At the cabin, Adam continued to wait for Lee. Time passed slowly until Adam received a phone call from Lee telling him that he would not be making an appearance. Adam was furious and frustrated by Lee's decision not to follow through with their agreement. Lee quickly noted that he had never agreed to meet Adam at the cabin. Adam demanded to talk toJunior. Lee enjoyed taunting Adam, saying that Adam was in no position to make demands. Lee held the phone out to the cage and warned Hayley and Junior not to engage in any funny business. Hayley took the phone and said hello to her father. Adam's heart must have stopped. His jaw dropped as Hayley told him that while she and Junior were both okay, they were both being held prisoner.
Allie prepared to tell Liza that Adam had switched the sperm specimens at the clinic. Shed simple said that she wanted to talk about Adam and Liza went off on a several minute-long tangent. Liza feared that Adam had done something foolish. Liza went on and on about how she fears that something bad might happen to her former husband. Now, Allie couldn't exactly segué into a speech about Adam's dirty deed. So she played along with Liza and pretended to be the concerned friend. Liza embraced Allie and thanked her for being there for her. Jake overheard Liza mentioned that she had met Lee Hawkins while he was pretending to be John Lee. Lee remembered that Mateo had asked him to do a search for Lee's patient records. He wondered if searching for John Lee's records might yield them more clues. He dashed off to phone the hospital and see what he could dig up. Allie urged Liza to calm down, noting that stress was not good for the baby. That was not going to be easy considering that Junior was being held hostage, Adam was planning on going head to head with a maniac, and Marian was still missing. "I can't believe this is happening," Liza sighed. "I don't even want to accept this." Adam had arrived and overheard only Liza's final few words. He worried that Allie had blabbed his secret, but when Liza didn't smack him, he knew that his secret was still safe. Adam told Liza that he wanted to go live again with another message for Lee. Liza walked off to make the necessary arrangements. While she was gone, Adam told Allie that she'd been wise not to tell Liza about the swap at the clinic. Allie said that she could not keep Adam's "dirty little secret" any longer. Adam labeled Allie's desire to tell the truth as "self destructive" and clarified that the dirty little secret was not his alone---it was both of theirs. Liza returned and asked Adam what he planned to say during his second televised appearance. Adam said that he would warn Lee that he had one final chance to let his children go free. Liza reminded Adam to toss Marian's name into the speech at some point. She wondered how the second message would differ from the first. Adam said that if Lee fails to respond, he'll put a price on Lee's head. That would bring out every bounty hunter in the county and Lee would be a marked man. Jake returned to the stage and told Adam that putting a price on Lee's head might not do any good because Lee was already a dying man. When pressed for an explanation, Jake told Adam that Lee had an inoperable brain tumor and that the man could die at any time. Adam saw his only leverage fly out the window. Lee was a man with nothing to gain and nothing to lose. What could he possible use to win over Lee? Liza didn't want to pack it in. She thought hard for several minutes before realizing that Adam could offer Lee the one thing that everyone wants---life.
Things at Wildwind became very hectic as soon as everyone realized that Hayley was missing. Dixie and Gillian both wondered what was taking Ryan so long. While they waited, Tad and Mateo returned home. They had found little on their trip to visit the carnival troupe. An out of breath Ryan stumbled into the room and announced that Hayley was not in her bedroom. Unaware of the implication, Mateo nonchalantly remarked that Hayley might have taken a walk to another part of the house. Ryan explained that Lee had been spotted on the property earlier and that he feared Hayley might have been kidnapped. Mateo raced upstairs and frantically searched for some clue that would point him towards his missing wife. Dixie followed him and hoped that Lee might still be on the grounds. Mateo looked over at the bed and saw the music box. He then knew that Lee must have been responsible for Hayley's disappearance. What he didn't understand was why there was no sign of a struggle. Dixie surmised that Hayley had willing went with Lee so that she could be near Adam Junior. Tad poked his head in the room and told Mateo and Dixie that security had found an intruder on the grounds. Everyone dashed back to the parlor and waited for the intruder to be brought to the house. Gillian pulled Ryan aside and asked him not to tell anyone that she'd been the one who'd seen Lee because she knew that she'd get an earful for not reporting the sighting. The intruder turned out to be more of a pest than an actual intruder. The security guard led David into the house thinking that the doctor was actually Lee Hawkins. Everyone groaned collectively and told the guard to head back out and find the real danger. David explained that he'd thought that he might be able to help find Marian. Tad mused that David was probably there to do a little "gravedigging." Adam phoned in to tell Mateo that he had spoken to Lee and found out that Hayley was also being held against her will. Mateo was surprisingly composed for someone who'd just learned that his wife had been abducted. Tad asked Ryan how long after Lee had been spotted that Hayley had disappeared. Ryan guessed that it had been about an hour. Knowing that Lee had already phoned Adam from the hideout, Tad figured that Lee could be no more than two hours' drive away from Wildwind. Since they already knew that Lee was not at the carnival, he had to be somewhere else where he'd feel comfortable. Tad referred to the picture Lee had sent and determined that Lee had to be hiding in some type of carnival surplus warehouse. Tad showed the photo to Mateo. Mateo had a flashback on his "carnival vision," in which Hayley is clobbered with a heavy mallet. Mateo saw the "test your strength" apparatus in the photo's background and immediately became fearful. He phoned Jake and asked him to meet him at the hospital immediately. Gillian stepped forward and admitted that she'd been the one who'd spotted Lee. Mateo didn't react, but Dixie did. She lunged at the princess and tried her best to slap Gillian. Tad stepped in between them and pulled Dixie aside. Dixie decided that she couldn't stand to be in the same room as Gillian and stormed out of the house.
When they arrived at the hospital, Mateo wasted little time in explaining what he needed from Jake. Mateo told Jake about the visions he'd had while comatose. Mateo said that somehow he had been able to see the future. The only problem, Mateo explained, was that he had not seen enough of one of his visions to know what where Hayley had been taken. Jake wasn't sure exactly how he fit into the equation. Mateo told Jake that he'd been doing some research and learned that doctors can use a new drug to induce comas in some patients. Mateo was convinced that this was the only way to revisit his visions. Jake was adamantly opposed to the idea. There were several possible dangers with the procedure: the procedure might fail to place Mateo into a comatose state, he could end up in a coma and never wake up, he could damage his heart, or he the procedure could go perfectly and Mateo just might not have any other visions. Mateo was determined and used the familiar guilt trip as leverage. He told Jake that the procedure was the only way to save Hayley's life and indirectly hinted that if Jake refused to give the procedure the green light, he would be responsible for anything that happened to Hayley.
