exactly why Cindy wasn't with him. "I doubt it. Several people in Bay City warned me that this would happen. I suppose I should have listened."

Cindy fell back from the television monitor as if she'd been slapped. The full weight of David's words and their implication hit her like a ton of bricks. He believed she'd run out on him. There was no rescue on the way, and she had no one to blame for that but herself.

David had had enough of Cabalas's little mind games. Though he was seething inside, he smiled and said, "Well, enough about my difficulties. We have more important issues to address."

Enrique smiled in return. "Of course. Let's retire to my study and go over the plans."

As the two men left the foyer, the television monitor in the attic room switched back to Grant. Cindy had the nearly uncontrollable urge to break the picture tube into a million pieces. "Well, Cynthia, it appears that you've lost your touch. Mr. Halliday doesn't seem to be grieving your absence much, if at all. Your reputation has preceded you yet again. Just remember, I am the only man who has ever appreciated your talents, such as they are."

Cindy couldn't look at Grant's taunting expression any longer. She shot up from the cot and walked over to stare at the wall instead.

"Ladies, I hope you'll excuse me. I have a very busy afternoon ahead of me. Travel plans to make and so forth. Until next time, this is Grant-TV, signing off." The screen went blank, and all three women exchanged glances in silence.

In the study, Enrique was seated at the desk while David had taken a chair across from him. David was explaining some of the logistics of the site clearing. He was writing some figures on a pad of paper when he lost his grip on his pen. It dropped on the floor and rolled underneath the edge of the desk. David excused himself and bent to retrieve the pen. While he was crouched over, David deftly attached a small listening device to the bottom of the desk near the join with the leg. He straightened with his pen and smiled. "Sorry about that. Now where were we?"

In the attic room, Vicky and Amanda exchanged a glance. Amanda turned to Cindy and asked, "What about the message you left David? Is it possible he hasn't seen it yet?"

Cindy turned with a blank expression on her face. "No," she replied in a monotone. "David checks his email every day whether he's in town or not. I must have screwed up when I sent it."

Vicky and Amanda looked at each other again. They were well aware of what that missing distress call meant for their situation. Vicky turned her attention to Cindy and said, "You realize what this means, right?"

Cindy was too numb to feel anger or anything else at the question. She nodded with abject defeat. "It means that no one knows where we are. We're on our own."

David and Enrique were going over the plans when Enrique suggested, "Why don't we break for some refreshments? I'm certain the food on the airplane wasn't very appetizing."

David laughed, mentally picturing Cabalas receiving an extremely unappetizing meal in a prison cell. "You got that right."

Enrique grinned. "Why don't we have our meal out on the terrace? It's a glorious day outside. We should enjoy it."

David nodded as he stood up. Someone wants to get me out of the house. "Excellent suggestion. I could use a little sunshine."

Enrique led the way out of the house and over to a wrought iron table and chairs. "Please excuse me while I go tell the staff what to prepare. I won't be long."

David nodded and placed his briefcase on top of the table as Cabalas returned to the house. He's checking in with the puppeteer, no doubt, David thought as he unfastened the latches on his briefcase and opened it. He pulled out a palm pilot and a light pen. He punched in some information, certain that he was being watched.

As if he were too restless to sit, David stood up with the PDA still in hand and wandered "aimlessly". He would occasionally stop and tap the pen to his chin. At one point, David turned to face the back of the house. His eyes caught on something and he carefully aimed the PDA in the direction of his find.

A few moments later, Enrique exited the house and headed in his direction. David smiled in greeting and returned to the table. "I was talking note of the landscaping you've had done. I'd like a similar look for the exterior of the plant. I'd like it to blend naturally with the rest of the island. I hope you'll share the name of the landscaping company with me."

Enrique smiled and shook his head. "You never stop working, do you?"

David's lips quirked up in a meaningful smile. "This project is very important to me. I'm not going to leave anything to chance."

The guards had brought them supper while the scenes played out on the television. Vicky, Amanda and Cindy picked at their food completely discouraged after listening to David Halliday.

"Do you think he's poisoning us?" Amanda asked.

"I wouldn't put anything past Grant," Vicky replied as she nibbled on an orange slice.

They all jumped when they heard the key turn in the lock but did not move from their places. Phillippe walked through the door with his gun drawn. It was clear that they were not going to be unprepared for the sneak attacks launched by the female occupants of the room. When Phillippe was assured that there were no unknown calamities waiting to befall them, he nodded to someone who was still standing in the hallway.

