"We'll take her out by light plane about ten miles outside the city." " Are all arrangements set?" " Yeah." "Now, the prison where they're holding Caress is here, just outside Caracas." "These are plans of the place." "Caress' cell is this one." "My little daughter's restless tonight but Krystle's with her." "Now what are all these little shacks that are around the prison?" "That's where squatters live, and where my contact, Saumell, has infiltrated, here." "Now, I've used him before." "He's come through." "He's already bribed a guard and I have access to the prison grounds as soon as I get there." " You mean as soon as we get there." " No way." "I gotta keep you out of this one, Blake." "Now listen to me, damn it." "That was my idea to begin with." "And when Caress wrote, she wrote to me for help." "Blake, look, I need you here, in case of an emergency, to fly to Washington if there's a snag, to line up reinforcements if we need them." "Meanwhile, this is our work." "We know what we're doing." " Who is going with you?" " Clay Fallmont." "He's an explosives expert." "I need him." "Explosives?" "That's out of the question." "There must be a better way." "There must be somebody I can talk to down there." "You've tried that." "You've tried every reasonable approach." "This is our last option." " When do you leave?" " Tomorrow morning." "First thing." "Look, Blake, I know what's happening." "You're going after your brother, Ben, and that one I share." "He's ruining Alexis' life and I wanna go after him too." "But if I bring Caress back, she'll be used to get Ben, not Alexis." " Do we have a deal?" " You love her that much?" "Yes." "All right." "It's a deal." " Krystle." " Dex." " I was just leaving." "Good night." " Good night." "Kristina's finally asleep." "You look tired." "Come to bed, darling." "Could you hear what we were talking about in here?" " In these small quarters?" "Of course." " What do you think?" "Well, I think Dex is right." "He and Clay are experts at this." " And, well, you're more valuable here." " But, Krystle, you know me." "You know I don't like other people fighting my battles for me, and this is my battle." "Blake, this is Dex's battle too." "Besides, this is what he does best." "You must let him do it." " What is this place?" " Ne still, senorita." "Why are you putting me here?" "Answer me!" "Why are you putting me here?" "Please." "No questions." "Silencio!" "Please." "Somebody, help me, please." "Please." "No." "I've done nothing." "Please." "I've done nothing." "Yes, I do know that Mr. Dexter is gone." "But did he tell anybody where he was going and when he'll be back?" "All right, well, have him call me as soon as you hear from him." "Thank you." "Don't worry, Alexis." "Your faithful lover is probably out somewhere, playing." "I don't wish to discuss Dex with you." "Have you heard anything about Blake?" "I'm still working on it." " It's late." "What do you want?" " In a word?" "Absolution." "For your sins?" "That's like Nero saying, "l didn't mean to play with the matches."" "Well, I didn't mean to threaten you in order to keep our relationship alive." " I do regret that." " Do you?" "I'm serious about this, Alexis." "Wanting us to be together because I know you want that too." "You're wrong, Ben." "I want nothing from you." "I'm not talking about sex." " I'm talking about business." " What sort of business?" "You need a consort." "You're hounded by fortune hunters." "I'll keep them away from you." "I'll be your loyal consort." "And, unlike Dex, I won't try to pull you away from the world and power." "Because if I know anything about you, that's where your happiness lies." "To be a power player, to be reckoned with." " I already am." " Oh, in Denver." "In Colorado." "Maybe even in this country." "But I'm talking about the world, Alexis." "Tell me something, Ben, where does your happiness lie, hmm?" "Being near you." "Damn it, Alexis, you know what this is about." "I love you." "God help me, but I love you." "And what I want, I want for you." "So, what do you say?" "I don't love you, Ben." "But if you can accept that, then your idea intrigues me and I'll consider it." "Is that a promise?" "It's a maybe." "I'll accept that for now." "You'll pay for your threats, Ben." "That's my promise." " Well, this is a first." " What?" "My getting up before you?" " And practically at dawn." " Ha, ha." "What's the matter, didn't you enjoy your sleep last night?" "Well, what there was of it was terrific." "I gotta leave." "I gotta go somewhere." " For how long?" " Couple days." "Where?" "Well, that is a big, dark secret." "Sammy Jo, I'm sorry, I can't tell you, and I don't wanna lie." " So let's just leave it at that, okay?" " I don't want you to go, Clay." "I like it here." "But I don't live here." "And I do have