Aiden issues Hope an ultimatum
At the Kiriakis mansion, Chloe was on the phone with Dr. Wright, thanking him for running another genetic test for her. She asked if he was sure about the results, and when he confirmed that he was, she told him everything finally made sense.
As Chloe ended the call, Philip joined her in the living room and insisted on having a conversation with her about the real father of her unborn child. "Philip, I didn't lie to you. I really did think that Deimos was the father of this baby," Chloe stressed. She added that she no longer needed Philip's help because Deimos was done believing that he had a claim to the child.
Chloe continued that she was willing to let Philip decide how to explain their breakup to people, even if he made her look bad in the process. In exchange, she wanted to be released from her recording contract. "I mean, the idea of me raising Parker and a newborn [while] launching a recording career -- it was a bit of a stretch before, but now it's just gonna be me, and I need to concentrate on my kids," she explained, adding that she planned to move into Nicole's place for the time being.
"So you'd rather bail than tell me the truth?" Philip asked incredulously. Chloe insisted that the matter no longer concerned Philip. "Don't make this a case of healthy boundaries. You're screwing me over," Philip countered. Sighing, Chloe assured Philip that she cared deeply for him. She maintained, however, that she needed to handle her own problems for a change instead of dragging him into them once more. Philip reminded Chloe that he had volunteered to help her. "I know, and I love you for [that], but I can't let you do it anymore for me," she tearfully replied.
At the Brady Pub, Deimos ended a phone conversation with Dario then made up an excuse to cancel his dinner date with Nicole. When she asked for an explanation, he said he had a business matter to attend to, unaware that she had arrived in time to overhear him arranging a meeting with Dario.
Staying a safe distance behind Deimos, Nicole followed him to a place near the docks and watched as he handed Dario another cash payment as thanked him for breaking into Chloe's hotel room to dig up information about her doctor's appointment. Dario announced that he was done working for Deimos because being Nicole's friend and Deimos' secret employee was a bit too weird for him. Deimos understood but stressed that he truly loved Nicole and would never hurt her. Dario vowed to hold Deimos to that promise.
"Did you get lost?" Nicole asked Deimos after Dario left. Deimos took Nicole back to the pub and tried to get her to agree to start the whole evening over again, but she refused to forget about what she had just learned. Deimos reminded Nicole that she had known all along that he had been keeping an eye on Chloe in an effort to prove that she had been lying about her unborn child's paternity. Nicole countered that she hadn't expected breaking and entering to be part of Deimos' plan, and she certainly hadn't expected him to involve Dario, of all people.
Deimos explained that Dario had asked him for a job, and he added that they had never taken any pleasure in spying on Chloe. "Oh, so if everyone feels bad about it, then it's okay?" Nicole asked incredulously. Deimos countered that Nicole had spied on him, but she insisted that had been self-defense. Sighing, Deimos admitted defeat. "I don't want to fight with you, Nicole. I already feel like someone died. I thought I had a child on the way. You know what that feels like better than anyone," he pointed out.
Nicole softened and grasped Deimos' hand as she assured him, "It gets easier. Well, not easier, but...further away. And you found out sooner than later, so that helps." Meanwhile, Chloe entered the pub and asked to speak with Nicole alone. Deimos started to leave, but Nicole insisted that he needed to admit what he had done to Chloe first. "Really? Is this a deal-breaker?" he asked incredulously. When Nicole stood and folded her arms expectantly, he sighed then quickly told Chloe everything, ending with an apology.
Chloe threatened to call the cops, but Nicole stopped her. After dismissing Deimos, Nicole asked Chloe to let the whole thing slide, explaining that Deimos was already a wreck because he had been looking forward to being a father to Chloe's unborn child. Chloe insisted that Deimos had just wanted another person to control, but Nicole refused to believe that, preferring to give him the benefit of the doubt. Chloe maintained that Deimos couldn't be trusted. "I wish I could get you away from him for a while so you could come to your senses," she added. She reluctantly agreed, however, to drop the matter -- but only as a favor to Nicole.
Nicole thanked Chloe then changed the subject, wondering what Chloe had wanted to talk to her about earlier. "Well, uh...a situation has presented itself, and it's, um...it's kind of tricky, um...and since you are so hopelessly devoted to Deimos, I can't tell you, even though you're my best friend," Chloe carefully replied. Nicole reluctantly accepted Chloe's choice. Chloe continued that she planned to move in with her parents in New York and stay there until after the baby was born. "Let's just say that things have become...pretty clear to me now, and...this is what I have to do," she explained.
Nicole made Chloe promise to call her after arriving in New York and keep in touch with her while there. After Chloe left, Deimos returned and wondered why Nicole seemed a bit sad. Nicole explained that Chloe was concerned about the baby's safety and had therefore decided to move to New York, which seemed like a safer place than Salem at that moment. Deimos assumed that Philip would be accompanying Chloe, but Nicole clarified that the couple had broken up earlier. "Are you telling me Philip's gonna let her take his kid away?" Deimos asked incredulously. "For now," Nicole confirmed.
At the police station, Claire apologized to Steve and Kayla, stressing that she hadn't wanted to leave Joey behind at the escaped convicts' hideout. Kayla was horrified to learn that spots of blood had been found there that would likely be traced back to Joey, but Steve assured her that Joey was capable of taking care of himself -- and the criminals still needed him alive, anyway.
When John and Marlena took Claire back to the townhouse and tried to offer her some food, she insisted that they needed to stop being nice to her. Marlena said she and John were too relieved to be angry with Claire. "Okay, then let me be angry for you. I was completely stupid and irresponsible to go outside when you all told me to stay in, okay? Wi-Fi is not worth it, and webpage hits just don't matter when there are psycho criminals roaming the earth. And it's my own fault that I got nabbed," Claire acknowledged.
Claire tried to apologize for putting everyone else in danger with her recklessness, but John insisted on blaming the criminals for the danger. "But, yeah -- next time, stay inside," he added with a chuckle. Claire promised she would then excused herself so she could call Theo and see how he was coping with Abe's hospitalization. After Claire left the room, Marlena hugged John and thanked him for rescuing their granddaughter. John admitted that he was upset with himself for failing to rescue both Claire and Joey. Meanwhile, at the Johnson house, Kayla sobbed in Steve's arms as he tried to assure her that Joey would be back home soon.
