Co-Stars: Johnie Chase (Nero); James McGowan (Bradford Koltan); Thomas Mitchell II (Vester); Tony Nappo (Leon)

Originally Aired: 18-Feb-2002; Written by: David Wolkove; Directed by: William Fruet

Synopsis: Cole is really starting to feel the cold now that the seasons have changed and Zin, as usual, is up to something. Is he planning on stealing a Monet from the Chicago Art Museum? Or is there something else he’s after?

This is also the second of the four major Vic episodes, exploring his character and his relationship with Mel.

Note how there are times when Cole’s speaking so smoothly, rapidly and fluently here that it’s clear he’s well on his way to losing his usual pauses and hesitations. Cole listens carefully, he learns and retains things quickly, and he’s willing to learn more. But there’s another factor at work: there comes a point during the learning of a new language (especially when one lives with people who use that language) when everything just "clicks." One hears the words all the time. If something new is learned a connection for it with action, movements, reaction, et al happens immediately or the meaning or usage of the word can be asked about. One begins repeating the phrases heard as soon as it’s figured out what reactions these phrases can or might cause. And suddenly it all comes together and one is able to start chattering away. Thus, Cole demonstrates what he’s learned so far by using everything he’s able to use in the present.

———————————————————————

In the teaser, Nestov is in what looks like a building under construction, waiting for Vester, an Enixian who needs him on Zin’s behalf to procure burglary supplies for a major theft.

Vester: "Hey! Nestov!"

Nestov: "Vester! It’s about time! ... Well! Ain’t we stylish! This Human body looks good on you, Vester! Definitely a modest improvement over your usual appearance!" He laughs.

Vester: "I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor. Too bad."

Nestov: "Look, this isn’t the best place to conduct business so, if you don’t mind..."

Vester: "I like it here. It’s dark. Easy on the eyes."

Nestov: "Wish I could say the same thing about you!" He laughs again. "Just kidding. Just making small talk. Humans call it chit chat. It’s what happens before you get down to..."

Vester: "Shut up ... Here’s what he needs."

Nestov, taking the offered list and moving into the light: "Lock picks ... alarm taps ... hand-held laser torches ... universal cue card bar codes..." He turns back to Vester. "That’s a whole lot of business."

Vester, removing a thick envelope from his jacket: "Five thousand. You get the other half upon delivery ... Tomorrow night."

Nestov: "I don’t want the money."

Vester: "You’re renegotiating?"

Nestov, assuring: "No, no, no, no, no! I just got a better deal! Now check this out ... I give you the gift ... free of charge. Instead of giving me ten grand, you bring me in on the deal, cut me in on some of the piece of the action!"

Vester, turning away: "Forget it! Zin will never agree!"

Nestov, running around to block his way: "Awww! Come on, come on, come on! A job this big? Come on! You’ve gotta use some extra help!"

Vester: "He’s already got the best there is."

Nestov, realizing: "You mean Zareth!?! Oooh! She’s good! Got a magician’s touch! Oooo! So what’s she supposed to make disappear?

Vester: "Why do you want to know?"

Nestov: "I’m just curious. I mean, we’re talking about Zareth here! She’s ... she’s a legend!"

Vester: "Let’s just say that Zin seems to have developed a sudden interest in art."

Nestov: "So ... Zareth’s going to steal a piece of art, huh? Like what ... um ... a painting or something?"

Vester: "What’s with all the questions?"

Nestov: "I’m just making conversation!" He grabs the envelope of money and starts to count it. "Forgive me for taking a little interest in my client’s work!"

Vester, sniffing: "You smell that?" Nestov whiffs his own armpit and shrugs. "These bodies we’re cursed with, they’re actually quite sophisticated." He walks around Nestov, still sniffing. "They even come with a built in lie detector."

Nestov: "You’re losing it, buddy."

Vester: "When Humans lie they ... secrete a particular pheromone ... It’s subtle ... but we Enixians can smell it." He grabs Nestov by the front of the shirt. "You’re a liar, Nestov!" He draws in a deep breath, sniffing some more. "And I can smell it all over you!"

He grabs Nestov in both hands.

Cole, off camera: "Let him go, Vester."

Vester, turning: "Tracker!"

Nestov: "Tracker?"

Cole: "Tracker."

Vester: "No problem!"

He throws Nestov into Cole and makes a run for it.

Cole throws Nestov across the room and into Vester’s back, knocking him down. The Enixian slugs Nestov and keeps running ... right into Cole, who has stepped out from behind some cartons to block his way.

Cole: "Mmmm." And with that he Collects him.

Nestov, coming up as Vester’s host body collapses: "That’s one way to shed some weight!"

———————————————————————

The first scene opens at the Watchfire. Jess is just standing there in shock, the phone to her ear.

Mel, hurrying over: "Jess, I need you to push some drinks ... It’s Last Call, no pun intended." As Jess doesn’t move or acknowledge, Mel takes the phone from her and speaks into the receiver, "She’ll call you back..." To Jess, "There’s no one here..."

Jess: "He hung up five minutes ago."

Mel: "Who?"

Jess: "Ewan."

Mel: "Ewan? ... Ewan Ewan? ... Like your EX Ewan?

Jess, as she follows Mel back behind the bar: "He said leaving me was the worst mistake he’s ever made and he’s miserable without me."

Mel: "Good! He deserves to be miserable!"

Jess: "I know, I know ... I got some bad history with him ... He cheats on me, he dumps me, he breaks my heart ... But..."