Stuart arrived at the mausoleum and searched high and low for Marian. He called out to Marian, asking her if she was the ghost. Stuart meant well, but his question seemed awkwardly amusing. He walked over to Hugo Marick's tomb marker and tried to pry it from the wall. After struggling for some time, he managed to pull the stone from the wall. He didn't find Hugo's remains behind the wall---he found a bricked up wall. Stuart turned his attention to another burial vault. This time he'd found the right one. Stuart strained to lift the swinging stone that covered the tomb. He poked his head inside and called out to Marian. When he saw her lying on the ground, he mistakenly assumed that Marian was just resting. He soon learned that Marian's condition was much, much worse. Stuart removed Marian from the tomb and held her in his arms. He begged her not to die on him. It must have been very hard for Stuart. He forgot about trying to seek help. All he wanted to do was sit with Marian. He gathered up his composure and shouted out for help. Luckily, someone heard his cries. David raced into the crypt and immediately went to work. Now that he was on the scene, Stuart was able to run to David's car and retrieve David's medical bag. He also placed a call to Liza to tell her to hurry to Wildwind. Liza arrived and immediately kneeled on the ground next to her fallen mother. Liza begged David not to tell Marian die. The ambulance still had not arrived. When Stuart called, the emergency dispatcher told him that there were no ambulances available. David got on the phone and yelled at the dispatcher, saying that he needed an ambulance immediately---or Marian would not make it. Stuart said a prayer to ask that the ambulance show up before it was too late. In the distance, the sounds of sirens quietly sounded.
Lee teased Hayley and Junior endlessly about their impending demise. In the cage, Hayley tried to soothe Junior's jitters. Little she said helped, but Junior was comforted slightly by having his big sister by his side. The brother and sister team poked around the cage to see what type of stuff was in the cage with them. Hayley's heart skipped a beat when she saw a mallet poking out from under some boxes. She looked outside the cage and saw the strength-tester game. She recalled Mateo's flashback and nearly fainted. She tried her best to compose herself so that Junior wouldn't get even more worked up. Hayley concocted a plan that she hoped would gain their freedom---or at least Junior's freedom. Hayley called out to Lee and told him that she'd found a mallet on the floor. Lee boasted that he used to be able to hit the little marker all the way to the top of the strength tester. Hayley asked Lee if he thought that he could still hit the bell. Lee strutted over to the cage and unlocked the door. He picked up the mallet and walked across the warehouse to where the strength tester had been set up. Hayley became a circus barker, urging all to check it out as another contestant tried to beat the machine. When Lee had the mallet lifted in the air, Hayley pulled out her Swiss Army knife. With one quick lunge, Hayley thrust the blade into Lee's side. She screamed for Junior to run. Junior hesitated before shaking the cobwebs clear and making a run for it. He raced to the door, but it was locked and he couldn't get out. He hid behind some boxes and no one knew that he was still inside the warehouse. Lee recovered quickly from the wound and tackled Hayley. Hayley continued to antagonize Lee, presumably so that Junior would have ample time to make his getaway. Hayley and Lee went back and forth with insults and slaps. Hayley was surprisingly feisty and held her own against a much stronger Lee. Lee finally went over the edge when Hayley accused him of killing Joy. Lee clutched his head and yelled a horrifying scream. "Stop it, Joy!" he screamed. Hayley's eyes bulged demonically and her lips sneered as she told Lee that she was "Hayley Chandler Santos," not Joy. Lee grabbed Hayley by the neck and started shaking her violently. He told Hayley that she was Joy and warned her that he'd beat her if she continued to be argumentative. As Hayley tried to walk away, Lee noticed that "Joy" no longer had the rose tattoo he'd placed on her shoulder. Another of the scenes in Mateo's visions was coming true. Lee wanted to put the tattoo back on immediately, but Hayley managed to delay him by spotting Adam on the television. Lee listened as Adam announced that he'd been in contact with a group of doctors in London. The doctors supposedly had developed a new technique to shrink brain tumors. This experimental procedure, which Adam said that he would bankroll, would allow Lee to continue living. Lee didn't buy it. Dixie burst onto the stage and told Adam that she had a message she wanted to give to Lee. "Mr. Hawkins," Dixie said softly. Lee interrupted Dixie's speech, saying that Dixie obviously respected people because she'd opted to refer to him as "Mr. Hawkins." In her short, emotion-filled comments, Dixie begged Lee not to take out his anger on defenseless children. She took every chance she could to stroke Lee's ego. At one point, she called him a "concerned parent" who obviously missed his daughter greatly. Dixie said that Camille was a great person and credited Lee for Camille's development. After the broadcast ended, Lee phoned to tell Adam that he didn't believe a word he'd said. "I'm as good as dead," Lee said sinisterly. He then said that he had no plans on dying alone. "I'm taking them [Hayley and Junior] with me for company," he added. "I always wanted a son and a daughter." Dixie broke down in a fit of uncontrollable sobbing. Back at the warehouse, Lee strapped Hayley into a chair and prepared to give her a new rose tattoo. Lee didn't have the necessary equipment to create the tattoo, so he improvised with what was on hand. He planned on using a can of red paint to make the rose. Hayley worried that the paint would make her sick. "You should be more worried about getting dead," Lee snapped. The buzzing if the tattoo gun sounded and Lee dipped the end in the red paint. As the needle touched Hayley's skin, she cried out in agony.