After telling Rafe that she was going to the hospital to check on Abe, Hope instead met with Aiden in a secluded section of the town square. She tried to deny that she had killed Stefano, but she dropped the act after Aiden played the recording of her earlier conversation with Rafe and Roman. She tearfully explained that she had snapped and couldn't even remember committing the crime. She added that she had wanted to confess but hadn't been able to because that would have meant leaving Ciara.
Aiden assured Hope that he wasn't going to pursue the matter because putting her behind bars wouldn't help anyone -- and the world was a better place without Stefano in it, anyway. Hope wondered what Aiden wanted in exchange. "I want you," he replied. Realizing that Aiden was trying to blackmail her into being with him, Hope insisted that she would rather turn herself in, but he reminded her that if she did that, Rafe and Roman would go down with her.
"Why would you want to be with a woman who doesn't love you?" Hope asked. Aiden reminded Hope that she had once loved him. "And I have never stopped loving you," he added. He insisted that they could get back what they'd once had together, and he reasoned that things would actually be even better than before because there would no longer be any secrets to worry about.
"Aiden, you and I are over. We're over. There's no hope for us. You need to let --" Hope started to stress, but Aiden interrupted and angrily warned her to never say such things again. He quickly apologized for losing his temper. "[But] we're not over. We're not. That can't be," he maintained, insisting that Rafe was nothing more than a distraction for Hope. Aiden begged Hope for another chance, certain that he could make her happy again. Shaking her head, Hope wondered how Aiden could possibly believe that she could ever be with him again after everything he had done to her.
"Because if [that] doesn't happen, you, Rafe, [and] Roman will be sitting in a prison, wishing you'd made some different decisions. That's why I know it's going to happen," Aiden replied before giving Hope a smile and walking away.
Since the blackout, there had been looting in downtown Salem. The stores were boarded up around the square. Gabi went to the square with her friend Janet to remove Janet's inventory from her jewelry store for safety. As Gabi and Janet approached the storefront, Aldo and a cohort stopped them. Gabi realized that Aldo was the man that had attacked her in the park. When Aldo mentioned the mace that Gabi had used, Gabi pulled the mace out of her purse and aimed it at the two thieves.
Aldo ordered Gabi to hand over the jewelry. Furious, Gabi stood her ground. When Aldo leaned toward her menacingly, Gabi squeezed the trigger and sprayed mace at Aldo and his partner. Aldo and the other thief jumped on the women. As Gabi cried out, Dario and J.J. arrived and subdued the attackers. While J.J. cuffed the thieves and read them their Miranda rights, Gabi told Dario that Aldo was the man that had previously attacked her.
"Your brother told me to," Aldo said as he stared daggers at Dario. Dario and Gabi accompanied J.J. and the thieves back to the police station. While J.J. booked the attackers, Gabi and Dario talked privately in the interrogation room. Gabi was livid with Dario. Dario explained that he had hired Aldo to scare Rafe and to push Eduardo out of their lives. Furious, Gabi asked about the note that had forced Eduardo to leave Salem. Dario swore that he had not sent the note to their father. After Gabi accused Dario of destroying hope for their family, Dario pleaded with her not to tell J.J.
When Gabi turned her back on her brother, Dario apologized for hurting her. Dario added that he did not apologize for pushing Eduardo out of their lives. After Dario left, J.J. returned to the room to check on Gabi. Gabi thanked J.J. for being her personal superhero, but she did not tell J.J. about what Dario had done.
In the Kiriakis living room, Deimos, Justin, Sonny, Brady, and Philip feverishly made phone calls to do damage control on Titan's shipping business after the failed raid on the docks. Theresa interrupted to ask about the activity, and Deimos shooed her out of the house. Justin informed the group that the police had increased security at the docks, unnerving their shipping partners there. Philip argued that they should call Victor in to repair the relationships with their shipping partners, but Deimos shot down the idea. Deimos argued that Victor needed to focus on Maggie at the hospital.
Brady took the blame for making the decision to raid the docks based on bad intelligence. Brady and Philip argued with one another about how they both had made damaging mistakes in the past. Deimos interrupted to note that Brady had made the decision to proceed with the raid because he had wanted to protect the family. Deimos asked Philip to back off of Brady.
With a sigh, Philip urged the group to clarify what roles they should play in the cleanup. Justin said that he and Sonny should be the public face of Titan, since they were the only two actual employees in the room. Deimos asked Justin and Sonny to head into the Titan offices. As Justin and Sonny left, they stopped to talk in the foyer. Sonny defended Chad and argued that he would not take the shipping interests away from Titan. Justin reminded Sonny that business was business.
In the living room, Brady announced that he would go down to the docks and talk face to face with their shipping partners. Brady renewed the request to inform Victor of the problem, but Deimos shook his head no. Brady left. After Deimos and Philip made phone calls, Deimos asked Philip why he was repeatedly attacking Brady. Philip said that he was tired of Brady using family as a justification for his mistakes. With a raised eyebrow, Deimos asked Philip if the same could be said about Philip's baby.
Deimos explained that he knew that Chloe had left town. Philip said that he had experienced a change of heart about raising a child with Chloe. When Deimos looked questioningly at his nephew, Philip noted that he had given up his son Tyler to foster care previously. Philip added that his relationship with Victor was proof that he should not be a father. Deimos expressed his belief that Victor would have his own change of heart and reconcile with Philip.
In the DiMera living room, Kate pitched Chad on the idea of hiring Andre back at DiMera Enterprises. As Chad eyeballed his brother across the room, Chad reminded Kate that he wanted to make DiMera Enterprises a reputable company. Kate argued that Andre was family and was very familiar with the company. Chad countered that Andre's tactics were questionable. Andre promised to play by Chad's rules. Sensing a thaw, Kate promised to take responsibility for Andre. With a hand raised in promise, Andre swore not to sabotage the company.
Chad reluctantly agreed to hire Andre. With a scowl, Chad said he did not trust him. With a sly smile, Andre asked about the money that Belle had returned to the company. As Chad smiled in amusement, Andre added that he wanted to invest his half of the returned money into the company. Andre suggested that the company should look to shipping as a new source of capital. Shaking his head no, Chad said that shipping on the docks was a bad idea because there was too much corruption in the business.
