The next day was a busy one. Kermit Griffin had questioned every street vendor and every bystander next to the bridal shop, asking if anyone had seen a man with a Southern accent. He'd hit pay dirt faster than he expected. The hardware store owner was ready to kill a customer with a Southern accent, who'd requested implements on how to repair a lock. The problem was that the man had no idea as to the makeup of the original lock and had to buy several kinds. He hadn't seen the man since. Also, as another stroke of luck, the man paid by check, complete with address and social security number. Now, that check was in Kermit's hands. *Mr. Timothy Halton is as good as caught,* Kermit had reflected. They just had to find out where they hid the women.

Wolf Gannett had performed above and beyond the call as well. He'd thought that he had found a comfortable compromise between those clothes that Nicki had found for him and his leather outfit but Kermit wanted nothing else to go wrong. The detective had driven the actor to the most expensive clothing store in the city so that the bank would have no more excuses. He would look like a responsible businessman and obtain the million dollars, thanks to the documents that Kermit provided for him. Wolf couldn't think of any businessman he'd seen on T.V. or in the movies so he just acted like Nicki. Calm, confident and efficient. It seemed to work. Within record time, he was walking out with the money. There was a hairy moment about when they asked the reason to taking such a large draw but Kermit had warned him about that, saying that banks hated to lose money and to just tell them it was an emergency.

Now, Kermit and Wolf waited in the hotel room for the last call, surveillance equipment at the ready. Wolf, of course, lost no time getting rid of the fancy suit and tie as he waited. Finally, the wait was over.

Kermit nodded to Wolf, who picked up the phone. "Yeah?"

<Got the money?>

"Yeah, I got the money. How're we gonna do this?"

<Okay, put the money in a black bag-->

"I got a green bag. Is that okay?" Wolf, following Kermit's instructions, was trying to extend the call as long as possible, even going into the ridiculous. He just hoped that it wouldn't make the kidnappers so mad as to hurt the women!

There was an exasperated grunt. <Yeah, okay. A green bag. That's okay. There's a dumpster, a garbage dumpster, on Main Street and 4th. Put it in at 7:00 p.m.>

Holding his breath, Wolf said, "Okay. Put the bag in the dumpster of Main and 7th at 4:00 p.m. Right?"

<NO!!! Main and FOURTH!!! At 7:00 p.m.!!!>

"Geez, man, ya don't have to yell my head off," Wolf said reproachfully as Kermit tried to suppress a grin. For once, the actor was operating on all thrusters. "That's what I thought I said! Okay, Main and 4th at 7:00 p.m. So, where exactly IS Main?"

<What???>

"Hey, man, you oughta know," Wolf told the man pulling his hair out on the other end of the line. "I live in Malibu. I don't know any streets around here!"

Kermit put a thumbs-up gesture. They had the trace!!! Wolf grinned broadly but the kidnapper wasn't so happy.

<TAKE A CAB!!!>

"Oh," Wolf said into the phone. "Never thought of that. That's a good idea!"

The kidnapper had had enough. He hung up. Wolf put down the phone and performed a grandiose bow in Kermit's direction. "Was that good or what?"

Far be it from Kermit to withhold praise when the praise was actually due. "That was good," he said. "We got 'em!"

Wolf looked at his $1,200 watch. "It's only an hour away, man. We'd better book."

Kermit grabbed the satchel of money. "I'm going to the dumpster," he told him. "You're going to follow this trace to SCOUT. You hear me?! Do NOT go in there alone! You got a cell phone - you call me when you get there. Are you listening to me?!" Kermit felt he was talking to a teenager. "Just watch them. If anyone moves or you see anything unusual, call the precinct and get people there to handle it."

"Yeah, just watch, man, you can count on me."

Normally, such a statement would cause Kermit hysterical laughter but Wolf had performed well on the phone. *I know I'm going to regret this,* he thought as he put his trust in the actor. Maybe he was being dependable because Nicki was gone and he was worried about her.

"Let's go."

*****

"Time to rock n' roooolllll, Carrie!" Tim burst into the bedroom where Carrie Ann had popped in to make a quick check of their prisoners. Wrapping her in a tight squeeze, Tim spun her around. "In one hour, it'll be over!"