Lee Hawkins was a wanted man. Just how wanted? Derek summoned several of the Pine Valley Police Department's top cops to his desk and ordered them to have all available officers out searching for Lee, Junior, Hayley, and Marian. Across the station, Jack, Mike, and Adrian tried to plot out their next course of action in investigating Palmer. Adrian obtained a document from Interpol that supposedly offered new light on the search for the stolen paintings. As they spoke of the devil, so to speak, Palmer and his attorney, Walter Heinz, entered the station with smiles on their faces. Palmer had his legal bigwig obtain a court order than blocked any further "spying" on him. Adrian called the court order a "death wish." Palmer's neck snapped back and he squawked that he'd just been threatened. Jack rolled his eyes and told Palmer to cool his jets. Adrian, he said, was not threatening him---he was trying to protect him. Mike explained that a group of rogue "art collectors" had learned that Palmer had the missing photos. Apparently, the group was planning on getting the paintings at any cost. Palmer claimed that he knew nothing about stolen masterpieces and again asked the trio to stop badgering him. Jack tired of Palmer's know nothing attitude and decided that the only course of action was to get the court order rescinded. As the five men filed out of the station, Adrian overheard Belinda going head to head with an unusually arrogant Keith McClean. Keith told Belinda that the jury had requested to have the qualifications for "justifiable homicide" re-explained to them. Belinda took this as a good sign, saying that the jury was obviously leaning in the right direction---and acquittal. Keith argued that the jury had seen through the defense's sham and realized that Brooke had killed Jim in cold blood. Keith made a crass remark regarding Brooke's failure to accept his plea bargain offer. Now, he sneered, Brooke would have a lifetime behind bars to think about what she should have done. Adrian stepped in just as Belinda was preparing to read Keith the riot act. He told her that he needed to talk to her about a "top secret case." Belinda reluctantly followed him to a private conference room where she learned that there really was no secret case. Adrian wanted to pill Belinda away before she lost her cool. Adrian explained that when one is "really dying inside" that's the time to really stay cool. Never let 'em see you sweat, only Adrian said it far more eloquently. He added that Belinda did not have to prove herself to anyone and then referred to himself as one of Belinda's "not so secret" admirers. Back at Jack's desk, the judge who had granted the court order blocking the investigation into Palmer's alleged thievery argued that there was no evidence to support Mike and Jack's claims. The judge said that he had also served in a special troop in Germany during World War II. Does that, he asked, mean that he is also a suspect. Jack waited until the judge left before asking Palmer how it felt to have a judge in his pocket. "Back the hell off," Palmer barked. Smugly confident, Palmer and Walter left the station. Adrian returned a few seconds later and apologized for his detour. Jack knew that it was going to be hard to find the paintings while staying within "the lines." Mike smiled jokingly and asked Jack if he was implying that they should do something illegal. Jack couldn't help but laugh at himself, the man who frowned upon anything that wasn't strictly by the books.
At WRCW, Adam realized that his attempt to con Lee had failed. "We've been bested by a backwoods yahoo with a third grade education!" he grumbled. Dixie hoped that Lee might call back and be willing to negotiate. When Adam's cell phone rang, everyone looked at each other with wide-eyed anticipation. The call wasn't from Lee, but it was just as important. Stuart told Adam that he'd found Marian, but that she was not in good condition. Adam hung up the phone, briefed Tad and Dixie, and dashed off to the hospital. Tad assured Dixie that her impromptu appearance on line television had not caused Lee to pass on Adam's scheme. Tad concocted an idea to get Lee to listen to them. He asked Dixie if she was game and warned her that the idea might be a little strange. Dixie nodded, realizing that she had no other choice but to do whatever she could to reach out to Lee.
At the hospital, an irate Mateo continued to insist that he be placed in a chemically induced coma. Jake explained that since the procedure was a non-emergency, the hospital board would have to approve the procedure. The chances of them approving the high risk procedure were just about nil. The ambulance arrived at the hospital and the paramedics took Marian into an examining room. Liza and Stuart were stopped at the door and told that they'd have to wait outside. Mateo approached and asked Liza if her mom was going to be okay. Stuart answered for Liza, saying that Marian's situation was very critical and that the doctors said that she might not make it. David and Jake exited the room and informed Liza that her mother would be transported to the Intensive Care Unit. Liza was, however, permitted a few minutes with her mother. She gently brushed Marian's forehead before taking Marian's hand and placing it on her belly. Liza strained to hold back the tears as she told her unconscious mother that she was going to have a baby. Adam arrived at that moment and his eyes welled with tears as he watched his ex-wife's emotional display. Liza told Adam that she thinks Marian would recover faster if she was surrounded by the people she loves. Adam knew that the hospital's visitation guidelines meant that only relatives could visit with patients deemed to be in critical condition. He told Liza that they'd have to divert the staff's attention so that Stuart could slip inside the room. When Jake arrived, Liza asked her friend if they could talk in private about Marian's condition. Jake nodded and led Liza off to his office. Stuart slipped into the room and walked slowly to Marian's bedside. He took a quick look back at the door just to make sure that no one was coming. He then crawled into bed and snuggled up next to Marian. "You reminded me of all the things I'd thought I'd forgotten," Stuart said softly. He struggled to keep from crying, but a few stray tears rolled down his cheeks. Stuart joked that he'd felt funny ever since he and Marian mistakenly slept together. He didn't have the flu, as he'd thought. "I had a galloping case of the Marians," chuckled Stuart. Suddenly, Marian's heart began to beat faster. She blinked her eyes several times before opening her eyes fully. Marian stared off into space as Stuart asked her if she could hear him.
Lee demanded to know where "Joy" had gotten the money to have her rose tattoo removed. Even before asking the question, he knew the answer: Adam Chandler. Hayley looked very ill. Obviously, the tattooing process had been very painful. Lee walked back and forth frantically. He claimed that something didn't feel right. "I can smell it," Lee said more than once. He still believed that Hayley was Joy. Hayley knew that she had to do something to win back Lee's trust. She knew little about Joy and Lee's relationship other than the fact that Lee had beaten Joy repeatedly. She tried her best to pretend that she was Joy, but she was a little too vague to be totally convincing. She was a bit too seductive in the way that she talked to Lee, using "Hey baby" and other terms that were very un-Joy-like. Lee recalled the days when he and Joy were happy together. He wanted Hayley to wear her old costume and dance like she used to. Hayley could see that she was getting in over her head. Somehow, she managed to get herself out of the predicament and asked Lee to do his routine like he used to. Lee transformed into a circus barker and called out for men to step up and prove if they are "Hercules or Jerkules." Lee couldn't finish the act because "Joy" wasn't wearing "the dress." Lee leaned over a large trunk and began rummaging around for Joy's old dress. Hayley motioned for Junior to make a break for it, but Junior didn't want to budge. When he finally summoned enough nerve to move towards the exit, he knocked over a box. Lee heard the thud and began looking around for the young boy. He was temporarily sidetracked when Joy appeared on the television. Joy was actually Dixie dolled up in a long blonde wig and a peach-ish colored floral dress. The WRCW makeup crew had done a good job at fixing Dixie up, but would Lee see that Joy was nothing more than an imposter? Dixie said that she was sorry that she had allowed Adam to play a "dirty trick" on Lee. The dirty trick, of course, was her faked death. She said that she wants to make up for what she's done by reuniting with the man she loved. Dixie claimed that she'd changed physically as well as emotionally. She stated that she was a new woman, a woman who wanted nothing more than to be back in Lee's arms. "I loved you so much," Dixie said softly. Lee began to break down in tears. He looked at the television set and asked "Joy? Is that you?" over and over again. Dixie begged Lee to call the station so that they could be reunited. Something snapped in Lee's mind and he was no longer the blubbering mess that he had been just a few minutes ago. He began quite angry and cast a piercing glance in Hayley's direction. "Let's get cleaned up," Lee said coldly. He was trying to convince Hayley and Junior that he was interested in taking them to the studio to be reunited with their mother and father. It was unclear whether Lee believed that he and Joy were Junior and Hayley's parents or whether the parents reference was directed towards Dixie and Adam. Hayley called out to Junior and told him not to believe what Lee was saying. Lee responded by slapping Hayley across the face. The thwap echoed throughout the warehouse. Junior decided that he had to make a break for it and dashed to the gate. He worked feverishly to unlock the locks that prevented him from fleeing.