Kate argued that the company could remain ignorant of what was shipped through the docks, but Chad said he did not want to look the other way. Chad reminded Kate that the shipping business required payoffs. Laughing dismissively, Kate countered that payoffs were an integral part of any business. Kate added that Chad was too idealistic. When Chad raised an eyebrow, Kate explained that without a new source of income, Chad could not invest in the scientific endeavors he wanted to pursue.
Kate pushed on, noting that while Chad had been absent from the company, DiMera Enterprises had run up a large amount of debt that needed to be paid off. The bottom line, Kate argued, was that the company needed the shipping income from the docks to keep the company from filing for bankruptcy within six months. Kate added that taking the business from Titan was not unethical.
"If you trust my judgment, you'll do this," Kate pleaded with Chad. Kate promised Chad that he could divest the shipping interests later after the income was no longer needed. Chad relented and agreed.
At the Brady Pub, an annoyed Theresa helped set up the pub as a shelter. Frustrated, Theresa called Eve for advice. When Theresa explained what had happened with Deimos, Eve encouraged Theresa to stand up for herself and Brady. Thankful for the support, Theresa told her sister that she loved her.
In a warehouse, Clyde talked to Jeremiah on the phone. Clyde reiterated that he wanted to eliminate Aiden, bust Ben out of the mental health facility, and kidnap Thomas. Jeremiah explained that Thomas was locked up tight in the mansion. Unfazed, Clyde growled, "I don't care what it takes or who has got to get hurt. I'm gonna bust in there and take that little kid."
After calling Chad, Sonny met up with him in the park to talk about the business at the docks. Sonny explained why he felt responsible for the trouble at the docks and that Clyde had been responsible for his stabbing. With a nod, Chad said he understood why Sonny would have wanted revenge. Chad admitted that Andre was back at DiMera Enterprises and had made inquiries about the shipping business at the docks. When Sonny noted that the shipping business had been a part of Titan since the beginning, Chad countered that the workers on the docks were not beholden to Titan.
Sonny reminded Chad that the shipping import and export made up the bulk of the Kiriakis business. With a nod, Chad countered that due to debt, DiMera Enterprises was in desperate need of a new source of revenue to stay afloat. Sonny made a plea to Chad as a friend.
At the DiMera mansion, Justin asked Adrienne to move back in to the Kirakis mansion for her protection. Justin added that Lucas was welcome to move in as well. Shaking her head no, Adrienne said that she had promised to help Chad with Thomas and could not leave. Adrienne reminded Justin that he had no say in her life or decisions. Justin urged Adrienne to talk to Sonny because he blamed himself for the raid. When Adrienne said things would be fine, Justin countered that things were heating up between the Kiriakis and DiMera families.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady reported back to Deimos, Justin, and Philip about his conversations down at the docks. Brady admitted that the response from the dockworkers had not been what he had hoped. Philip noted that Andre had to have gotten to the workers first. Justin and Sonny returned to the mansion. When Philip resumed yelling at Brady, Theresa marched into the living room.
Theresa reiterated that Brady had only wanted to help the family and that the rest of them should be ashamed for not doing the same. Theresa told the men not to tear down the one person who had acted proactively. With frustration readily apparent on Theresa's face, she said that Brady had taught her that family was more important than anything in life.
As Theresa turned to leave, Brady followed her into the foyer. Theresa apologized if she was out of line, but she stressed that she was not sorry for what she had said. Brady grabbed Theresa and kissed her passionately.
After Brady returned to the living room, Deimos said he agreed with Theresa about sticking together as a family. Sonny told the men about his conversation with Chad. Sonny said he had appealed to Chad as a friend, and he thought that would carry weight. Justin reminded Sonny that Chad would do what was best for his family, not Sonny's family.
At the DiMera mansion, Andre told Kate and Chad that the representatives on the docks had expressed an interest in a change of leadership. With a sigh, Chad told Kate and Andre about his conversation with Sonny. Chad added that he had admitted that they were not committed to taking the business yet. Kate reminded Chad that taking the shipping interests was business and not personal. Kate urged Chad to save DiMera Enterprises. When Chad asked if there were any other options, Kate shook her head no.
Adrienne interrupted to hand Thomas over to Chad. After Adrienne left, Chad looked at his son. Chad said that he did everything for Thomas. With a nod at Andre, Chad gave permission to move forward on acquiring the shipping interests on the docks.
At the police station, Hope found a bouquet of flowers sitting on her desk, along with a note from Aiden: "You and I have a date. Salem Inn, room 514. I wouldn't be late if I were you. Love, Aiden."
When Hope arrived at the hotel room a few minutes later, she irritably reminded Aiden that she didn't exactly have time for dates because three escaped convicts were still on the loose. He assured her that she could leave as soon as they reached an understanding. Insisting that she would never understand Aiden, Hope wondered what he could possibly get out of a forced relationship with a woman who felt nothing but pity for him. "Pity? Well, I can work with that. It's a step in the right direction," he replied, maintaining that he would get her to fall back in love with him eventually.
Aiden assured Hope that she and Ciara were going to love living in Portland with him and Chase. "You're delusional. I would not [even] be in this room right now if you weren't blackmailing me," Hope insisted. She warned Aiden that if he kept pushing her, he would soon find out that two could play the blackmail game. "You think you have the upper hand because I covered up shooting Stefano, but well, well, well -- we both know that you committed a crime, too. So, like I said, you keep pushing me, and I will make sure the whole world knows that Chase shot his mother dead," she continued.
Aiden seemed a bit shaken but dismissively pointed out that Hope had no proof that Chase had killed Meredith. Hope countered that Aiden had told her everything, and although Meredith's death had been accidental, the subsequent cover-up had been quite deliberate. "And, as you like to remind me, that's a crime," she added. Aiden insisted that he couldn't have allowed the truth to be revealed because Chase would have then had to live with the guilt for the rest of his life.
"He [already] lives with it inside of him every single day! My God! Can't you see it's eating him up? That's probably why he raped my daughter --" Hope countered. Aiden impatiently interrupted, maintaining that Hope couldn't prove anything because she had helped him destroy all the evidence of what had really happened to Meredith. He added that he had enough proof to open an investigation that would ultimately send Hope to prison for a very long time -- and put Rafe and Roman right there with her.