a life of my own." "I was beginning to think I was a part of your life." " Sweetheart, you are." " Then why all the mystery?" "Why couldn't you tell me about this last night?" "Because I had other things on my mind." "Like you." "Sammy Jo, you're tense." "You know, you've been very tense the past few days, Sammy Jo." "There's more to this, isn't there?" "No." "I'm just not used to your creeping out of bed on me." " Oh, is that it?" " Yup." "Okay." "You don't wanna tell me, I have more important things to do, so I'll come back when you're ready to get to the bottom of this." "I thought we were going out for lunch." "Well, no, uh, ha, ha." "It's much too early for lunch." " Whose suite is this, Adam?" " Oh." "It belongs to a very nice guy you just happen to know." "Hmm?" "His name is Carrington." "Adam Alexander Carrington." "Really?" "I though he lived at the mansion." "Well, he does." "But he couldn't very well take you there, could he?" "Not with your evil ex-boss, Ben, lurking around." "Anyway, I think every grown man needs a place he can call his own." "A pied-a-terre to take all your girlfriends to?" "I gather that you wouldn't like that, not in the plural." "Ha, ha, not particularly, no." "It wouldn't make me feel special." "It would make me feel used" "Dana, Dana, Dana." "You're the first woman I've ever brought here." "In fact, the reason for all this is you." "Do you really mean that?" "I do." "Oh, I do." "Why don't we, uh, take the afternoon off from work?" "Play a little hookey." "Thank you." "Ahem." "Thank you." "I could tell on the phone there was something bothering you." "What is it?" "I haven't been myself these days." "It was the same way with Danny." "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" "I'm pregnant." "Clay's the father." "And I'm scared of what he'll say when he finds out." "I love him so much, Aunt Krystle." "I've never loved a man this much." "Well, he can't help but love you." "I'm not so sure." "The only thing I'm sure about right now is that I have a chance to do something right." "Because I have all the money in the world." "I'm gonna keep this baby." "And I'm not gonna let anyone take him from me." "I just want it to be me, the baby and Clay." " When's the baby due?" " I'm not sure." "Home pregnancy tests only tell you so much." "You should see a doctor." "Those home pregnancy tests aren't 100 percent accurate." "Well, physically, I feel the same way I did with Danny." "I missed my period." "And the test came up positive." "Okay, I'll see a doctor." " But as far as Clay is concerned" " One thing at a time, all right?" "All right." "Do you mind?" "I'm cold." "You could have fooled me." "Maybe it's just my sneaky way of wanting to stay close to you for as long as possible." " In fact, you know what I wish?" " What?" "I wish we were up north tonight." "That it's the middle of winter, there'd just been a huge Montana blizzard, and you'd have to hold me in your arms like this until we were rescued." "Is something the matter?" "That's the second time in the past few days that you've talked about Montana." "The first time you were even more specific." "You mentioned Billings." "What do you know about the place?" "That you grew up there before you came to Denver." " It was in all the newspapers." " What else?" "There's more, isn't there?" "It's where I was born." "Where I grew up too." "Where I went to the same high school as you." " I don't remember you." " Of course not." "I was Dana Waring, long straight hair and hand-me-down clothes." "A girl who had a dream that one day you would notice me," "look at me, maybe smile." "Because I was desperately in love with you." "I followed you here to Denver." "I got a job in your father's company just so that I might be able to see you." "So that in some strange way, I might be near you again." "Dana, come here." " Do you know what I wish?" " Hmm?" "That we'd found each other sooner." "A lot sooner." " Swear that to me, Adam." " I swear." "On my life." "Now you've got to swear to help me in my fight against Ben." "I can only win it with specific information from my father's private files." "You can get that information for me." "If you're worried about Blake, no harm will come to him because of this." "I can promise you that." "So will you help me," "Dana?" "Hello?" "Oh, yes, Dex, just a minute." " Yes, Dex." "How's it going?" " Blake, everything's fine." "Clay and I met with Saumell." "Now, they've moved Caress to Solitary." "But he knows exactly where she is." "We're hitting the place tomorrow night." "Hitting the place?" "Look, are you sure that there's nothing I can do to help?" "Look, Blake, I know what's eating you." "You still wish we could have found some other way to handle this." "Only we can't." " Now just wish us good luck