Back at the hospital, Mateo decided that he had to take matters into his own hands. He picked up a stray white lab coat that someone had left behind at one of the nurses' stations. He slipped into the coat and headed for the medicine storage area. He managed to sneak inside unnoticed. He checked out each of the cabinets' contents through their glass windows. He found what he was looking for: the medicine that could put him back in a coma. The doors, as expected, were locked. Mateo used his elbow to smash the glass. He unlocked the door and picked up one of the vials of medicine.
Just as Jack and Mike were discussing using Erica to get Palmer to turn over the paintings, Erica showed up at the police station. Wearing a red dress and sporting hair that is a bit longer than she's had in recent years, Erica found it odd that Mike and Jack were still working together. She wondered if the dynamic duo had managed to nab Palmer yet. Mike told Erica that they had not yet apprehended Palmer nor had they found the paintings. Jack jumped in and noted that they had found evidence that proved that Palmer had hidden the paintings in a secret closet in his secret room. Erica sighed in annoyance. Secret rooms and secret closets seemed all too unreal. Mike told Erica that there are others who are looking for the paintings. He claimed that he could not tell Erica exactly who these other people were. Erica decided that Mike was bluffing. She asked if she couldn't be told because she was not trustworthy or because Mike didn't know who the people were himself. Erica had a third possibility, one which she believed was the most likely: There were no "others" and Mike was making the whole thing up. Jack backed Mike's story, saying that the people who were after the paintings were not your everyday art collectors. Mike said that Erica's cooperation was needed to prevent Palmer from being seriously injured or even killed. Erica refused to aid her two loves. She said that she could not rat on the man who had always been there for her. Besides, Palmer could end up in jail. Better jail than an early grave, Mike remarked. Erica wasn't sure and she and Mike went back and forth arguing whether or not Erica should assist them. Jack tired of the arguing. He flagged down a wandering policeman and asked him to take Mike into custody on charges of "provoking and official." He grabbed Erica by the arm and told her that he needed to talk to her. Before leaving, he mused that if Mike tried to escape, he should be shot. Erica was led into an interrogation room. Jack closed the door and then closed the blinds that allowed others to see inside the room. Erica wasn't in the mood for games. She accused Jack of trying to "rattle [her] chains" by putting on a show. She wondered if she'd be thrown in a jail cell for effect. Jack asked Erica to have a seat. He told her that while Palmer is not one of his favorite people, he doesn't want to see Palmer go to jail. He added that he didn't want to see him harmed either. If Erica agreed to cooperate, Jack said that he'd call in some favors with a federal prosecutor buddy and try to work out a deal for Palmer. Erica made Jack promise that he'd do all that he could to help Palmer before agreeing to help. She made it known that she was only helping because she wanted to protect her friend. Jack thanked Erica with a kiss. Mike somehow escaped from the officer's care and entered the room. Jack mumbled that he had given orders to shoot if Mike made a break for it. Mike, in turn, jabbed Jack and Erica for their apparent "love fest."
At WRCW, Dixie continued to sob uncontrollably. She feared that Lee had caught her performance and realized that she was not Joy. That conjured up all kinds of images in Dixie's mind---and none of them were pleasant. Tad tried to remain positive. Perhaps Lee hadn't called because he hadn't seen the telecast. Tad was just about to head off to call Edmund when Dixie suddenly called out to him. He turned around just in time to catch Dixie as she passed out.
Stuart was overjoyed to see that Marian had pulled through. Marian looked around but couldn't figure out where she was. She closed her eyes tightly and told herself that she was seeing and hearing things. Stuart assured Marian that she was not hallucination. He explained that he'd found Marian in the crypt and had her taken by ambulance to the hospital. "I always knew you'd find me," Marian said softly. "Because you're my hero." Stuart leaned over and gently kissed Marian on the cheek. Liza poked her head into the room and was amazed to see that her mother had made such a miraculous recovery. Liza told her mother how glad she was to see her---and Marian wasted no time in returning the sentiment. Marian took a deep breath and started to tell her tale of being kidnapped by Lee Hawkins. She took a side trip to inform everyone that Lee was actually John. Stuart smiled slightly and told Marian that they knew all about Lee Hawkins. Marian began to sob when she thought about how close she'd come to being killed. She then snickered and noted that crying her heart out wasn't going to cure her dehydration. Liza held a cup of water for her mother and helped her drink. Marian complained that she was able to hold the cup herself. Liza smiled slightly and said that she's going to have to get used to feeding other people. Marian tilted her head to the side and asked her daughter if she was going to volunteer at the hospital. Liza shook her head. Marian thought for several seconds before turning back towards Liza and asking, "You mean.... You're not... We're going to have a baby!?" Liza beamed, but quickly explained that she was not one hundred percent certain that she was pregnant. Adam burst into the room and seemed uninterested with Marian's recovery. In Adam's defense, he was preoccupied with worry over his children's disappearances. He asked Marian if she knew where Lee had taken Hayley and Junior. Marian had not known that Lee had gotten his hands on Adam's two children. She bowed her head and told Adam that she was "so sorry." Adam vowed to find Hayley and Junior himself. He turned and walked towards the door. He stopped halfway to the door, turned around, and wished Marian a speedy recovery. He then dashed out of the room.