As if on cue, Hope received a phone call from Rafe, who wondered where she was. She claimed that she had just finished following up on a lead that hadn't panned out. Rafe reported that he was about to check out a lead, as well -- a possible sighting of Clyde and Xander near a convenience store in West Salem. Guessing that the criminals had probably robbed the place, Hope offered to accompany Rafe, but he assured her that he already had plenty of backup and had simply wanted to make sure she was all right.
After Hope ended the call, Aiden picked up where he had left off, continuing to muse about what would happen if the truth about Stefano's murder were ever revealed. Hope predicted that even if she were to agree to Aiden's terms, she would never be able to convince Rafe that she had just suddenly decided to break things off with him for no apparent reason, but Aiden was confident that she could figure out a way to sell the story. "I think you should do it today," he continued with a smile.
Shaking her head in disbelief, Hope recalled the desperate message she had found on Meredith's tablet computer in Portland the previous year. "She said if she were dead, you did it," Hope reminded Aiden, who dismissively insisted that Meredith had been an untrustworthy alcoholic. "There's one other thing I remember she said about you -- she said that she was the only person in the world who knew how cold your eyes could get behind that smile. She's not the only one anymore," Hope continued.
Aiden rolled his eyes indignantly and tried to laugh off the observation, but that didn't stop Hope from rushing off after giving him one last fearful look. When she got back to the police station, Rafe noted that she looked like she was wiped out. Guessing that it had been a while since she had last eaten, he offered to call the Brady Pub and place a delivery order for her, but she said she wasn't hungry, and when he tried to press the issue, she snapped, "Rafe, my nephew is being held by three murderers. I'm not gonna sit here and eat!"
Rafe apologized for upsetting Hope, but she assured him that it wasn't his fault. Sighing, she continued, "I don't know who I am right now. I just...really don't. I'm thinking, you know, that I jumped into things too quickly, and, um... Please know this has nothing to do with you, okay?" Confused, Rafe wondered what Hope was trying to say. "We need to take a break, okay?" she replied.
At the Evans-Black townhouse, Marlena gave Steve her professional assessment of Orpheus, which only made Steve even more worried about Joey's safety. "I mean, sociopathic tendencies, no concept of the feelings of others, total lack of remorse..." Steve repeated before letting his voice trail off. Marlena clarified that Orpheus didn't qualify as a complete sociopath because he was able to form attachments to other people.
Meanwhile, John returned from a fundraising mission and announced that the ransom money had been secured. Steve was shocked that John had managed to raise twenty million dollars in such a short amount of time. "Well, it was just a matter of hooking up with the right people [and] explaining the situation between Orpheus and Joey -- [that] had 'em lined up, ready to pledge. Now, didn't get the full twenty, [but] what is remaining, Doc and I can chip in," John explained. Steve didn't know how to thank John and Marlena for their generosity, but they assured him that there was no need to do so because they loved Joey, too.
Steve asked Marlena if Orpheus' ability to form attachments with other people meant there could be a way to play him when he called to get the money. Marlena couldn't be certain of how much Orpheus had changed over the years, but she noted that if revenge was his driving motivation, he would make mistakes sooner or later because his decisions would be based on emotion instead of logic. "Then we've got to find a way to exploit that," Steve concluded.
"I think I have," Marlena replied. She reminded John and Steve that Orpheus had kidnapped her years earlier not just as a way of making Roman pay for killing Rebecca but also as a way of providing his children with a surrogate mother. "The unique thing about Orpheus is he's two different people; one is a man with no feelings, and one is a man [who is] a loving father, devoted to his beautiful children," she continued. John found it hard to think of Orpheus as loving, but Marlena stressed, "He's motivated by love...and the loss of love." She assured John and Steve that Orpheus' love for his children was the weakness they needed to exploit.
At the escaped convicts' new hideout, Orpheus was alone with Joey, whose ankles and wrists were tied to a chair. Orpheus observed that Joey's black eye and bloodied nose and lip looked painful. "Xander -- he, uh, tends to go a little overboard," Orpheus continued with a sigh. Joey insisted that he could take the abuse. "Like your father -- nothing hurts you, huh?" Orpheus replied before removing his jacket and draping it over Joey's shoulders, adding that he was getting tired of watching Joey shiver.
"I don't want your dirty jacket, 'buddy,'" Joey replied as he shrugged the jacket off. It fell to the floor, exposing a small stack of photographs that were tucked in the inner pocket. Joey watched as Orpheus knelt down, retrieved the photographs, and started flipping through them. The tattered remnants of an envelope were hanging off the back of the last one, leading Joey to conclude that Orpheus had held onto them for a long time. "Federal prisons discourage inmates from having personal possessions. This is all I was allowed to keep," Orpheus explained.
"Are those your kids?" Joey asked. When Orpheus confirmed the suspicion, Joey explained that he had noticed the resemblance. Orpheus struggled to understand how Joey had managed to do that, since the photographs had been taken many years earlier. "So, where are [your kids] now?" Joey wondered. "I have no idea," Orpheus replied. He revealed that he had been separated from his kids when they had been quite young, and when he had managed to track them down years later, they had wanted nothing to do with him because they had blamed him for what had happened to them during his absence.
Joey said he had hated his father for a long time but had eventually forgiven him because everyone deserved a second chance. Joey suggested that Orpheus' kids might forgive him if he tried to reach out to them again, but Orpheus clarified that he had already done that. Showing Joey a photograph of a woman and child that had been shot from a distance, Orpheus sadly admitted that it was the closest he would ever get to his grandson. "I'm sorry," Joey said. "Me, too. Me, too," Orpheus replied with a sigh.
At the hospital, Kayla asked Abe if he was in any pain. Between labored breaths, Abe admitted that he felt like he was in a bit of a fog. "You look serious. What aren't you telling me? Give it to me straight; I'm a big boy," he added. Kayla wanted to postpone the conversation until a later date, but Abe insisted, so she reluctantly admitted that there might be some bullet fragments left in his heart, and if they started causing problems, they would have to be removed, despite the risks involved in such a procedure.
"[But] let's not jump to conclusions, okay? I mean, your cardiologist hasn't even had a chance to weigh in on this yet. And I have called in the best cardiologist in the country to consult with us," Kayla added. The news agitated Abe, who didn't want to think about Theo being left alone in the world. Kayla urged Abe to have faith that he was getting the best possible care and would be around for a lot longer. He thanked her then changed the subject, asking about Joey. She tried to get away with giving an update on Claire instead, but when Abe asked again, she quietly reported, "We're doing everything we can to find him."
