Jessica cannot believe that Carly actually accomplishes winning Hal over. James is keeping Samantha and Holden in the basement of the Mona Lisa while Lucinda and Lily continue with their plans to staged David's kidnapping. Lucinda threatens David's life as part of the plot to get Holden back safely. Molly returns to the police station to clear Holden of the crime he didn't commit even though Carly reminds Molly she may suffer some consequences. Samantha plays with James by telling him she knows he loves David. David wants Lucinda to give him the City Times now that she is running the plot to get James but Lucinda will not give in. Kim compares Carly and Hal to Barbara and John. Barbara does not like this and storms out. John displaces his anger about his situation with Barbara on Lisa. Andy tries to open Nikki's eyes about Matt and the fact Matt could be James' right hand man. Lisa confronts Matt on why he is gone so much and wants to help him. James wants to make a deal with Lucinda.
Lucinda makes plans with James to exchange Holden and Sam for David. Jack is not sure whether to believe him or not. Lily also has doubts. Margo and Hal learn of plans to get James. James does not plan to make the exchange. Instead, he figures out where Lucinda is hiding David and decides to gas the place. He then plans to kill Holden and Samantha. Emily and David find the City Times article about where David could be. Emily tells Tom she will not listen to David if he tries to tell a different story so David does not try. Holden manages to get a bobby pin from Sam and tries to break free.
Jack congratulates Hal on his engagement with Carly.
John wants to talk and be with Barbara. Barbara wants nothing to do with John because he has been drinking. John tries to force himself on Barbara and she throws him out of the bedroom.
Lisa is still trying to figure out what is up with Matt. She offers to help if there is trouble. Matt denies there is anything Lisa can do. James gets the shipment of gas he is expecting and Matt has to deliver it to him. Lisa almost catches him. Instead she searches his room. Matt's sudden appearance startles her---and he wants to know what she is doing. Lisa makes up a story, but Matt decides it is time for him to go to bed and doesn't pursue any further.
Barbara leaves before John wakes up to go on a business trip. She takes the children with her. John wants to know where she went but Lisa will not tell him. Andy and Lisa try to talk to John about the situation but John will not listen.
Hal wants Carly to be totally honest with him about wanting to marry him. Carly convinces Hal that marrying him is what she wants. Jack knows something isn't right about this marriage. Jack tricks Molly into telling him what is going on. Jack confronts Carly.
Andy and Nikki have a talk about Hal's wedding. Andy convinces Nikki to be happy that Hal is happy. Nikki then goes to tell Hal she will support his decision to marry Carly only because it makes him happy.
Emily and Margo talk. Margo finds out Tom has been running into Emily quite a bit. Margo takes the news rather well. Margo finds out Tom helped Emily get her job at The Argus and the two also shared a heart to heart while at a Buster Keaton movie.
John
Jack
has come to Lisa's penthouse to confront Carly about his knowledge of the contract. He accuses her of using Hal and wants to know if she loves really loves the guy. Jack embraces Carly in a passionate kiss, but she pulls away. She tells him she loves Hal and was only attracted to Jack. But, when Jack leaves, Carly is visibly shaken.
The natives are restless at Lily's house as they await the exchange of hostages. Kirk continues to verbalize his distrust of David as Lucinda does her best to comfort Lily. David announces to his "captives" that he's the one in real danger. He knows James will kill him when he finds out about the double-cross. As Lily naps, she dreams of Holden warning her to stay away from Stenbeck. She awakens disturbed realizing the dream must have a meaning. Kirk suggests they each light a candle, one for Sam and one for Holden, and when the candles have burned out, their loved ones will be home safe. Kirk opens the matchbook to the light the candles and discovers Holden's cryptic message.
Hal, Lisa
and Andy are busy putting the finishing touches on the wedding arrangements at the Mona Lisa. Molly arrives to help but receives a cool reception. Andy notices a tan line on Matt's thumb and sneaks a few pictures of it. He tells Nikki about his suspicions. Nikki decides to conduct her own investigation, sneaking down to Matt's room to search for evidence that may tie Matt to James. Meanwhile, Holden is frantically trying to unlock his cuffs with Sam's hair pin and manages to free his hands. James arrives with plans to take care of one loose end-- Holden. As he raises his silencer to Holden's head, Sam desperately pleads with James not to kill him. Upstairs, Margo and John arrive. John asks Hal if he knows where Barbara is. When Hal tells him he doesn't, John tells him he thinks Barbara will call Hal later to congratulate him on the marriage and when she does would he find out where she is. Hal, not eager to help, tells John not to push Barbara. Hal is worried about the whereabouts of Nikki and Carly as it is almost time for the wedding to start and neither one is there. As Nikki searches through Matt's things, she finds the missing thumb ring. In possession of the truth about Matt, Nikki is suddenly confronted by James. James grabs her but Matt appears and implores James to let her go. James shoots Matt and knocks Nikki over the head. When he returns to finish off Sam and Holden, Holden still shackled by his feet grabs James. They struggle but James breaks free leaving Sam and Holden trapped with the escaping gas. Upstairs, the bride finally arrives for the wedding-- and so does Jack.
John continues to harass Lisa for information about Barbara, but she tells him to forget it. John overhears the bartender accept a call from Barbara. John manages to get the telephone number and the name of the hotel where she is staying and leaves in search of his wife. Holden manages to free himself and tries to stop the gas from escaping, but cannot. He tries to open the door to escape the fumes, but discovers it is locked. Sam is overcome by the gas and passes out. However, Holden finds James' oxygen bottle and is able to revive her. As they alternate breaths of oxygen, Holden struggles to find a way out. Carly warns Jack to keep his mouth shut about the contract and not screw things up for her. She accuses Lisa of telling Jack about the contract, but discovers it was Molly who divulged her secret. Hal is disappointed that Nikki has decided not to attend the wedding after all and asks Margo to stand up for him. He recites his vows to Carly, but, Carly, who is standing directly under a vent, is overcome by gas fumes and passes out before the exchange of vows is complete. Hal frantically rushes her to the hospital. Lily recognizes Holden's handwriting on the matchbook and she and Kirk go to the Mona Lisa to inform Margo, leaving Lucinda alone with David. Margo, Andy and Jack deduce that James may be holding Sam and Holden captive in the basement of the Mona Lisa and rush down to Matt's room. They find an unconscious Nikki and a mortally wounded Matt. Meanwhile, as Lucinda and David bicker, they are suddenly interrupted by the presence of James Stenbeck. As James pleads with his son to leave the country with him, Lucinda knocks the gun from his hand and David picks it up.