Junior raced to the gate as he had done before. This time, however, he managed to escape. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. Hayley hooted and hollered as her younger brother dashed off into the distance. Hayley taunted Lee, saying that it would only be a matter of time before someone came to rescue her. Lee circled Hayley menacingly. She watched his facial expressions and knew that something was wrong. She looked over her shoulder and saw that her new tattoo was trickling blood. Hayley began to panic as she realized that Mateo's vision was coming true. Lee didn't understand why Hayley was reacting so strong to what he saw as "just a scratch" on her shoulder. Hayley argued that she knew what a tattoo was supposed to look like---and this wasn't an example of good workmanship. She worried that the dirty needle Lee had used on her had made her sick. Lee remarked that all Chandler think that they rule the world. "We do rule the world," Hayley snapped. Moments later, she slumped over in her chair. Lee looked on with a concerned face. He remained quiet for several minutes. Then he made a sudden noise and Hayley nearly jumped out of her restraints. Lee had just proved that Hayley was faking her illness. Or so he thought. Lee suddenly remembered that Junior could tell the police where he'd been taken. That meant that Lee would have to relocate---quickly. He started to unstrap Hayley. Hayley claimed that she was too weak to walk under her own power. As Lee bent over to pick her up, Hayley kicked him in the mid-region. She made a mad dash towards the door, but Lee caught up to her and grabbed her.
Tad raced Dixie to the hospital. When they arrived in the emergency room, Tad flagged down his brother, Jake, and briefed him on Dixie's condition. Jake had Dixie taken into an examining room and then performed a series of routine examines. Tad began asking all sorts of questions and he was ultimately asked to leave until after the tests were complete. Some time later, Jake said that all of Dixie's tests came back normal. The only thing that was not within the normal range was Dixie's blood pressure. Dixie cryptically asked if "it could be something else." Tad asked about Dixie's blood work, but Jake said that the results of the blood tests hadn't come back yet. Jake asked Dixie if she'd been getting enough food and rest over the past few days. Dixie was perturbed by the question. She reminded Jake that her son had been kidnapped and that she hasn't been able to sleep ever since. Ryan appeared in the doorway and told Tad that he needed to speak with him. Tad rolled his eyes and told Ryan to come back later. Ryan had something that couldn't wait. He opened the door a little wider and revealed his big news. Junior scampered into the room and headed right to his mother's arms. Tad and Ryan stepped outside to discuss where Ryan had found Junior. Ryan said that he'd found Junior at a truck stop along the Interstate. Adam barged over and began blasting away at Tad for having Dixie go on the air pretending to be Joy. Tad tried to get Adam to shut up, but Adam kept going on and on. Finally, Adam had to take a breath and Tad told him to look inside the nearby examining room. Adam was overjoyed to se his son and equally devastated to learn that Lee still was holding Hayley prisoner. Junior had still not spoken. He looked off into space while Dixie and Adam tried to reassure the boy that everything was going to be all right and that no one would hurt him. Junior finally broke his silence. He out his hands over his ears and said that he'd heard Hayley screaming.
Mateo stashed at least one bottle of medicine in the lab coat before heading for the door. Before he could make his escape, David entered the room and demanded to know what Mateo was doing. When Matt acted peculiarly, David mistakenly assumed that Mateo had stolen medicine so that he could get high. That, of course, was not the case. David refused to budge until Mateo showed him what he'd stolen. David might have gone easy on Mateo except for that fact that the medicine Mateo had taken was extremely dangerous if it wasn't used properly. David explained the dangers of the drug, but Mateo tuned him out. He didn't seem to care that the drug could only be introduced intravenously and in small doses. Mateo was willing to take whatever chances he had to in order to save his wife. Mateo decided that if David would not let him administer the medicine, he'd ask the doctor to do it for him. David refused and said that there was no way that he would let him "commit suicide" by introducing the drug into his system. Mateo pushed past David and David turned around and grabbed on to Mateo. A struggle ensued with both men absorbing several blows. Mateo took everything that David threw his way. On one particular slug, though, Mateo lost his balance and fell backwards. On his way to the ground, Mateo banged his head against a desk. He dropped to the floor---and was out cold. The unconscious state provided the atmosphere, for lack of a better term, for Mateo to revisit his visions. This time he ended up in the warehouse. He could see Hayley strapped in the chair. He also noticed the bleeding tattoo. For some reason, Mateo couldn't get near his wife. Every time he moved towards Hayley, something new suddenly appeared in his path. Mateo tired of moving boxes and old carnival equipment. As he was throwing one of the boxes out of the way, Mateo saw that a name had been printed on the side of the box: Atlas Warehouse. Mateo prayed that he would be able to "wake up" in time to help his wife. Thankfully, Mateo was wide awake within a few seconds. He wanted to stand up, but David refused. He was concerned that Mateo had been seriously injured as a result of his fall and demanded that he get an x-ray. Mateo knew that fighting David would get him nowhere. He played along with David. When David picked up the phone to call radiology, Mateo sneaked out of the room.
Junior's escape from Lee Hawkin's clutches meant that Lee was one step closer to being nabbed. Seemingly everyone in Pine Valley was looking for Lee---and Hayley. One by one, they were closing in on Lee Hawkins.
At Tempo and still unaware that Junior had been reunited with his family, Edmund looked over the enlarged photos that Tad had developed in the photo lab. As he looked at them, Myrtle dropped by the get the latest on the investigation. Edmund showed Myrtle the pictures and asked her to see if she recognized anything in any of the photographs. Using a magnifying glass, Myrtle scanned every inch of the pictures. "Unbelievable," Myrtle clucked as she stared at one of the pictures. She recognized the "Strong Man" game because she had bought it off of the carnie. Since that time, Myrtle had donated it to the Daughter of Fine Lineage (DFL) for use in their bazaar. Edmund and Myrtle simultaneously said Phoebe's name. Edmund picked up the phone and placed a frantic call to Phoebe. He learned that the DFL stored all of their merchandise in the Atlas Warehouse. Edmund hung up the phone, kissed Myrtle on the cheek, and dashed out the door. Edmund raced outside of the Tempo building and stumbled over to a blonde-haired woman driving a white convertible. He hopped into the car and asked the woman to start driving. The woman, naturally, refused to move and demanded that Edmund get out of the car. She threatened to call the police, but Edmund told her that she could call the cops after she took him where he needed to go. The woman still refused to move and Edmund got of the car. He then hightailed it around to the driver's side, opened the door, and picked up the woman. He carried the woman several feet away and plopped her down on a garbage can. Edmund ran back to the car and drove off.