Later, Kayla joined John, Marlena, and Steve at the Evans-Black townhouse and was disturbed to learn that Orpheus had ended up in prison because he had killed two men. Marlena assured Kayla that Orpheus had no reason to hurt Joey, and John added that Orpheus was smart enough to know that he wouldn't get a cent of the ransom money if he harmed Joey in any way. "I know that you are all just trying to make me feel better, but there's no guarantee that I am ever going to see my son again, and you all know it!" Kayla countered.
John suggested that it would be best to arrange to meet with Orpheus and trade the ransom money for Joey as soon as possible, reasoning that Orpheus needed the money to get out of town and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his chances of getting it, especially since his back was up against the wall due to all the local and federal law enforcement officials who were looking for him and the other escaped convicts.
Steve pulled John aside and argued that Orpheus could still want revenge more than anything else -- even to the point of being willing to die for it. Steve wanted to handle the exchange himself because Orpheus' main grudge was with John, but John insisted that he needed to be the one to do it because that would be the best way to tempt Orpheus into taking the bait. Meanwhile, Marlena assured Kayla that Joey would figure out a way to get himself out of danger, just as he had figured out a way to get Claire out of danger. "I hope so," Kayla replied.
Orpheus put his jacket back on and stuffed the photographs back in the inner pocket, muttering that if Joey wanted to freeze to death, that was his prerogative. Joey admitted that he was kind of hungry. "Well, that's too bad," Orpheus replied.
Changing the subject, Joey wondered where "Bonnie" and Clyde were. Unamused, Orpheus grabbed a fistful of Joey's shirt and snapped, "You know, you talk too much. Keep your mouth shut, or you'll be very, very sorry." Regaining his composure, Orpheus loosened his grip and stressed that he didn't have a grudge against Joey. "This whole thing is about making them suffer. And trust me, when this is all over, John, Marlena, your father, your mother -- they'll all suffer," Orpheus added.
As Ciara was trying to keep Theo calm at the hospital, Claire arrived and quickly proved to be much better at handling the task. "I wish I could do to Clyde what he did to my dad," Theo admitted. The girls encouraged him to visit Abe for a few minutes, and although he was reluctant to do so at first because he was worried that he would say the wrong things, he eventually agreed and entered Abe's room alone.
Abe assured Theo that, according to Kayla, he was going to be just fine. Theo wondered when Clyde was going to be apprehended and punished for what he had done to Abe. Abe admitted that he wasn't sure, but he urged Theo to try not to worry, stressing that everything was going to be all right. Nodding, Theo replied, "I know. No, I know it will."
As a cop kept a close watch on Claire in the waiting area, she and Ciara talked about Theo. Ciara somewhat grudgingly acknowledged that Theo really cared about Claire, and Claire admitted that she really cared about Theo, too. They eventually got worried about him because he had been in Abe's room for quite a while, so Claire encouraged Ciara, who had known him longer, to go in and check on him. Ciara stepped into Abe's room but soon returned and worriedly informed Claire, "Abe's sleeping, and Theo's not in there!"
Rafe refused to believe that Hope had suddenly decided to break things off with him for no apparent reason, and every time she tried to convince him that Aiden wasn't forcing her sudden change of heart, he grew even more convinced that there was no other explanation. "He knows that you killed Stefano, doesn't he?" Rafe guessed.
Hope begged Rafe to back off, leading him to conclude that Aiden also knew about his involvement in the cover-up. Rafe still refused to let Hope handle the matter on her own, even after she reminded him that Roman was at risk, too. "[Just] buy a little time [with Aiden], and then you and I will figure out the next move," Rafe promised. Unconvinced, Hope pushed Rafe away when he tried to give her a kiss, maintaining that it was too risky for them to continue interacting with each other because Aiden was watching her every move.
While passing through the town square, Aiden placed a phone call to a restaurant manager, who refused to open the restaurant while dangerous criminals were on the loose, even after Aiden threatened to make it impossible for the restaurant to pass its next health inspection. After ending the phone call, Aiden turned and found Andre standing behind him. Andre sympathetically observed that it had to be hard to plan a romantic dinner for Hope while Salem was in lockdown mode. Aiden tried to sidestep Andre, complaining that he didn't like eavesdroppers, but Andre stopped him and guessed that he had blackmailed Hope into being with him.
The accusation bothered Aiden, who angrily insisted that his personal life was none of Andre's business. Andre disagreed, arguing that his ability to frame Aiden for the explosion that had nearly killed Hope and Rafe a few months earlier gave him the right to any information he wanted to know about Aiden's personal life. "If you do anything to cross me now, you'd be making a very serious mistake. Consider yourself warned," Aiden countered before walking away. Chuckling, Andre sarcastically muttered, "Oh, I'm shaking."
Later, at the Salem Inn, Aiden received a visit from Rafe, who punched him as soon as the hotel room door opened. As Aiden recovered, Rafe walked in and insisted that he wasn't going to let Aiden get away with blackmailing Hope. Aiden countered that Rafe was clearly just trying to spin the situation in a way that made it easier to accept that Hope had dumped him. "She's gonna be with me. Deal with it," Aiden continued. "You're gonna have to kill me first," Rafe countered. Grinning, Aiden warned Rafe not to tempt him. As Rafe stormed off, Aiden threatened to make him face police brutality charges -- or charges that were much, much worse.
Andre passed through a secluded section of the town square while talking to someone on the phone. "Is Laura with you? Good. I knew she could help. Oh, don't worry -- I won't say a word to anyone. Not until you are good and ready," he assured the person.
At the Horton house, Jennifer tried to assure Ciara that she was probably reading too much into Theo's sudden disappearance from the hospital, but Ciara feared that Theo was planning to go after the escaped convicts. Jennifer contacted Roman so Ciara could share her concerns with him. Roman urged Ciara to try not to worry, but she found it hard to take his advice.
Later, Roman found Theo in an alley near the docks. Theo claimed that he was on his way home, but Roman pointed out that the Carver house was in the opposite direction. Forced to change his story, Theo explained that he had simply wanted to go for a walk alone and had been ignoring phone calls because he had wanted to conserve battery power. Theo promised to head straight home, but Roman doubted that he would. After calling Jennifer to let her and Ciara know that Theo was okay, Roman insisted on taking him to the police station.