instead." " Yeah." "Yes, you know I" "Just be careful, will you?" "All right." "Good luck." "Blake calls it The Crater." "It was willed to him by his mother." "It's a large tract of land near Ramsen." "And it's not oil." " Well, what is it?" " Natural gas." " What do you think of that?" " It's obvious now." "The pieces all fit." "Carrington's been going around town, trying desperately to get backing for something that he feels has this enormous potential." "And your Lex-Dex partner, Mrs. Colby, is probably in on this." "Dex?" " What's he got to do with it?" " Who knows?" "But, uh, he was seen coming out of the Carrington suite at the Carlton." "Two nights ago." "I want you to finish Blake off." "I want you to do everything you can to ensure that any of his potential backers will lock their doors on him." "Picture him as a loser trying to promote a scheme that is absolutely worthless." "We're that confident about the success of this thing." "It looks to me like you have good reason to be confident." "Now let's talk money." "How much is this going to cost?" "Fifty million." "And I'm thinking about a consortium of investors." "Well, that sounds good." "We shouldn't have any trouble." "We never have had in the past." "So let me round up my board and then get back to you." "Good." "We're looking forward to hearing from you, Walt." "By the way, you do understand that this has to be kept strictly confidential." "Oh, of course I do." "My people wouldn't want word of this to leak out any more than you would, old friend." "Well, all in all you're in excellent shape, Miss Reece." "Great." "I want this baby to be the healthiest, most beautiful in the world." " I wanna do everything right." " Good." "Then why don't we start by establishing that you are pregnant." "I'm sure that you and the father want that." "Yes." "But if you're talking about a test, I don't need another one." "Oh, we need something more sensitive than a home test." "I'm gonna set up an appointment for you." " Tomorrow?" "Two o'clock?" " Mm-hm." "Okay." "At the lab for a beta quantitative." "It's the most accurate." " Here's the address." " Thank you." "I want to do everything right." "This baby is very special to me." " Good." "You can get dressed now." " Oh." " Do you mean it, Mommy?" " Mm-hm." "In a little while you're gonna have a baby brother or sister." " Can I stay and play with it?" " We'll have a lot of fun together." "But for right now, this has to be our little secret, okay?" "What has to be a secret?" "Daddy." " Daddy, I'm having a baby." " Oh, you're having a baby, are you?" " Where's Nanny?" " In her room." "Okay." "Well, why don't you go ask her to take you to the park, and then we'll have some supper, okay?" " Okay." " All right." "Am I supposed to guess who the daddy is?" "I think you know." "And I haven't told Clay yet, if that's what you were gonna ask next." "But I love him and I want his baby." " I also want..." " What?" "Go on." "You want what?" "Danny." "He's so unhappy here." "You know that." "It's a new situation for him." "He's having a little bit of trouble adjusting." "He'll be fine." "Face it, Steven." "He'd be fine if he was with me at the ranch where he belongs." "Not cooped up in this apartment." "You're never going to have him, Sammy Jo." "Don't be so sure." "If I marry Clay Fallmont, there isn't a court in this state, or this country, that's gonna keep my son from me." "Blake." " I've been looking for you." " Oh, have you?" "Where's Dex?" "Look, Blake, I know you're working on something together." "He was with you the other night and he's disappeared." "He hasn't contacted me since." " He will contact you." " How do you know?" "When?" "Blake, if he's involved in something dangerous," " I want to know about it." " I'm sorry, I can't help." "You mean you won't help me." "Look, I love him, and I'm worried about him." "Surely, even you can understand that." "I could understand it if it was anyone else." "I don't believe you could love anyone with the possible exception of your children." "Blake, I am so tired of fighting with you." "All I know is that Dex is involved in something dangerous." "Yeah." "Maybe." "But you're not helping any by coming here and asking questions." "You know, if you had acted like a human being tonight," "I was going to do you a very big favour." " But now, forget it." " It's forgotten." "Besides, I've managed to do well without favours from you." "Really?" "Well, think about that when you see my newspaper tomorrow." "And if anything happens to Dex, you'll regret it." "Caress." "Caress." "It's Dex." "I've come to take you out of here." "You're going to do what, senor?" "Don't go for your gun." " Look, amigo" " Don't move." "Don't talk." "All right, let's go." "We blew a hole in the wall." "We can get out that way." "Let's