Frowning at Tim's light headed behavior, the woman snapped, "Put me down, you idiot! This is serious." Tim immediately released her and garnered a softer look from his wife. He was relieved too soon and she knew it. This would be the hard part.

"So," Nicki said, dripping sarcasm, "you steal money from someone and then you live happily ever after. God bless America!"

Waving the gun precariously around the room, Carrie Ann defensively struck back. "That's right! Just like Wolf Gannett!!! He stole Tim's work. Months of work!" Carrie Ann was nearly in tears from her anger.

"Carrie...baby...." Tim tried to calm her down but to no avail.

"We trusted you people and look what it got us! NOTHING!!!"

Savannah sat silently watching the story begin to unfold. There was no need to get behind the runaway train and shove.

Furious at having Wolf's name sullied, Nicki railed right back from her chair. "What lunacy are you talking about??!! What could you possibly have that Wolf Gannett would want to cheat you out of??!!"

"I'll show you what, dammit!" Carrie ripped open a drawer on the warped bureau and dropped the heavy contents onto her captive's lap. "Here! That's what he stole."

"Bottom Land?" Nicki read the front cover of what appeared to be a screenplay. "Where did you get this?" She looked up warily at the red-faced woman looking down on her with such venom.

Totally in the dark, Savannah leaned over to get a better look. "What is it, Nicki? Tim?"

Tim looked an odd combination of sad and embarrassed. "It's-"

"It's the screenplay of Wolf's next movie," Nicki answered, sharply. "And you didn't answer my question. WHERE DID YOU STEAL IT FROM?"

"We didn't steal it, Miss High-And-Mighty! Tim wrote it!" Thumping the page in Nicki's lap for emphasis, she added, "See? By Tim Halton."

"Tim? Is this true?" Savannah tried to pull the now-silent Tim into the conversation.

"No, Savannah. It isn't," Nicki said coolly. "This was written by a man in our editing department, Ralph Daniels. It's a serious piece we're trying for Wolf's next picture. It's set in the South and-"

"Aaaand it's about Tim's grandfather and the way he tried to hold on to the family's land during the Depression." Turning to Savannah in search of support, she continued, "Grandaddy Halton helped all of the poor families in the area hold onto things by organizing them into one big coop."

"A Southern commune? What a great idea!" Savannah tried to focus on Carrie Ann's expression. Trying to read the truth.

"That's absurd! Ralph brought this to Wolf six months ago and it was so good, we immediately started pre-production. Savannah, don't believe this crap."

"You want proof, I got proof!" Carrie Anne grabbed a small box from under the bed and began to display her evidence. "All the rough drafts Tim worked on - by hand. His grandaddy's diary where he got most of the research. Faxes, WITH DATES on the bottom to show when we asked for information on where to send the manuscript. Return receipts from a year ago where we submitted. Fed Ex receipts when we sent follow up letters. The letter we got from Wolflicks telling us 'thanks but no thanks' for our submission."

The room fell silent as Nicki examined the letter in her lap. "Ralph signed this." Everyone had been so surprised when Ralph submitted such a thoughtful, moving piece. It was just what they had been looking for to rip Wolf out of the action/adventure genre and into serious drama. Ralph had been a great technical editor of the work they had produced since the company started but no one thought that he had that kind of talent.

"You see, ma'am," Tim spoke softly and gathered the pieces of paper from Nicki's lap, "Mr. Daniels said that he gave the work to Mr. Gannett and he didn't like it. Even after I did some of the rewrites he asked for."

"Ralph? You actually spoke to him?" Nicki looked intently at Tim for the first time.

"Yes, ma'am. He said Mr. Gannett didn't like it but a couple of months later, Carrie Ann read in 'Variety' - she just loves to read that Hollywood stuff - anyway, she saw where Mr. Gannett was makin' the picture." Putting the box away, he concluded their tale of betrayal. "We couldn't get anyone to return our calls after that."