After Ciara headed to the police station to see Theo, Hope arrived at the Horton house to tell Jennifer about the breakup with Rafe. Jennifer tried to convince Hope to reconsider, but Hope insisted that she didn't have a choice in the matter. When Jennifer tried to get Hope to explain the remark, Hope instead begged her, "Just don't judge." Jennifer stressed that she would always be on Hope's side.
At the police station, Ciara wondered why Theo had left the hospital without telling anyone. He vaguely claimed that he'd had things to do, but when she pressed for more information, he insisted that the person who had shot Abe needed to pay for the crime. Ciara promised that Clyde would eventually be apprehended and punished. "No, now!" Theo countered. He added that it was up to him to take care of the situation because he was Abe's son and therefore cared about him more than the police did. Ciara warned that the escaped convicts were dangerous. "I know. So am I," Theo replied, pulling a gun halfway out of his backpack so she could see it.
At the DiMera mansion, Marlena thanked Chad and Kate for agreeing to meet with her on such short notice. She informed them that she was in the process of helping the police profile Clyde and could use some more information about him. Chad offered to help in any way he could, but Marlena clarified that she was more interested in hearing from Kate, who'd had an actual relationship with Clyde.
Kate protested that she didn't even want to think about that, let alone talk about it. Marlena understood but argued that Kate had known Clyde better than anyone else -- aside from his children, of course -- and could prove instrumental in helping the police stop him. Chad offered to leave the room so it would be easier for Kate to answer questions about Clyde, but she said that wouldn't be necessary.
"When he was holding me at gunpoint, he did tell me that he came back for Thomas -- that he wants to give that sweet baby to his deranged serial killer of a son -- so...yes, of course I will do anything I have to do to get that son of a bitch," Kate said with a sigh. She admitted that she should have believed all the things Jordan had told her about Clyde's abusive nature. "The anger was real. She was specific. But I told myself that she was making up lies because she wanted to get revenge on Clyde. Or maybe I just wanted to maintain the status quo. Clyde could be so...entertaining," Kate continued, and Chad sarcastically agreed.
Kate said she had never seen any hints of Clyde's violent side. "He has a really good act. You don't see anything he doesn't want you to see," she explained. Chad didn't think that was still the case, recalling how unhinged Clyde had seemed when he had held Kate at gunpoint at the Martin mansion. Kate agreed, suggesting that Clyde's primary goal was to hand Thomas over to Ben in an effort to make up for all the things he had done to Ben in the past. "Over my dead body," Chad vowed.
Marlena soon started thinking about something Clyde had said during one of their therapy sessions. "Of course, it's, uh...it's...privileged," she acknowledged. "Well, you wouldn't want to betray his trust," Chad sarcastically muttered. Deciding that Chad had a point, Marlena revealed that Clyde had been in denial about his abusive treatment of Ben for a long time but had eventually realized that he had treated his son the same way his father had treated him.
Later, after Chad excused himself so he could check on Thomas, Marlena observed that Kate seemed to be doing a good job of supporting Chad. Kate said she was trying to keep Chad focused on business as much as possible so he wouldn't have to spend all his time thinking about what the Weston men had done to his family. "We have to find Clyde. I don't know how much longer [Chad's] gonna be able to go on like this," she added. "Well, frankly, I'm a little afraid that Weston may be learning from Orpheus how to make people suffer by making them wait," Marlena admitted.
After Marlena left, Chad returned and informed Kate that Clyde was the one who had stabbed Sonny the previous year. "Will was so scared that Sonny was going to die," Kate recalled, shaking her head in disbelief. Chad continued that the stabbing had been one of the main reasons that Brady and Sonny had decided to make a preemptive strike against the escaped convicts. Kate disapprovingly noted that it had been pointless to do such a thing because it had only hurt the Kiriakis family's business dealings.
Chad admitted that Sonny was upset with him for taking advantage of the situation and had been avoiding his phone calls. Kate advised Chad not to get sentimental, but he countered that he was having trouble putting the almighty dollar ahead of everything else, especially at a time when Salem was under siege and his son was at risk. Kate reminded Chad that he had done what he had needed to do to keep DiMera Enterprises from going into bankruptcy within the next six months. "And as we discussed before, it isn't just [some company]; it's your son's legacy. And you and I are going to protect that," she added.
At the escaped convicts' hideout, Clyde made it clear that he wasn't happy about the fact that he was still stuck in Salem. Orpheus looked up from a crossword puzzle and watched as Clyde took a swig of whiskey. "Let's hope that puts you in a better mood," Orpheus muttered. Clyde complained that taking things slowly had given Chad time to turn the DiMera mansion into a fortress, but Orpheus argued that making victims live in fear for prolonged periods of time was part of the fun. "We're in a war of nerves, Clyde, which means if you lose yours, you become a liability. You don't want to be a liability," he added while loading a gun.
As Clyde continued drinking, he started looking back on the choices he had made in the past, and he admitted that somewhere along the way, he had grown arrogant and had lost track of the only thing that was truly important -- family. "Seven letters for 'lachrymose,'" Orpheus muttered thoughtfully as Clyde continued that Jordan didn't want anything to do with him, and Ben was locked up and all alone. "Maudlin!" Orpheus realized. He penciled in the answer as Clyde explained that he had never known anything about being a good father because his father had beaten him regularly.
"'Hell is other people.' Author?" Orpheus continued as Clyde started talking about the cycle of abuse. "Sartre!" Orpheus decided, penciling in the answer while Clyde vowed to kill Chad and hand Thomas over to Ben so Ben could break the cycle and be the kind of father he had only ever dreamed of being. "The bar is low," Orpheus muttered. Clyde admitted with a sigh that he did feel bad about shooting Abe, since Abe had a son who wasn't "right." Quickly returning to the topic of abuse, Clyde recalled the vacant look that his father had sometimes possessed while beating him, and he wondered if Ben had ever seen the same look in his eyes.
Clyde offered Orpheus a drink, but Orpheus declined and observed, "You've had enough, I would say." Clyde dismissed the advice and soon rushed outside to investigate a noise. When he returned a short time later, he reported that it had been a false alarm. "Also known as an overreaction," Orpheus muttered. Clyde continued that all was well with Xander and Joey, who were in an adjacent room. "[Joey's] poor parents must be going through hell," Orpheus happily guessed. Clyde took comfort in the fact that he didn't need to worry about Ben, who was still alive and simply needed to be broken out of prison.