go." "Come on." "Come on!" "Move it." "What is it, darling?" "Something wrong?" "It's the Denver Mirror again." ""Some dinosaurs never die."" "Alexis wins one round, I win the next one, then she counterattacks." "When is all this going to end?" "When you and I do what she wants." "Pack up and leave Denver." "Except we're not going to." "And we're gonna get back everything she's taken." "You bet we will." "And, meanwhile, this dinosaur still has you." "I'm very grateful for that." "You'll never know how much." "I do know." "You have a lovely way of showing me, over and over." " Don't ever stop." " I won't." "How can l?" "Now about this." "I didn't take this public relations job just to brush up on my typing." "The public's gotta know the truth about this Crater, and I'm gonna get it out there one way or another." "Then everyone will believe you and not this filth." " How about that?" " Ha, ha, wonderful." "In the meantime, I've got this meeting with Walt Tyson this morning." "We're old friends, you know." "It looks pretty good about getting that financing we need." "Do you think these headlines will effect it in any way?" "I don't think so." "I feel very good about this one." "I'm sorry." "I'm real sorry, Blake, but the deal's off." "Well, go on, say it." "You believe Alexis Colby, you don't believe me." "Blake, if it were up to me and only me, I'd be 100 percent behind you." "I know, I know." "You've got investors to answer to." " That's right." "And a board." " Well, I'd like to talk to them." "I'd like to answer their questions." "I'd like to tell them what the facts really are." "But you're not gonna do that, you're not gonna give me a chance, are you?" "I can't." "There's nothing I can do, Blake." "I'm sorry." "I'm still gonna fight this, Walt." "You can tell all those people around that Blake Carrington's not caving in." "That he's gonna keep fighting." "Do you understand that?" "I'm not going to." " Do you really blame him, Dad?" " What?" "Everybody's wary, nervous." "Business is tight." "Don't tell me you think that I'm gonna roll over and play dead too?" "No, of course not, but we've gotta know that what Tyson just said in here is what they're saying in the boardroom of every firm we've contacted." "Yes?" "Yes, Nick." "What is it?" "Well, now look" "No." "Now, don't do anything." "I'll meet you out there." "Wait for me, do you understand?" "Wait." "Nick." "I saw the Denver Mirror this morning." "So did every man, woman and child in Denver." "Is that why you want out?" "Look, I'm as teed-off about this garbage as you are, Blake." "But we Kimballs have always been realists." "You know my father was." "I am too." "Let me get this straight." "Are you suggesting that I drop this whole Crater project?" "Is that what you mean by being realistic?" "No." "I just hate funerals." "Now, Nick, you read the geological reports." "They're right on the money." "But they're talking about what's under the ground." "We're on top, with no way to get down there." "We'll find a way to get down there." "Now, I believe in this." "I'd stake my life on it." "I tell you, there's something..." "There's something very special about this land." "It's as if it were a part of my destiny." "I can't just push it aside, I can't turn away from it." "I can't." "All right." "I'll stay on." " Good." "Good, I'm glad." " For now, Blake." "I'm flattered you brought this material yourself, Mrs. Carrington." "Well, I wanted to see you in person, Mr. Wales." " Why, to give me hell?" " No." "To tell you that I used to respect you as a reporter, and I'm hoping that I can respect you again." "You see, everything that you've written about The Crater so far is fiction." "And I suppose this is the truth." "The truth according to whom?" "Blake Carrington and his wife?" "The good wife who's trying to cover up her husband's terrible lies." "I want to congratulate you, Gordon, on this morning's article in the paper." "You keep this up, you'll be getting the Pulitzer Prize for journalism." "Journalism." "Good, honest reporting." "I'm sure that has a special meaning for you, Mr. Wales." "How do you feel about her trampling on it?" "Don't answer her." "I don't like you coming to my office." "I also don't like you coming into this building, so, please, don't do it again." "You didn't answer my question." "Isn't journalism a respectable profession that this woman is defiling?" "I'm not gonna get involved in an argument between the two of you." "Strange." "The Gordon Wales I remember used to get involved in everything." "I'm afraid she's corrupted you, just like she corrupts everything she touches." "Krystle, I think you better leave this office before I have you thrown out." "What, and give you another juicy headline for your rag?" "Oh, I'm leaving, Alexis." "But you're