Ess was only a few yards from the aircraft when the captain tackled her. She hit the ground and skidded along the blacktop. Add scuffed knees and elbows, as well as torn palms to her list of weekend injuries. Thankfully, she did prevent her head from knocking against the pavement, but the luck ended there as the pilot restrained her to the ground, and the first officer used his cell phone to call in a security breech to the TSA.

"No," Ess tried to get the man's attention. "You don't understand. I'm trying to – "

"Save it lady." The captain tightened his grip. "You can explain it to security. We don't take any possible acts of terrorism lightly in this industry."

Terrorism? Ess could not believe it. Her home had been invaded, she was kidnapped four times, she'd been tied up, shot at, knocked down, manhandled, threatened, and reduced to an immaterial possession all in one weekend, and now she was being accused of terrorism?

This made Ess angry beyond belief. She found new physical strength, and fought her way out from under the captain by jamming her elbow into his chest. The first officer grabbed for her as she started to rise, but she dodged and avoided his grasp.

Regrettably, this incident with the pilots had lasted long enough to allow John to return to the plane. Before Ess could get any further, a gun was shoved in her face, stopping her in her tracks. She stepped back towards the pilots, who were also shocked and intimidated by the man with the gun aimed in their direction.

"Now, now, sir," the captain attempted to handle the newest turn in the situation. "There's no need for the gun. We're handling the security breech, and we're perfectly able to detain her."

"Obviously, not." John replied with annoyance at the turn of events. "Since you were so damn quick to call the TSA, we'd better be taking off right now, before they get here. So why don't the three of you just get into the plane, and we'll depart."

He started herding them towards the plane, using his gun as incentive to move, when a thunderous crash happened from behind him. He turned around in time to witness the security gate at the entrance burst forward and fly off its hinges, setting off a loud security alarm as a Rolls Royce squealed through the barrier.

Angoli's man had to dive out of the way to avoid colliding with the front end of the car as it skidded to a halt a few feet in front of Ess and the pilots. The passengers of the vehicle promptly exited, and the woman in high heels acted quickly in snatching the gun away from John before he could pick himself up off of the ground and regain his advantage. With her distinctive flare, she aimed the gun at him, and dared him to try and get up.

"Manda?" Ess couldn't believe her eyes. The woman before her looked like a female Rambo. Ess couldn't decide rather to laugh or to be in awe of her best friend.

She quickly took in her other rescuers. Dr. Roden she recognized from the restaurant, but why was Martin there? He had attempted to take her to Angoli. He wasn't on her side. Something seemed wrong about that.

Then there was Max. He stood there with an indescribable look on his face. So much anger and guilt welled within him that he didn't know what his first reaction should be. He made eye contact with Ess, and she smiled, grateful and pleased to see him. He came for her, just as he'd promised.

The moment was cut short, however.

"Max!" The entire crowd looked towards the plane. "I knew you were trying to fool with my plans, but I didn't think you had it in you to get this far." Angoli descended down the steps of the aircraft. Ess's concoction still affected his eyes and his senses, but he endeavored not to make that too apparent. When he reached the tarmac, he moved with slow deliberation towards the group. Max pulled Ess behind him, and started to push her towards the car, hoping it would still be in drivable condition. Angoli didn't like this, and so he picked up his pace, bent on preventing it by his own physical force, but Max wasn't about to let him get any closer.

Pulling the gun out from under his jacket, Max pointed it at Angoli, deterring him from taking another step. The sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance, though barely discernable over the high-pitched ringing of the nearby gate alarm. Max continued to back away with Ess, causing Angoli's anger to get the better of him. He began towards them again, but Max cocked the gun with a determined click. If Angoli hadn't stopped again upon hearing that notable sound, Max would not have hesitated in pulling the trigger.

"Wait," Ess needed to intercede before the situation worsened. "Max, don't do it."

"Seriously? I don't see why not?" Max replied, never taking his eyes off of Angoli. "He'll keep coming after you if he can. He's a relentless psychopath with too much money and power. The best way to keep you safe is to just get rid of him."

"No," Ess continued, "You don't want to do that. It sounds like the answer, but it's not. Don't throw your life away. You don't have to do that for me."

"I would do exactly that in a heartbeat." Max meant it with every part of him. "And I could definitely sleep at night knowing he's gone."

"Max, no." Ess knew that couldn't be true, especially if he were to find out about Angoli's little 'skeleton in the closet'. She certainly couldn't let Max commit murder for her. She had to reason with him, but the circumstances left little time for delicacy on the issue. "You'd be killing your father."

In her close proximity to Max, Ess could feel a shudder pass through him. His arm faltered in holding the gun towards Angoli's chest, but straightened again almost instantly. "No. No way." An unhearty laugh escaped him, as if he was trying to suppose it to be an ill-timed joke.

"It's true. He told me himself. The whole story." Ess felt the painful guilt of baring such news this way, but it had to be said. She couldn't let him commit murder.

Angoli saw the look on Max's face. The young man obviously felt taken aback, and the devious man knew this could be used to his advantage. "It is true Max." He took a step closer. "I am your father." Another step. "Your mother was a drug addict, an alcoholic and a whore." A third step. "She grew to be too much to handle, and when she became pregnant with you, I threw her away."

Max and Ess took a few steps back to maintain their distance, but found themselves backed up against the car. Angoli smiled impudently as he slowly reached towards the gun.

From the other side of the car, Roden couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Max, the orphan with no past, the boy who had gone unclaimed by any family for the past twenty years, was the natural son of a malignantly rich and powerful lunatic. It seemed to take so long for this new shock and disgust to diminish that Roden struggled with any ideas about what he should do to be of help in this situation.

Angoli just about had his fingers wrapped around the barrel of the gun, when the click of a second gun cocking was heard. Angoli and Roden both looked towards the sound.

While Angoli had held the attention of the immediate audience during his confrontation with Max, Martin had seized the chance to snatch the gun out of Manda's hands and push her out of his way. Now he aimed the gun towards Angoli and slowly made his way around the car to position himself closer to his target.

"You know," Martin spoke directly to Angoli, "I think this might be the perfect time to take my own revenge."

"Martin," Angoli spit out at him in aggravation, "This is not the time or the place for your petty whining – "