"Yes, and I'm sure that once you've broken him out of a maximum-security prison and handed him the baby you've kidnapped, you'll all live happily ever after," Orpheus sarcastically agreed. Clyde, who didn't even seem to be hearing Orpheus' comments anymore, kicked a nearby crate and complained that he hated waiting around for things to happen. Admitting that Clyde might be onto something, Orpheus set aside his crossword puzzle and opened his tablet computer, muttering that it was time for a chat with Roman.
At the police station, Marlena handed Roman an updated profile on Clyde. Roman thanked Marlena then reported that he had just received an untraceable email from Orpheus, demanding the ransom money right away. Certain that the escaped convicts were more interested in revenge than money, Marlena guessed that they were setting a trap, and Roman agreed but pointed out that he didn't really have the luxury of ignoring the demand because the criminals still had Joey. "I'm doing everything I can, I assure you, to make sure that John and Joey are both safe, but we don't have a lot of time, so John has to be in the town square, ready to wire money, in thirty minutes," Roman continued as Theo and Ciara listened nearby.
Clyde hoped that Orpheus was sure that the email he had sent to Roman had been untraceable. Orpheus confirmed that he was, and he added that he was glad they'd had enough battery power left in the tablet to send it. "Well, it seems that our time here in Salem is drawing to a close. We terminate all those that need to be terminated...and then we leave," Orpheus said as he checked his gun to make sure it was in working order. "With Thomas. And God help him that gets in the way," Clyde stressed as he performed the same inspection on his own gun.
Marlena went to the Kiriakis mansion to talk to Nicole and Victor about Xander, the only escaped convict she still needed to profile. Nicole declared that Xander was a volatile, sadistic psychopath. "The only time he seemed like a normal human being with feelings was when he talked about wanting Victor's approval," she added.
Sensing the women's stares, Victor, who had already expressed doubts that psychoanalyzing Xander would make a bit of difference, looked up from his cell phone and innocently asked, "What?" Nicole found it hard to believe that Victor had always disliked Xander, who had often talked about Victor being a father figure to him. Victor conceded that Xander might have started thinking of him that way after the death of Titus, but he was quick to add that he had never encouraged that way of thinking. He added that he had tried to be there for Xander at first but had eventually realized that Xander was nothing more than a loser and an opportunist.
When Victor asked if he had given Marlena enough information for her case study, she replied that it was easy to see where Xander had gotten his aggression. "Oh, please. People have much higher levels of hardship and don't turn into career criminals. He was a screw-up of epic proportions. I realized that a long time ago, [and] I should have washed my hands of him [then]," Victor insisted.
Nicole shook her head in disbelief, deciding that Victor had turned Xander into a monster. "You know, I think this would be a good time for the good Dr. Evans to weigh in here and explain that you don't become a homicidal maniac because your uncle didn't treat you like you hung the damn moon," Victor countered, refusing to take the blame for Xander's behavior. Nicole complained that Victor never wanted to take responsibility for anything. "Oh, shut up, Nicole," he dismissively replied.
Marlena intervened and reminded Victor and Nicole that they needed to work together instead of arguing with each other. Nicole conceded the point and promised to do whatever it took to help take down Xander and the other escaped convicts. Satisfied, Marlena excused herself. Victor wished her luck with the profile, and Nicole urged her to stay safe. Marlena returned the advice as she showed herself out.
"Well, uh, I'm guessing we're done here. Always a blast, Victor," Nicole said before turning to follow Marlena out of the mansion. "Hold it. I'm not finished with you yet," Victor replied. He proceeded to question Nicole about Chloe's abrupt departure from Salem, complaining that Philip was stonewalling him. Nicole claimed that she didn't know much about the matter, other than the fact that Chloe had moved to New York to be with her parents after a fight with Philip. Victor wanted to know what the fight had been about, but Nicole said that was none of his business. "There's something else going on here. I know it," Victor insisted before walking away.
As the escaped convicts prepared for the ransom exchange, Orpheus stressed that after the money was wired into their offshore bank account, he would kill John, and Clyde and Xander would kill Joey as well as anyone who tried to stage a rescue attempt. Xander impatiently wondered when it would be his turn to get revenge on his enemies. Dismissively insisting that it wasn't the appropriate time for such a conversation, Orpheus left the hideout, and Clyde followed him outside after advising Xander to man up and stop whining. Left behind to monitor police chatter, Xander fumed as he recalled how Victor had treated him the previous year.
At the police station, Theo vowed to make Clyde pay for shooting Abe. Ciara tried to talk Theo out of seeking revenge, pointing out that he could put Joey's life in danger if he did that, not to mention his own life -- and Abe wouldn't want him to resort to violence, anyway. "You're not thinking straight," Ciara insisted. "Well, I never think straight," Theo countered. Unamused, Ciara complained that it was wrong of Theo to use autism as an excuse to shoot someone. Grumbling that Ciara simply didn't understand, Theo started to walk away, but she refused to let him go anywhere without her, so they sneaked out of the police station together.
Chad ran into Sonny outside the Brady Pub and tried to talk to him, but Sonny angrily insisted that they had nothing left to discuss. "Look, it was business, all right? It wasn't personal," Chad stressed. "It wasn't personal? I asked you -- I practically begged you, as a friend -- not to make that deal, but you did it anyway! How is that not personal?" Sonny countered.
Chad explained that he had a son to think about, and he guessed that Sonny would have done the same thing if their roles had been reversed. "No, I wouldn't have. If I were in your position, I would have reminded myself that friendship takes precedence over greed, and I would have reminded myself that my business and my son would have been just fine without screwing [my best friend] over!" Sonny insisted.
Chad asked Sonny to stop yelling, but Sonny refused. "I am done! You wouldn't listen to me, and I'm returning the favor," Sonny added before starting to walk away. Grabbing Sonny's arm to stop him, Chad insisted that he had listened. "Like hell you did!" Sonny spat. Chad stressed that betraying Sonny was the last thing in the world that he would ever want to do, but Sonny countered that if that had truly been the case, Chad wouldn't have betrayed him. "Stay out of my sight," Sonny warned as he glared at Chad, who smiled and gave him a pat on the chest before walking away.
