Harv sat patiently in the emergency room while the intern went about resetting his broken arm and adjusting the sling for comfort. A doctor had examined him, listened to his lie about how it happened, wrote a quick scrip for painkillers, and turned the rest over to the eager intern.

"There we go. You'll need a couple of weeks like this and then we'll assess it again."

"Right. Thanks." Harv hopped off the gurney and waved for Peter to bring him his shirt.

"You okay, Harv? Jesus I nearly died when she did that." The intern gaped at Peter and Harv steered his friend from the room.

"I told them a different tale so keep it down, eh?'

"Shit, sorry. So . . . does it hurt?"

Harv gave him a pitying look and slipped his shirt on with Peter's help. "Let's go. I hate to think what my studio is gonna look like."

"You think she got in the safe?" Peter asked, alarmed.

"Only with dynamite. But she could do a world of damage trying."

"The combination isn't still there is it? Remember Cheryl...?"

"I learn my lessons, Peter." The slight didn't go unnoticed.

The studio wasn't as bad as Harv expected. A few broken items lay scattered about the floor and the wall around the safe was gouged and marked from the hammering it took from the broken chair. Peter picked up what he could and grabbed a broom from the closet and swept the debris into a manageable pile.

"Don't bother with that. I have a cleaning service that comes in weekly. He opened the safe and took out the material. "We need to put this somewhere else, I don't think it's safe here any more."

Peter suddenly felt dizzy and he reached for the table for support.

"What's wrong?"

"What if- what if she went after Mary?" He jumped for the phone and dialled frantically, hitting the wrong digits twice before connecting.

"Mediatrend, good afternoon."

"Mary Wendlestat, please."

"One moment, please."

Peter wiped his brow to indicate Mary was at work. He waited and then another woman came on the line. "Mary Wendlestat's office, may I help you?"

"Yes I'd like to speak with Mary please."

"She's in a meeting at the moment, may I assist you or take a message?"

"Do you know how long she'll be?"

"She's with our president, Christopher Emmanuel so there is no way of knowing, sir."

"Peter sighed. "Please ask her to call Peter Rabb at-"

"Oh, Peter! I didn't recognize your voice. How are you? It's Marlie, Mary's assistant."

"Uh- oh yeah, Marlie. I'm uh- good. Look could you get the message to Mary. Tell her it's urgent?"

"Gee is anything wrong?"

"It's a- a personal thing. Do that for me, would you?"

"Sure..."

"Thanks, Marlie." He gave her a couple of numbers to try and hung up in the middle of another query. "She's safe at work anyway," he breathed, relaxing.

"Better call the others too," Harv said, ominously.

"I'm gonna call Hughes and take his offer. This is getting way out of hand."

"It's your call, Peter."

"Don't you think I should?"

"Jesus, man, will you just make a final decision once."

Peter was about to protest, but he realized that Harv was right. The others had decided everything up to now with him just agreeing. Alone he would have buckled long ago. "I'll call right now."

******

Vera stepped from her hotel room shower and inspected her leg, pleased that she healed so quickly. Next she went to the mirror and studied the areas of her face where the plastic spray had been more stubborn at releasing its grip on her skin. She patted her face dry and applied a liberal covering of liquid vitamin E, closing her eyes as the soothing lotion calmed the angry nerves. After drying and arranging her hair, she went to the bedroom and dressed in a pair of form fitting designer jeans, a layered t-shirt and sweater and her hand-made leather boots. 

A quick series of bends, push-ups and martial arts exercises, she set her face and left the room ready for the action she craved.

******

Ralston listened to Rabb agree to his offer of one half million dollars for all material related to the film and gazed smugly at his reflection in the massive office windows.

"Have it at my office before five and we'll sign the papers."

"Papers?" Peter frowned.

"I don't do deals of this size without documentation and agreements in place."

"What agreements exactly?"

"Listen, Rabb. If you want to do this deal you'll get your ass over here when I say and a warning, friend. Late, and the deal's off." The phone disconnected and Peter muffled a curse.

"What's the matter?"

"He wants me- us- at his office before five today to sign an agreement."

"Probably just that you have supplied all the original material and that you won't be flogging any copies on the market.

"You think?"

"Peter, what the hell else could it be? Half a million requires something more than a verbal handshake."

"It's just that he sounds such a bastard."

"A bastard with money."

"True." He stretched and cranked his neck about. "You coming with me?"

"You want me to? I'm not much like this."

"I hope to God this is a simple transaction and you won't be needed to do anything heroic."

"I'll package up the stuff."

"I'll do it. You come to terms with the fact that I'll be driving your car again."

Harv suddenly blanched, and sat on a stool, blinking.

"You know," Peter began. "It might be a good idea to run this past the others first. I mean since we're all sort of in this together."

"We don't have whole lot of time."

"Three and a half hours. He said before five."

"You're the boss. Make your calls. But let's get me out of here first."

******

Austin sat forward on the chair facing Harry. "Vera called and said that she missed her opportunity at the studio, but she heard them on the phone making a deal with Hughes for five o-clock today." He held his tongue as Harry made a disgusted motion with his hand and rolled his eyes. "There was a scuffle and she broke the arm of the owner of the man that confronted you outside the bank."

"Good for her," Douglas offered. "At last, something positive."

Austin again waited patiently. "She surmised that they would have gone to the emergency to see it repaired and when she checked, she was proven correct. They went back to the studio and then left and drove to the Brewers' home and shortly thereafter, the other members of their little band arrived. They are there now."

"Why didn't she get the stuff when they went back?" Harry asked.

"Vera wants to settle some scores her own way."

"Then count me out, Austin. I told you before-"

"I have her word, Harry. You are tasked with getting the film. Vera will hang back until you have it and then what she does won't interfere with our business together."

Harry looked at Douglas, who indicated with a shrug that it was fine with him. "She makes one move before we're done and I'm gone, Austin. I mean it."

"Please don't worry, Harry. I know Vera; I know what she wants."

"Okay, so we head to the Brewer's and see the best way to handle things."

"Good. I know you can do this and do it right, Harry."