Now *this* made sense. "Nicki, could they be telling the truth?" Savannah watched the changing expressions running over her face. "Carrie Ann? Why did you just go to a lawyer when you felt you'd been cheated?"

"We tried but nobody would see us. Me and Tim don't have any money!" Carrie Ann seemed embarrassed to admit that fact. Gently patting Tim's arm, she said, "Tim worked so hard. It's not right for him to get nothing for it."

"Well now we're gettin' somewhere!" Savannah exclaimed triumphantly. "Just let me talk to Wolf and we'll straighten this all out!"

"NO!" shouted a resolved Carrie Ann. "None of you people can be trusted!" Handing the gun to Tim, she said, "You'd better get going."

Giving her a kiss and taking the weapon, Tim wordlessly took his leave.

Nicki was silent. Still stunned at her own betrayal. Wolf's betrayal. Ralph would have hell to pay by sundown tomorrow.

Savannah switched into high gear. "Carrie Ann! Stop him!"

"Shut up."

"I mean it! We can work this out!"

"I said, shut up!"

"Just listen to me for-" The protest was cut short by a gag tied smartly around Savannah's mouth and knotted neatly behind her head.

"There. That's better." Carrie Ann nodded happily at the silence and left the room.

*****

Skulking was never a skill Tim had developed. He'd arrived well before the set time for the drop. As far as he could tell, things were fine. No cops. Nobody until a lime green car pulled up in front of the dumpster.

Even from his far-off vantage point, Tim could see that the drop-off man wasn't Wolf Gannett. The man, dressed in black, moved with deadly precision. Scanning the area carefully before dropping in the heavy bag containing the ransom.

Tim breathed a sigh of relief as the man slowly pulled away and disappeared down the street. "Hot dog, Carrie!" he hooted to himself. "This is easier than we thought."

Confident that he was now alone in the area, Tim walked quickly to the dumpster, retreived the ransom, and made a bee-line for the warehouse and safety.

******

Carrie Ann was bustling around the room like a chicken with her head cut off. Shoving things into two duffle bags and erasing their fingerprints from the room. Things were coming to a close. Soon, Tim would have the money he deserved and she would be rid of these two 'walking headaches' he'd left tied up behind her.

"Carrie Ann," Savannah called, trying to reach her, "you've GOT to listen to me. You have to tell me where Tim went to get the ransom!" By now, she was no longer afraid of these two. They were desperate but not killers. She'd met killers before and those elements were absent here.

Expelling a frustrated breath, Carrie Ann quickly replied, "Look, ma'am, you PROMISED to shut up if I took the gag off! This will be over in just a few minutes."

Nicki didn't understand Savannah's frantic pleading with the kidnapper. She, too, was no longer in fear of her life. All they had to do was wait it out. "Savannah, why are you wasting your breath-?"

"Hush!" Savannah snapped at her fellow inmate, then turned back to Carrie Ann. "Carrie Ann, I don't care about the money. But there is something you should know. I'm not Wolf Gannett's fiancee. My name is Savannah Griffin. My husband is most likely the person Tim is about to meet."

*Finally!* Carrie Ann thought. She'd spent the past twenty-four hours trying to figure out which one was which. "Is he an actor, too?"

That produced a laugh from both prisoners. "No, Carrie Ann. My husband is a police detective. But he used to be a mercenary." Savannah could see by the look on Carrie Ann's face that the woman had no idea what that meant. In fact, Savannah had no idea until she became entangled with Kermit Griffin. "Carrie Ann, my husband used to kill people for a living."

"Have you seen Wolf's recent movie?" Nicki added helpfully. "That movie was based on Kermit's real life. All that really happened!" At Savannah's look, she amended, "Well, kind of."

The pained look on Carrie's face translated her uncertainty. "But Tim wouldn't hurt anybody. Maybe they'll leave him alone to protect you two."

"Carrie Ann, my husband will more than likely kill Tim if he catches him." Attempting to draw on the tiny link she'd established, she resorted to begging. "Please let me try to stop this! Let me go, tell me where, and maybe I can keep Tim alive."

"If I let you go now, you'll just go to the police and try to catch us before we can get out of town! And I thought you actually cared!" Banging herself in the head with her palm. "Good Lord! What was I thinkin'?" She returned to her work.