not through hearing from me." "What do you want here, Ben?" " It's a nice day." "I thought I'd take a drive." "And along the way it occurred to me, why don't I go out and see what my brother's secret project's all about?" "I don't know how you found out about this." "But I do know you must have pulled another one of your dirty tricks, getting Alexis to print that story in this morning's paper." "Come on, Blake." "You should know Alexis better than that." "Nobody gets her to do anything." "She just does it." "So this is what the secrecy's all about." "The land Mama left you." "I still don't know why she gave it to you and not to me." "She gave it to me because she knew that I wouldn't gamble it away." "She knew what she doing, Ben." "She knew you." "No, she didn't." "Because you always made sure to turn her against me so she'd never love anyone but you." "You're wrong." "She did love you." "She knew your weaknesses but she was a forgiving woman." "As forgiving as she was beautiful." "She would even have forgiven you for letting her die in that fire." "But I won't." "You're gonna settle the score, is that it?" "That's it." "My score and hers." "How, Blake?" "I'm curious." "Exactly how?" "Why don't you wait and read about it in the newspaper?" " Welcome to the Carlton Hotel." " It's so very good to be here." "In fact, you could say I'm here with a vengeance." "Oh, Dex." "Dex, where have you been?" "What happened to your arm?" " It's nothing." " Well, have you seen a doctor?" "It's nothing." "Just a scratch." "We'll talk about it some other time." "Blake had something to do with this, didn't he?" "I don't wanna talk about Blake or anybody else right now." " I wanna talk about it now." " I don't." "And are you gonna tell me where you've been?" "What's important is where I am now and who I am with right now." " Yes?" "Who is it?" "Blake." "May I come in?" "Yes, of course." "Will one of you please let him in?" "Oh, thank you." " Hello, Caress." " Hello, Blake." "We're all finished here." "I just, uh, sign for the tip." "It's good to see you." "Welcome home." "Oh, it's wonderful to be here." " Will you have some champagne?" " No, no, thank you." "Oh, by the way, I've ordered a few things from the hotel boutique, and put them on your tab." "I hope you don't mind." "But, well, I felt like celebrating." "I can understand it after what you've been through." "By the way, I've asked somebody from the DA's office to meet us here at the hotel." "Is that all right?" "Why, yes, of course." "I shall be ready." "Blake." "I want you to know I shall never forget what you've done for me." "No, you were my only chance and you made it happen." "This miracle, my being free again." "Somehow, some way I knew that if it ever did happen, you would be the one to make it possible." "I suppose I trusted you." "I always have." "Thank you." "That's very nice to hear." "I trusted another man once." "The results were a whole lot different." "Zach Powers." " You know him?" " Oh, yes, indeed I do." "You don't seem enthusiastic about him." "I'm far from that." "Ah." "So you do know him then." "Rich and powerful." "But a man who can be so totally cruel." "You helped me." "He put me in that stinking jail in the first place." "And left me there to rot." "Zach Powers has never helped anybody but himself." "Caress, that's all in the past." "We have to start thinking now about the future." "Getting even with Ben." "Oh, yes." "We'll get brother Ben all right." " I'm glad you came back." " I'm glad I am back." "Oh, I mean here." "You were pretty angry when you left the other day." "Yeah, I guess I was." "But this is another day." "You know, Blake Carrington is very special to me." "If I knew you were doing something to help him, I would have understood." "And not been worried?" "Of course I would have been worried." "You might have been in trouble." "Or because I might have been having more fun with someone else?" " You're terrible." " You didn't say that five minutes ago." "If you think you can have more fun with someone else, feel free." "You know, I might take you up on that." "I mean, there must be more than one fair damsel who'd at least give me a tumble." "Who knows?" "With luck, maybe even three or four." " What are you doing?" " I have an appointment." " With whom?" " I'll tell you about it later." "I'm late as it is." "Sammy Jo, I'm a hero." "You're not walking out on my parade, are you?" "Let those other damsels throw the confetti and play the trombones." "I gotta get going." "Listen, Sammy Jo, I'm sorry." "I didn't mean it about another girl." "And as far as the mission goes, they swore me to secrecy." "If other people's lives weren't involved, I would have told you everything." " You gotta believe that." " Maybe I do." " Well, that's better than a no." " It