Mel tossed and turned all night. Nightmares plagued her and she woke up in a cold sweat. The clock read nine a.m. and she noticed there was a tray of breakfast on the table near the bed. Had she really managed to sleep through someone entering the room? Now she was petrified and fighting her emotions. It did no good to cry, yet she couldn't seem to stop the tears. She was cold and lonely inside. Easily she could see how going without conversation could drive a person mad. She picked up the pen and pad, scribbled something down and slid it under the door. And while she waited she nibbled at her breakfast and flipped through the TV channels. A few minutes later the answer to her question arrived under the door. She had asked if it was possible for her to talk to her husband even for a minute. The response: 'I'll have to talk to the boss. Just hang tight.' She crumbled up the paper and threw it across the room.

After pacing the room, taking a shower and getting dressed, Mel sat and stared at the clock. There was no way of knowing exactly how long she'd been held prisoner. And right now she didn't care she just wanted to get out of there. Patience was never one of her strong points and right now the waiting game was taking it's toll. She was starting to doubt her own sanity.

Out of desperation she once again picked up pen and paper. Dear Chris...

-- -- --

Chris stepped in the elevator and pushed the button for the fifth floor where Mr. Harriman's office was located. "Thanks for meeting with me." Chris said as he shook the older man's hand.

"It's no problem." Mr. Harriman motioned for Chris to take a seat as he walked around behind his desk and sat down. "So Chris, how's the wife?"

Chris averted his eyes to the floor. "She's good."

"Glad to hear it. So married life is treating you ok?" Mr. Harriman chuckled.

Chris grinned. "I can't complain."

Glad that the small talk was over Chris looked over all the paperwork that was spread out before him. But before he could sign and get the ball rolling a financial advisor was brought in as a precautionary measure. The meeting lasted about an hour. But all in all the transaction went smoothly, thanks to Mr. Harriman. Chris waited another thirty minutes before the first part of his money was transferred into his account. He shook hands with Mr. Harriman and thanked him profusely before leaving the office. Outside the sun beat down on Chris as he walked to his car. There was nothing he could do now but go home and wait for further instruction.

The drive home seemed exceptionally long. Maybe it was because Chris replayed the night Mel went missing over and over in his head in slow motion. Trying to recall anything and everything that might give him a clue as to who did this he drew blank. There was no one that he didn't know at the party. No signs of anything out of the ordinary. While it should give him some peace of mind, it actually made him feel the opposite. What if it was someone they knew? What if someone he invited into his home, someone he worked with on a daily basis did this. Now he didn't know who he could trust. Which only made matters worse.

Chris pulled in the drive way just as the cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Get a pen and paper. I'll call back in ten minutes with the account number." The caller hung up and Chris hit the steering wheel with his fist in frustration. He was so tired of having to wait. He got out of the car and made his way up to the door where he was met by Shannon.

"I know this is a bad time but I wanted you to hear it from me."

Chris switched his weight from one leg to the other. "What is it Shannon I don't have all day."

"I know work is the last thing on your mind but I didn't know how soon things would be settled so I called Shane and told him what was goin' on. But don't worry he'll keep it quiet."

"Dammit!" Chris paced back and forth. "How do you know he won't contact the authorities?"

"Because he owes me a few favors and he's the only Mc Mahon I trust, besides Linda. Mel would want you both to still have your jobs when this mess is over."

Chris stopped and studied the young man. He recalled all the things Mel had ever told him about Shannon. He knew Mel thought of Shannon as a brother and he had always been her protector before Chris came along. "Sorry Shannon. I know you're right and I appreciate you basically saving our careers. I'm just too stressed to think straight right now."

"I understand man." Shannon reached out and shook Chris's hand.

"Thanks." Chris responded. He could definitely see why Mel spoke so highly of Moore.

-- -- --

Inside the house Chris took his usual position pacing back and forth in the living room. He walked a path from one side to the other right by the windows that overlooked the front lawn of their home. It was as if he were expecting Mel to pull up at any moment and run into his arms. Molly and Autumn had basically set up camp in the kitchen ready to do anything that needed to be done. Batista had flown out about an hour earlier to do a SmackDown taping and go by his house to take care of some things before returning to Atlanta. And Shannon had taken it upon himself to watch over Chris by sitting in the living room pretending to listen to his Ipod. But when the cell phone rang again it was obvious that Shannon's Ipod was either off or turned down on the lowest of volumes as he jumped straight up and ran over by Chris. "Hello?"

Chris grabbed a pen and pad off the end table and jotted down some numbers and what appeared to be the name of a foreign bank.

"I need to speak to my wife. Let me just hear her voice."

The man on the other end paused. "You've got until ten tonight to get the money in this account or you'll never see your wife again."

"It will be there. Please, just let me know that she's ok."

There was another pause and then a sound as if the phone had been dropped.

"Chris? Are you there?" Her soft voice called out.

He choked back tears. "Melony, baby are you ok? Have they hurt you?"

Mel unintentionally started sobbing. "I'm fine Chris. I miss you! I want to come home."

His grief was overwhelming him. "I'm doing everything they want Mel. Just hang in there."

"I have to go now. I love you with all my heart."

"I love you too sweetheart." He managed to get out before the line went dead.

-- -- --