Liza bumped into David and thanked him again for saving her mother's life. She wondered why David had gone to such great lengths to save her mother even after she (Liza) had treated him like dirt. David said that he was doing his job. David said that he never would have expected to find Stuart cradling Marian in his arms. Liza smiled and said that Marian and Stuart had fallen in love as a direct result of the sting that they had pulled in order to get David to confess that he'd tried to kill Adam. David grinned and claimed that he had not tried to kill Adam. Once that topic had run dry, David urged Liza to see her obstetrician immediately. The stress of Marian's kidnapping, he said, wasn't good for Liza or "the kidlet." He took Liza's hand and gently checked her pulse. Liza's pulse was strong. He then brushed her cheek. Liza sat still for several seconds before deciding that she had to be moving on.
On the sun porch at the hospital, Eugenia> informed Gillian that they would be moving back to Budapest. Gillian was opposed to the idea and felt that the only reason her grandmother wanted to fly back to Europe was because of the way she'd blundered seeing Lee Hawkins the night of Hayley's disappearance. Eugenia told her granddaughter that she reminded her of her son, Gillian's father. Eugenia remembered that she'd always thought of her son as a "charming, delightful rogue." That, apparently, changed when he gambled away the family fortune. Gillian was crushed by the comparison and begged Eugenia not to say that she was just like her father. "You are a princess," Eugenia snapped, "but you are not a queen." She then added, "You don't rule here," referring to Pine Valley. Eugenia's last words before storming off were to tell Gillian to "be a woman" and to find her heart.
Adam grabbed his son by the shoulders and demanded that he tell them where Lee had taken him. "Stand tall like a Chandler," Adam hollered. Dixie grabbed Adam by the arm and escorted him out of the examining room. She told Adam that he was talking to his son, not a business associate. She demanded that Adam show some compassion towards their son. Inside the room, Ryan tried his best to get the young boy to open up. He offered to get Junior some ice cream, but nothing he said or did changed Junior's condition. A doctor gave Junior a check up and determined that he was in perfect physical shape. Emotionally, though, was a different story. He urged Adam and Dixie to use patience when dealing with Junior. He also told them that they needed to convince Junior that he was safe and that no one would ever hurt him again. No one knew why Hayley had screamed. Dixie returned to the room and found that Ryan and Tad's attempts to reach out to Junior had failed. The two men left and Dixie had some time alone with her son. She hugged him tightly and told him that she was sorry that "the mean man" had hurt him. As instructed by the doctor, Dixie did her best to make Junior feel safe. Outside the room, Tad and Adam argued over which one of them should go in next. Tad won out in the end---Dixie didn't want Adam around Junior and when asked if he wanted Tad to sit with him, Junior nodded his head. Tad walked over to a medical supply cabinet and picked up a roll of tape. He said that he and Jake used to play baseball with rolls of tape when they were younger. Tad managed to break through Junior's shell and the two tossed the tape back and forth. Outside, Gillian appeared and told Dixie that she was glad that Junior was returned safely. Dixie brushed her off and headed over to thank Ryan for bringing Junior to her. Liza wandered by and tried to have a conversation with Dixie, but Dixie wanted nothing to do with Liza. Liza had told Dixie that she was glad that Junior was okay, but Dixie weakly replied that she was "uh, glad" that Marian was well. Ryan pulled Gillian aside and told her that she wasn't off the hot seat yet. Hayley was still missing and it was all Gillian's fault. Gillian begged Ryan to give her a second chance, claiming that she was very sorry that she'd done the wrong thing. She asked Ryan to help make her a better person, but Ryan called her plea the "biggest snow job" since she'd conned him into believing that she had money. Liza walked over to Adam and tried her best to comfort him. Adam admitted that he'd been rough on Junior, but said that he was scared that Hayley's time had run out. Dixie returned and was impressed with the way that Tad had been able to help Junior. Tad told Junior about his experience with Ray Gardner when he was much younger. Tad embellished the tale a bit, swaying that he'd gotten lost when in actuality he was dumped off in the park. Tad said that he had to spend the night in the park and that he worried that coyotes were going to get him. Tad asked Junior if he'd ever had a similar experience. Junior finally opened up. He told Tad that when he was being held by Lee he saw boxes and boxes of stuff everywhere. Tad was able to determined that Junior had been taken to a warehouse. Junior remembered that there was "a man holding the earth" on top of the building. Tad instantly knew what Junior was talking about---Atlas Warehouse. Tad burst out of the room and told Adam that he knew where Hayley had been taken.
David found Gillian sobbing on the sun porch, the same place that he'd first seem her a few weeks back. "The whole world hates me," Gillian pouted when asked what was troubling her. David correctly determined that "the world" was actually Ryan. Gillian told David that Ryan was her husband---but that he didn't love her. Always the master of buttering someone up, David told Gillian that others mustn't take her serious because they are thrown by her beauty. Gillian was flattered and used glowing terms---like prince, hero, and God---to describe David. "No one appreciates you the way you deserve to be appreciated," David beamed. Gillian again referred to David as a prince. She tilted her head to the said and repeated "prince" one final time.
At the warehouse, Hayley and Lee grappled back and forth. Lee held a plastic whiffle bat above his head. Recalling Mateo's vision where she'd been bludgeoned to death, Hayley began to flip out. She clawed, flailed, and kicked at Lee until she managed to wrestle the bat away from him. She swung wildly, knocking everything in hat path onto the floor. Hayley took one too many wild swings and Lee stepped in and grabbed the bat away from Hayley. Now defenseless, Hayley could do little more than try to outrun Lee as he came after her with something a little more lethal than a whiffle bat---a mallet from the "strong man" game. Outside the warehouse, Mateo looked helplessly through a barred window. He searched the alley frantically for something that he could use to open the padlocked rear access door. Fortunately, he found a crowbar. As the visions of Hayley's demise danced in his head, Mateo struggled to pry open the lock. Hayley was backed into a corner and Lee slowly approached with the mallet raised over his head. Hayley slowly dropped down the wall and closed her eyes. Suddenly, Mateo burst into the warehouse and toppled Lee. The two men duked it out and Mateo managed to gain control of the mallet. For some reason, he tossed the mallet aside. Lee make a sneak attack and lunged at Mateo with a knife. The knife connected with Mateo's arm. Mateo managed to clobber Lee on the head with an unknown artifact that he been lying nearby. Mateo yelled out to Hayley and asked her to run. Hayley didn't budge. Mateo went over to his wife and tried to help her to her feet. Hayley began hallucinating. She thought that Mateo was Lee and began fighting with Mateo. Mateo begged Hayley to look at him, but Hayley continued walking away from him. Lee jumped up from where he'd been laying and grabbed Hayley. He held the knife to her throat and warned Mateo that he would cut Hayley's tongue out and then "gut her like a deer." Mateo took several steps backward and asked Lee not to hurt his wife. Behind Lee's back, Edmund slowly crept into the warehouse.