wasn't a yes." " Sammy Jo." " What?" "You're looking at one very lonely hero." "So that's her story, Mr. Ferguson." "Miss Morell was kidnapped by my brother, he caused her to be illegally imprisoned in Caracas." "It's as clear-cut as that." "May I ask you why you're bringing this to my attention?" "Well, you're the assistant district attorney, aren't you?" "At my trial you made a big point about how interested you are in justice." "Well, this is your chance to prove it." "Mr. Carrington, I am interested in justice." "But you apparently want revenge." "How many years did you spend in prison?" "Five." "Five horrible years." "The charge, Miss Morell?" "Murder." "But I was not guilty." "I suppose you were railroaded, that it was a miscarriage of justice." "Well, yes, it was." "How did you get out of prison the first time?" " My sentence was commuted." " I see." "Why, and by whom?" " Well, I'd written a book" " About your sister, Alexis Colby." "Go on." "The people who were going to publish it intervened on my behalf." "In other words, they supplied the money to get you out." "Look, I don't know any of the details." "Only that I was ecstatic to be out." "Now you're asking the District Attorney's Office to believe that Benjamin Carrington kidnapped you, somehow managed to fly you to Venezuela and had you put into prison." "All this when there's no record that any of it took place." "But my word is your record." "Heh." "Don't you think it's strange... that we haven't received word of your escape?" "Mr. Ferguson, you haven't received word because there are no records that Miss Morell was there." "Don't you think that's odd?" "Venezuela usually cooperates with the United States in criminal cases." "Like other countries, including the United States," "Venezuela has its share of corrupt officials." "Miss Morell was being illegally held there by one of them." "All right." "Who got her out?" "I can't tell you that unless you agree to grant immunity to the people involved." "Immunity?" "On the basis of what I've heard here?" "Heh, you have to be joking, Mr. Carrington." "Do you have any proof to back up any of this?" " I am the proof." " I'm sorry, that's not enough." "Are you saying that Miss Morell doesn't have a case?" "That's what I'm saying." "What you have is the word of a woman who is a convicted murderess, against the word of your brother, who happens to be a respected man in this community." "When you have hard facts, get in touch with me." "Until then, please don't waste my time." "I thought with Caress' help that I'd get Ben." "Looks like he's beaten me once again." "Well, just because the District Attorney's Office won't help doesn't mean it's over." "And you still have this land." "You know, I was out here this morning." "Ben drove up." "We went at one another, as always." "Sometime later I thought to myself, "Why did it have to come to this?"" "Two brothers." "It could have been so different between us." "When we were kids, he used to follow me around like a little puppy." "I taught him how to throw a good curve ball." "How to bait a hook." "He was the proudest kid in the whole state of Colorado the day he caught his first fish." "And he hugged me." "And he said, "l love you, Blake."" "Now today he's helping to destroy me." "How did it happen?" "Blake, please, don't let him do this to you." "Don't worry darling." "He won't, no." "And you're right." "I still have the land." "And the answer is here." "And I'm gonna make it work." "I don't know how yet." "I'll find a way." "Mm." " Michael." " Himself." "Hi." " I thought you'd gone out of town." " I did for a few days." "Flew down to New Orleans on some business." "I have missed the heck out of you." " Let's go." " I can't." "If you're worried about your father, he can't fire me again." "It has nothing to do with the other night." "I'm busy." "But it does have to do with Blake Carrington." "Those charges against him in the Mirror, right?" " How'd you know?" " I'm brilliant." "Amanda, your father's going to need more than answers." "He's gonna need money." " He'll get it." " But when?" "He needs it fast." "Maybe I can help." "Exactly how much is it going to take for him to go ahead with his project?" "I see." "You're very rich." "Heh." "In passion, yes." "Mm, in money?" "Maybe." "You're not really a chauffeur." "Driving's just my cover." "That's very good, Amanda." "Well, now, tell me." "How much?" "Fifty million dollars." "Do you think you can raise it?" "Who knows?" "I mean, anything's possible, right?" "I wanna make a person-to-person call to Los Angeles." "Zach Powers." "Number is area code 213-555-7642." "Thank you." "Zach." "Michael Culhane." "No, I'm not in L.A. I'm in Denver." "You owe me one, Zach, and I'm calling in my marker." "I need you here, and I need you now."