Amy Cahill walked towards the door. "Who is it?"

"It's-a me, Mario! The pizza delivery guy! Thank-a you for ordering a-Luigi's!"

She frowned. "I didn't order any pizza." She opened the door.

"Ha! Amy, you fell for the oldest trick in the book!"

"Richard?"

"Well, yeah!" Richard stepped into the hotel room. "Where did you think I was gonna go? New Jersey?"

Amy turned around. "Dan!"

"What?" Came a voice from the other room.

"Get in here!"

"Okay!" Dan rushed in carrying a lightsaber and wearing a ninja hood, Pokemon PJ pants, and bunny slippers. "What is it, Amy-san-" He stopped, abruptly. "Hey! You didn't tell me we had company!"

Richard regarded Dan's attire as if he was used to them. He grinned. "Dan! Whassup, dude?"

Dan grinned back. "Richard! Haven't seen you in a while. Let me guess… you just snuck out of the hospital again."

"Yep. How'd you know?"

"You smell like blood and antiseptic." They both laughed hysterically.

Amy rolled her eyes. Boys. She knew that with Dan and Richard's senses of humor combined, they could crack jokes and make bad puns until the end of time and they would still have more material. And, it was twice as annoying. "So… why are you here?"

Richard's expression turned serious. "I came to talk about our little hostage problem."

The room's mood temperature dropped from, "Easy going and lighthearted" to "Uh oh, we have to talk about something serious now". Amy gestured towards the couch in the other room. "Let's talk about it in here."

As soon as they were all seated, Amy nodded for Richard to explain. "So far, our situation is that they have Cahills, and we have to do everything they tell us to, right?"

Amy nodded. "Right."

"So, if we find out where the hostages are being held and rescue them, then they have no leverage, right?"

"Right, but we don't know where they are. And with Ian missing, I don't know who else I can ask to find out. Well, except for Evan. And Sinead."

Richard shook his head. "No, see, I have an idea that will take care of both of those problems."

Dan sat forward. "What is it?"

"Okay, so, say we got someone to drop hints to the Vespers that we already know where they are being held. Then, when they freak out and move the hostages, we can monitor them and then we'll know where they are. Then we can go in and rescue them."

Amy looked at him skeptically. "But who would we send to do this? Erasmus would be perfect, except he's babysitting Jonah and Hamilton."

Dan sighed. "Fiske or Nellie could do it… if they weren't hostages."

"Ian is the kind of smooth-talker that would do this with flying colors… but he's missing."

"Sinead is too busy at the Command Center."

"I don't want to put Evan in danger."

"Jake and Atticus…"

Amy shook her head. "Not them, either."

Dan slumped in his seat. "So, basically, we've got no one."

Richard waved his hand in front of Dan's face. "Hello? Am I invisible, or what? It was my idea. Besides, the Vespers are already following me. It would be easy."

Amy shook her head. "No. It's too dangerous. Besides, knowing you, you'd probably end up dead or mostly dead."

"But, Amy-"

She stood up. "No. End of discussion." She walked into the connecting room and closed the door.

Richard sighed. "I can't believe this. I'm just so tired of the Vespers pushing us around. It's not fair, what with the other option."

Dan sat down next to him. "Well, she may have said no, but she's only half of the Cahill decision team. All you have to do is ask the other half."

Richard looked at him, the meaning of his words suddenly dawning on him. He tried to keep a straight face. "Pikachu, may I put this crazy plan into action- even though, chances are, I won't come back?"

Dan nodded, cracking a smile. "Yes, you may. Just don't come back smelling like you do right now. Amy won't even let you in next time."

Richard grinned. "I can't believe she referenced The Princess Bride."

"Yeah. Sometimes, she's kinda cool. You know, for a geeky sister."