Mateo saw Edmund sneaking into the warehouse and carefully devised a plan to help distract Lee's attention. While Edmund carefully and quietly unlocked the locks on the storage facility's gate, Mateo tried to convince Lee to let go of Hayley. He told Lee that he had something that he wanted: Adam Chandler. Lee said that he didn't believe "blondie" when she tried to convince him that she hated Adam and that he didn't believe Mateo either. Mateo also used Edmund's name in his attempt to win over Lee. He said that he would have Edmund run a feature article on Lee so that he could get his message of his dislike for Adam out to the public. Things were going very smoothly---and Lee was going along with Mateo's plans---until Hayley began flipping out again. She said that her husband wouldn't let anything bad happen to her because he could "change the future." She wiggled and squirmed her way free and then kicked Lee in the groin. That allowed Edmund to jump Lee from behind. The two men wrestled for control of Edmund's knife. Mateo wanted to stay and help Edmund, but Edmund ordered Mateo to chase after Hayley, who had run of and hidden somewhere in the warehouse. Edmund was backed against the gate nearly the same what the Hayley had been. Edmund looked over Lee's shoulder and told him that he'd better turn around. Lee was far too clever to fall for the "guess what's behind you" routine. Unfortunately for him, this was the one time that the routine was anything but routine. Adam grabbed Lee and jostled the knife out of the crazed man's hand. Tad stepped in and gave Lee a punch in the stomach. Lee's anger fueled his rage and he was able to wrestle free from the two men. Adam regained control after hitting Lee a couple of times. He might have done more damage, but Derek and two police officers arrived on the scene to restore order. Lee was cuffed and escorted out of the warehouse. He didn't go quietly, though. He demanded that Adam be arrested for assaulting him. "I'll be back," Lee snarled as he recited portions of the "sins of the father shall be visited upon his children" Biblical passage. Mateo found Hayley sitting on the floor next to a stack of boxes. She had her knees pressed up to her forehead and she covered her face with her arms. She was unresponsive. When she turned away from Mateo, he saw the rose tattoo on her shoulder. Mateo knew that his wife was sick and did his best to reach out to her. He reminded her of their first night in each other's arms. That did the trick and Hayley reached out and took hold of his hand. Mateo helped his wife to her feet and then walked her towards the door.
Erica met Palmer at The Valley Inn for a little wining, dining, and deal making. Palmer gave Erica a brief update on Junior's disappearance and subsequent reappearance. Things with Opal, however, were unchanged. "I'm a pariah in my own home," Palmer grumbled. Erica told Palmer that he was "the target of a legitimate probe" and that his problems weren't going to go away. Palmer shook his head and remarked that Erica must have turned on him too. Erica claimed that she hadn't deserted Palmer. In fact, she was looking out for him. She made it be known that she was not judging Palmer's actions, but she said that Jack had come up with a way that Palmer could return the paintings, restore his marriage, and avoid jail time. Palmer isn't a pushover and he knew that Jack had no jurisdiction in the matter. Erica nodded in agreement. She explained that Jack had been in contact with one of his federal prosecutor friends and managed to come up with a great deal. Palmer would claim that he'd taken the paintings to save them from being destroyed by the Nazis. He would then look like a hero who had been looking after priceless paintings all the while unaware that the paintings were stolen. The paintings would go back to their rightful owners and everyone would be happy. Well, not everyone. No one could possibly realize how much those paintings meant to Palmer. He suddenly jumped from his seat and walked across the restaurant. He met Adrian at the entranceway and flashed an evil frown. Palmer told Adrian that he wanted him to leave immediately. If he didn't obey, Palmer said that he would phone the authorities and have Adrian arrested for violating the court order. Adrian blinked several times before stating that he had made reservations for lunch. Belinda strolled in a few seconds later and asked Palmer if he was harassing her date. Palmer returned to his table and told Erica that the only paintings he had were the ones that belonged to him. His choice of words was interesting. Erica was frazzled by Palmer's unwillingness to compromise; He was passing up a great deal. She rose to her feet and looked into Palmer's eyes. One could see the pain in Erica's eyes. Quite possibly, she was envisioning her friend spending the rest of his life in a jail cell. She slowly turned and walked away. Palmer headed over to Belinda and Adrian's table and tried his best to throw his weight around. He mentioned that he was a big campaign contributor of a government agency that oversees budgetary issues. Palmer insinuated that he would go to his politician friend and tell him that he would not give him any more funding until he yanked Mike and Adrian off of the government payroll. Adrian didn't flinch and inch. He rose from the table and told Palmer that when he sees his friend, he should remind him to keep his arms straight during his golf swing. Obviously, Palmer wasn't the only one with friends in high places. Palmer turned his back to Adrian and focused his attention on Belinda. He told her that he did not approve of her seeing Adrian. Belinda remarked that if she wanted someone to scrutinize the men she sees, she'd have invited her Aunt Grace to lunch. Palmer left in a huff and Belinda and Adrian were finally able to enjoy their date. Actually, Palmer had been right---the date was a surveillance operation. Adrian remarked that when he wrapped up the case of the stolen paintings, he would probably be ordered to pack up his belongings and leave Pine Valley. Belinda wondered why Adrian would be sad to leave town. The life of a spy, she imagined, must allow him to have a different woman in every port. Wasn't that one of the perks, she wondered. Adrian told Belinda to check out the women's photographs in his wallet. There were none. He explained that he'd never allowed himself to get serious with anyone before. Now, however, he wondered if when he was asked to pack up his things if Belinda would bid him a casual farewell or ask him to stick around for a while.