Grant sauntered into the room flashing a smile. "Ladies, I do believe that you're becoming accustomed to your accommodations. You all look very much at home. I must apologize for the lack of sunshine, but you understand that certain things are not available to you when you're bad. I do hope that you enjoyed the show earlier."

"Two visits in one day! I'm so honored," Cindy spat sarcastically. "What do you want now?"

"Patience never was one of your virtues, Cynthia. But then again you never had any virtues."

Cindy snarled at Grant but remained seated.

Amanda and Vicky looked on with caution. Phillippe stood guard with his hand on his gun. Their last escapade would not afford them another escape attempt any time soon. Everyone was on guard.

"Phillippe, escort Mrs. McKinnon to the place we discussed."

Phillippe stepped forward and grabbed Vicky by the arm.

"Stop it!" Vicky demanded as she twisted away from Phillippe.

Phillippe grabbed both of her arms this time and started pulling her toward the door.

"What are you going to do to her?" Amanda asked with wide eyes.

"That's none of your concern, Amanda," Grant responded.

"Could you be easy on her? She isn't in any condition to be manhandled like that," Cindy told him.

Grant stepped toward her stopping mere inches from where she stood. "What is this concern, Cynthia? I was always under the impression that you would rather see Victoria dead than alive."

"She's pregnant, Grant. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"How touching. Dare I say that the two of you have bonded?"

"Would you just tell him to go easy on her? Or do you want her to die?"

Grant smiled arrogantly. "I am not the monster you want everyone to believe I am."

Cindy threw her head back and laughed. "Oh that's a good one, Grant. No, you're not a monster. You're a sadistic son of a bi---"

"Silence!" Grant demanded.

Vicky continued to struggle against Phillippe as they stepped out into the hall.

"Just be easy with her," Amanda pleaded from where she stood behind Cindy.

Grant turned around and walked toward the door. Cindy and Amanda watched cautiously. Neither of them could take their eyes off of him. He spun around quickly when he reached the doorway.

"I want the two of you to remember that this is what happens when you make bad decisions. Maybe you'll think twice before you hatch up any more escape attempts."

Grant laughed lowly before slamming the door closed behind him. They heard the lock click soon after.

Amanda looked at Cindy. "What do you think he's going to do to her?"

"With Grant, anything is possible. I don't think he'll hurt her, though."

"You're more optimistic than I am."

Cindy nodded slightly. "Despite all his bluster otherwise and all the things he has done to her, Vicky is the only woman that he has truly loved."

"Grant Harrison doesn't know the meaning of that word."

Cindy nodded. "No, you're right. It's just his own sick version of love."

"What are we going to do now?"

"What else? We're going to figure out how to get out of this joint."

"I thought you'd given up."

"Let's just say that Grant has given me a whole new inspiration."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Phillippe pushed Vicky ahead of him into a small library. Grant followed, shutting the door behind them.

He nodded at Phillippe. "Bruno will be right outside the door should she give you any trouble."

"Why am I here, Grant?"

Grant smiled as he walked toward her. He grabbed Vicky's hand and pulled her to the couch.

"Here we go. Have a seat and get comfortable. Prop your feet up."

"I'm in no mood for your games."

"You used to like everything I did."

Vicky shook her head. "You ruined anything I ever felt for you a long time ago."

"Did I? If you had stayed away from my brother, everything would have been different. Perhaps you and I would be living happily right now."

"Don't you dare start, Grant. You don't know the meaning of the word 'happy'."

"I always knew you, Victoria."

"You never knew me. You just wanted what you knew you couldn't have. It wasn't love. It was just some sort of contest to you."

"Believe what you want, but if it weren't for Ryan, we would be together."

Vicky raised her hand to slap Grant. He caught it in mid-air.

"Don't you dare speak his name."

Grant looked remorseful for a moment. "Let's get to the business at hand. I promised my son a phone call to his mother. That's where you come in. And to insure that you won't say anything out of the way to Kirkland, Phillippe will be here the entire time. It would be a shame if you had an unfortunate accident because you couldn't behave."

"Are you threatening me?" Vicky asked.

"I prefer to call it insurance. Now we've wasted enough time. Let's get to it. And if you're good, Victoria----you'll live to see another day," Grant said with a laugh.

He walked through the door and closed it behind him. Vicky glared, then turned to Phillippe. There was no compassion in his eyes for her. He pulled his gun from his holster and held it in his hand with his finger on the trigger.

"You will do as he says or suffer the consequences, Mrs. McKinnon."