"Kermit will KILL him! Don't you care?! I thought you loved him!"

"I do love Tim! He's everthin' to me!" Carrie Ann dropped her load by the door. She did love Tim. If that man hurt him...."Why would you marry that man if he's just a cold-blooded killer?!"

Forcing her tone to soften, Savannah played her last card. "Because he's a good man now and he loves me. He's out there right now, hunting someone he thinks has hurt me. What if it were you, Carrie? If Tim thought someone had hurt you? What would he do?"

The woman sank down on the bed, holding her face in her hands. They had made a terrible mistake. No matter what they had been cheated out of, they shouldn't have done this. Now, Tim was going to pay - possibly with his life! "Oh, Lord! What have we done?!" Carrie Ann wailed into her hands. "We just thought we'd be dealing with that actor. Not a professional killer!"

"Well, the actor's not really one you want to cross, either," Nicki muttered. She was wondering how she was ever going to talk Wolf out of pressing charges.

Savannah could feel Carrie Ann's breaking heart. "Dear, please, please let me go to where they are. I can stop Kermit before he hurts Tim if you'll let me. I don't want ANY of them to be hurt."

It only took a moment for her to decide. The money didn't matter. Getting caught didn't matter. Only Tim. Alive. That mattered. Quickly, she untied Savannah's bonds, then Nicki's. Pressing the car keys into Savannah's hand, she said, "He's at a warehouse on Main and 4th. They were supposed to leave the money in an old garbage dumpster outside. There's a trap door in the floor of the building that leads to the sewer. That's his getaway."

Savannah rubbed her wrists then grabbed Carrie Ann in an unexpected hug. "I can't make any guarantees about what will happen next, hun, but I'll do my best to stop him from gettin' hurt. You two stay here just in case he gets all the way back here." Privately, Savannah doubted that he would but it would keep them safe. At Nicki's nod, Savannah dashed off.

*****

Wolf found the run-down-hotel-turned-apartment-complex with no trouble. What he had more trouble with was waiting for Kermit. He paced back and forth in front of the door that they were supposed to be in. *MY woman is in there!* envisioned Nicki's sweet face terrorized by a roomful of kidnappers, frightened out of her mind, just waiting for Wolf to rescue her. *To hell with waiting!*

Using his pent-up energy of worry, anger and fear, Wolf took a deep breath and kicked open the door. To his immense relief, there was Nicki! She had her arms around a woman, who was sniffling into a kleenex. Then he saw it - the deadly pistol was lying in the woman's lap.

*She's the kidnapper!?* Wolf couldn't believe it but went into combat stance anyway. Both women watched as Wolf snarled, "Get away from her!" and performed his circle kick threateningly, even though he was unable to figure out how he could get the gun away from the woman in that position with Nicks holding her. *Why is Nicks holding her?* he thought briefly as he continued to advance.

"Wolf, it's all right," Nicki soothed. Following Wolf's gaze, she saw the gun in Carrie Ann's lap, picked it up like it was a dead mouse and carefully set it to the other side of her.

Wolf looked at the scene, confused. *Who'm I supposed ta be fightin'?* He looked around but there was no other assailant in sight of the small room.

"Carrie Ann's just frightened for her husband, Tim," Nicki explained. "Because she's worried that Kermit will...hurt him. Savannah's gone to intercept him."

Wolf cocked a questioning finger. "Are-?"

"We're just fine," Nicki assured him. "Tim and Carrie Ann are just...misunderstood. I'm sure we can work this all out since no one was hurt."

Wolf breathed out a sigh of relief. He had no idea why Nicki was defending the kidnapper but he was just happy that she seemed safe. "Nicks...thank God!"

She swiftly went to him. "I'm sorry you were so worried!"

He held her out at arm's length. "Nicks, first thing-"

"-change the account for you so you can withdraw any amount of money anytime, anywhere. Consider it done."

Looking at her sweet, adoring face once more, he gathered her in his arms. "Nicks...."

Muffled by his strong arms, Nicki murmured, "I love you, too."

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