Sitting on a sofa in the waiting area, Dixie was still noticeably upset. Liza slowly approached and asked Dixie how Junior was doing. Dixie snapped that Junior was fine and that he was making a full recovery. Dixie started tapping her feet, an obvious sign that she was not enjoying the conversation. Liza said that Dixie must be very proud of the way that Junior had given a clue to where he'd been held. Liza offered Dixie a cup of coffee. Dixie refused, telling Liza that unless she wanted to wear the coffee she should back off. "Take your lame attempt at friendship and go to hell," Dixie snapped. Liza knew hostility when she saw it. She hoped that Dixie's bad attitude was a result of Junior's kidnapping and not the incident that had taken place two years prior. Dixie felt that she had every reason to be hostile. How are you supposed to act, she wondered, "when the woman who slept with your husband keeps popping up into you life like a toaster tart." Liza calmly told Dixie that she and Tad and both gotten past the mistake that they had made and hoped that Dixie could do the same. That only served to infuriate Dixie all the more. Dixie wondered how Liza could even look her in the eye without feeling remorse. "You slept with the love of my life," Dixie said angrily. That anger appeared to mask a great pain in Dixie's heart. The crumbling of her marriage to Tad, Dixie claimed, was all Liza's fault. Liza was not about to shoulder the blame alone. She said that Dixie's "self-righteous" attitude was mostly to blame for the split. Liza reminded Dixie that Tad had crawled back to her on his knees and begged for forgiveness and that she hadn't even listened to what he had to say. "You jealous, troublemaking, unhappy bitch!" Dixie snapped. Before any more could be said, Mateo, Hayley, Edmund, and Adam entered the emergency room. Mateo carried Hayley into an examining room and waited for Jake to give Hayley a checkup. Edmund had brought along the can of paint that Lee used to make Hayley's tattoo. Jake took a look at the paint with a concerned expression on his face. The paint contained lead---and that meant that Hayley's condition was serious. He ordered immediate dialysis to remove the poison from Hayley's blood. It was still too soon to tell if Hayley would survive the poisoning. The lead could have already attacked the liver or other major organs. Adam frowned. He looked like a man with a mission as he turned and walked out of the room. He walked past Tad, Dixie, and Liza and headed for the parking lot. Liza slowly walked over to Tad and, with tears in her eyes, told Tad that she was "sorry for everything." Tad knew that something was up and asked Dixie if she had any idea why Liza was upset. Dixie smiled slightly asked Tad if he thought that calling Liza "a bitch" was out of line. Dixie was apparently amused by her antics, but Tad wasn't. Tad told Dixie that she should be mad at him, not Liza. He also echoed Liza's statement that he had moved on and forgot about his past transgressions. Dixie was furious with Tad. She said that it always seems that the people who make the most mistakes are the ones who preach forgiveness. "You broke up our marriage, not me!" Dixie said. Back inside the examining room, Mateo took his wife's hand and begged God not to take her away from him.
Jack was on the phone with Keith when the woman whose car Edmund had stolen entered the police station. She asked an officer if she could speak to the district attorney. He led her to Jack. The woman stared at Jack for several seconds without saying a word. Her stares almost made it seem like she was trying to etch a permanent vision of Jack in her mind. The woman finally snapped back to reality and told Jack that she'd been a victim of a carjacking. She went on to say that the perpetrator had even given his name: Edmund Grey. Jack chuckled and said that he was sure that she was mistaken. The woman insisted that she was telling the truth. Jack knew that the woman must be new in town. He explained to her that sometimes in Pine Valley people "take matters into their own hands." Edmund, he said confidently, must have had a good reason for stealing her car. He urged her to remain calm until he could contact Edmund and find out what was going on. The woman nodded her head and said that she would not press charges just yet. Jack offered to give the woman cab fare so that she could get to wherever it was she was going before she had her car stolen. The woman said that no money was needed---she was on her way to see Jack! Jack led the still unnamed woman to an interrogation room and asked her why she wanted to talk to him. Just as the woman was about to explain herself, Erica burst into the room and gave Jack a kiss on the cheek. Erica hadn't even realized that Jack was conducting business---or perhaps she just didn't care. The woman smiled and said that she could see that Jack had other matters to deal with. She left the room, but she didn't go far. She hovered just outside the door and watched Erica and Jack carefully. Erica was approaching tears as she told Jack that she'd failed miserably in her mission to get Palmer to return the paintings. Jack took Erica in his arms and told her that he was sure she'd done her best. Erica calmed down and decided that she would return home and take a long, hot bubble bath. Erica wanted Jack to join her, but he told her that he has some business to wrap up. Later, he said laciviously, he might stop by and "scrub the rubber duck." Erica appeared caught off guard by the comment and chuckled giddily. She decided that she might wait until later before taking her bath---that way Jack could join her. The pair was interrupted briefly by the sounds of yelling and screaming. They poked their heads out of the interrogation room and saw a pair of police officers escorting a kicking and screaming Lee to the holding cell area. Erica placed her head against Jack's chest and remarked that the man scared her. Jack assured his on-again-off-again romance that Lee was going to be in jail for a long time, thus making him little of a threat to anyone. Erica turned and started on her way. She saw that the still unnamed mystery woman was still lurking around and told Jack to tell the woman to "get a life." On her way out of the station, Erica passed by the woman. In a true Erica Kane moment, Erica approached the woman and sassily told her, "Oh, that hair color is not your best friend." With a smile planted firmly on her face, Erica sashayed out of the station. The woman was left in her wake, and she cast a quick glance at her hair. Jack returned to the floor and asked the woman if she still had business with him. The woman smiled and told Jack that she had something very important to tell him. She apologized for not telling him sooner and went on to deliver her bombshell. "I'm your sister, Christine!" she chirped.
Lee was escorted to a prison cell. Once inside the cell, Lee clutched his head and said that he needed to see a doctor. What that failed to stir the guards, he said that he needed to talk to a lawyer. A few seconds later, someone could be heard walking down the cell block. Twirling a set of keys in her hands, Adam slowly approached the cell. He claimed that he held the key to Lee's cell. He put the key in the lock and asked himself what he would do if he could get inside Lee's cell. Adam then smiled fiendishly and said that he'd better not step inside because there was no telling what kind of punishment he'd inflict on Lee.