Sonny entered the pub and greeted Paul, who was preparing for the ransom exchange. Paul could tell that Sonny was upset about something, but Sonny claimed that he was simply worried about Joey. Sonny offered to keep Paul company for a while, and Paul happily accepted.
Sonny went to get a couple cups of coffee then took a seat at Paul's table and apologized for the way things had ended during their last encounter. Paul said he understood that Sonny was fiercely loyal to family members. Sonny regretfully admitted that his loyalty hadn't paid off recently, revealing that he could have stopped the raid at the docks but had decided to go along with it instead.
Paul insisted that Titan was lucky to have Sonny, who would likely end up being the savior of the Kiriakis family as well as the company itself. Beaming, Sonny put a hand on Paul's arm and thanked him for the kind words, admitting that his faith meant a lot. Sonny soon rushed off to get some food, leaving Paul staring at the place where Sonny's hand had just been.
As John got into place at the Horton Town Square and began talking to Paul via a discreet earpiece, Kayla arrived with Steve and Roman. She soon spotted Ciara and Theo, and when she wondered what they were doing at the pub, Ciara explained that Caroline had asked them to help prepare food for any law enforcement officials who might need it.
Orpheus soon joined John, who demanded to know where Joey was. "Relax, John. I never said I'd bring Joey with me. Just know that the lad is safe. He's with Clyde at another location, and he'll be released when the money's transferred and has been authenticated," Orpheus replied. He knowingly encouraged John to go ahead and relay the terms to the people who were monitoring the ransom exchange, so John checked in with Paul, who confirmed that Roman wanted to proceed with the transfer because they didn't really have any other choice.
John insisted on getting proof of life first, so Orpheus started a videoconference with Clyde and allowed John to chat with Joey for a few seconds. Steve and Kayla were relieved when Paul announced that John had managed to keep the videoconference going long enough for him to pinpoint Clyde and Joey's exact location. "See, we fitted [John] with a device that, when close enough, allowed us to lock on wirelessly to Orpheus' phone, hack in, [and] hijack the signal," Paul explained. Theo lurked nearby and listened as Paul gave Roman an address.
Paul told John to stall, so John pretended that he was having trouble connecting his laptop to a server. Orpheus, who wasn't experiencing any issues with his own laptop, suspected that John was lying, but John blamed the problem on Orpheus' bright idea to blow up Salem's central power plant. Still suspicious, Orpheus warned that he was running out of patience. John told Orpheus to relax, and after stalling for a few more seconds, he announced that he had finally managed to establish a connection. "Good, 'cause if you're toying with my terms, you're gonna pay a steep price -- and so is Joey," Orpheus stressed.
When Steve and J.J. arrived at Clyde and Joey's location, they noticed that Xander was missing. Steve contacted Roman and warned him to keep an eye out for Xander. Meanwhile, Theo entered the area from a different direction and stormed up to Clyde, aiming a gun at him. "This is payback. You almost killed my father, you son of a bitch!" Theo spat at Clyde, who ducked behind Joey and discreetly sent a text message to Orpheus while advising Theo to walk away. Theo refused, but his hand shook as he kept the gun aimed at Clyde's chest. Clyde shoved Joey aside and easily knocked the gun out of Theo's hand, knowing he couldn't pull the trigger.
Theo put his hands up and begged Clyde not to shoot him. Clyde started to respond mockingly but rushed off when J.J. and Steve revealed themselves. J.J. chased after Clyde as Steve and Kayla, who had insisted on tagging along, embraced Joey. Kayla asked Theo if he was all right, and he confirmed that he was, his hands still frozen above his head.
Meanwhile, Orpheus pulled a gun on John after receiving Clyde's text message -- "Abort" -- but John drew his own gun at the same time, sensing that something was wrong. "I told you not to try anything! And now what are you gonna do, huh? You gonna pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about?" Orpheus guessed. John confirmed that he didn't have a clue.
"I don't know what just transpired, but it's on you, John. You and your friends made a terrible miscalculation today, and you are all gonna live to regret it," Orpheus vowed as he gathered his things and slowly backed away. "Time will tell," John replied, keeping his gun drawn until Orpheus disappeared behind a corner.
At the DiMera mansion, Chad left Sonny a voicemail message, stressing that he wasn't happy with the way they had left things earlier. However, when he received a phone call from Kate a short time later, he confirmed that he wanted to proceed with the takeover of the dock business because it was the right move to make. Meanwhile, Sonny passed through the town square with Paul, showering him with praise for his part in Joey's rescue. Paul tried to insist that he hadn't done anything special, but Sonny refused to let him act modest. Paul thanked Sonny for keeping him company then beamed when they shared a hug before parting ways.
Outside the Brady Pub, J.J. breathlessly informed Roman that Clyde had managed to escape. After J.J. rushed off to continue searching for Clyde, Theo emerged from the pub and apologized to Roman. Roman conceded that the most important thing was that Joey was safe. Roman added, however, that Theo needed to talk to him or Abe the next time he felt the urge to take matters into his own hands. Theo confirmed that he understood.
Inside, Kayla tried to get Joey to agree to go to the hospital. "No hospitals, please. All I want to do is eat. I swear, you leave me alone for ten seconds, [and] I'm asking Grandma Caroline for one of everything on the menu -- maybe two of everything," he replied. She assured him that he could have whatever he wanted as long as he agreed to get checked out at the hospital afterward. "Deal," he said before rushing into the kitchen.
Later, while Joey was wolfing down all the food within reach, Steve and Kayla celebrated his safe return with John, who was pleased with the happy ending for the Johnsons but feared that the escaped convicts were only going to get more dangerous as a result of what had happened. "I think I have a way to bring them down -- every one of them," Marlena revealed as she entered the pub.
Clyde joined Xander and Orpheus in an alley after evading the police. Clyde blamed Xander for what had happened, but Xander insisted that he hadn't heard anything alarming on the police scanner during the ransom exchange. "Maybe you didn't listen hard enough!" Clyde snapped. Orpheus told Clyde and Xander to stop arguing, reasoning that they needed to stick together because they were better as a team than as individuals. "[Yes], we were hit hard -- no money, no hostages -- [but] now the gloves come off. No more games. We're gonna kill them all -- every last one of them -- and watch this town burn to the ground," Orpheus continued.