Mel: "But you’re not considering going back to him, are you!?"

Jess: "I don’t know ... He might be sending me a plane ticket."

Mel: "What about Gordon?"

Jess, torn between common sense and her heart: "Oh, I don’t know. We’re having some problems lately."

Mel, sensibly: "Well, Jess, every relationship has problems ... but that doesn’t mean you should consider going back to some guy who burned you."

Jess: "I know, but..."

Mel: "Think about it! You couldn’t even stand being in the same country as the guy and now all of a sudden he calls and you’re considering moving back to London for him!?"

Jess: "Whoa! I never said anything about moving back to London!"

Mel: "Okay, good ... What did you say?"

Jess: "Just that ... if he wanted me to consider it, then he’s going to have to prove to me he’s changed, that he’s really serious this time ... I mean ... I am 23 years old! The clock is ticking!"

Mel, bemused: "Honey, your clock hasn’t even wound yet!"

Cole and Nestov come in, arguing as usual.

Nestov: "How is it my fault!?"

Cole: "You should’ve been more subtle. Vester was right to be suspicious."

Nestov: "Look! These sting operations don’t exactly improve my life’s expectancy! ... I mean, I put myself at risk by showing up here with you! Who knows who else hangs out at this bar?! So, if it’s okay by you ... I’d rather not be involved!"

Cole, smug: "No problem. I can end your involvement at any time..."

Nestov, grudgingly: "Point ... taken."

Cole: "Good."

Nestov, angry and frustrated: "I need a drink!" He turns away and heads for the bar. "Scotch! Double!"

Mel, stopping him: "Sure. And ... How will you be paying for that?"

Nestov, annoyed: "Cash!" He yells out to Cole, who’s about to go upstairs, "Cash, Cole! Cash!"

Cole, peeling off a $20 from the $5000 procurement money: "For your trouble."

Nestov: "Twenty!?"

Cole: "Uh huh."

Nestov: "What about the rest!?"

Cole: "It’s not your money."

Nestov: "It’s not yours, either! What are you going to do with it?"

Mel: "We’ll donate it ... to your favorite charity."

Cole, grinning: "There you go!" He pats Nestov on the back. "See?"

Nestov: "I’m my favorite charity!" Cole goes upstairs. "Look at that! Gone! Like the wind!" Disgusted, he goes to sit down at the bar, yelling, "Scotch! Double!"

Jess puts his drink down on the bar and plucks the $20 out of his hand before the words are fully out. Nestov sips, glumly shaking his head.

Mel, sitting down: "Is something wrong?"

Nestov: "You could say that..."

Mel: "What’s up?"

Nestov, morose and bitter: "Well, the fact that ... Zin probably knows I’m helping Cole ... My life is over. That’s what’s up..."

———————————————————————

Mel goes upstairs somewhat later, finding Cole in the kitchen busy making himself a sandwich.

[Note: From the beginning Cole has really liked eating (who can forget the wrapped candy bar and the corncob in the Pilot?). He must have made the preparation of easy food a priority. And he probably eats throughout the day instead of only at three formal meals. He’d have plenty of practice with making sandwiches if that’s the case].

Mel: "So ... Rumor has it Zin’s looking to acquire a piece of art ... Nestov told me what happened."

Cole: "Yeah, he’s using an escaped prisoner named Zareth ... She’s a Desserian. On her home planet ... she’s a master thief."

Mel: "Any idea what she’s supposed to steal?"

Cole: "Well, I cross-referenced all the equipment on Zin’s list .. with every security schematic of every museum and ... gallery in the Chicago area..."

Mel, nodding at his making the basket: "And?"

Cole: "I came up with thirteen possible matches."

Mel: "Any one of them at the top of your list?"

Cole: "Hmmm." He heads back toward the War Room. "The Chicago Art Museum."

Mel, following: "They do have a great collection."

Cole: "Uh huh ... But who’s Monet?"

Mel: "Monet?" She looks at Cole’s computer screen: "Monet ... He was a French Impressionist painter."

Cole: "Well, one of his paintings has been loaned to the Museum from a collection in Paris ... It’s being unveiled at a private function tomorrow night."

Mel: "Nestov said that Zin’s contact needed his equipment by tomorrow."

Cole: "That’s why this Museum is at the top of my list..." A dreamy, happy/sad, faraway look comes over his face as he views the screen image [‘Collector’s Eye featuring Impression Sunrise’]. "Impression Sunrise..."

Mel: "Monet’s most famous work ... Estimated at $50 million dollars."

Cole: "Zin will sell it ... Use the money to finance his operations..."

Mel, noticing the odd way he’s smiling to himself: "Something wrong?"

Cole: "No ... It just reminds me of a place I know..."

Mel: "Home..." Smiling, he turns away. "Do you ... Do you have sunrises ... on your planet?"

Cole: "Oh ... Not the same as here. Cirron’s shape is different than Earth’s ... But the atmosphere! When the sun is in a certain position, the colors are beautiful ..." He shakes himself out of his reverie and takes another bite of his sandwich. "I need to get into that function, Mel."

Mel: "Well, the Museum only invites guests who’ve made ... substantial donations."

Cole: "Uh huh."

Mel: "It would be impossible to get tickets."

Cole: "Uh uh. I found a way."

Mel: "Or not."

Cole, chomping on his sandwich: "Metro Police is allocating the best of their Robbery and Homicide personnel to run the security for the event."

Mel: "Mmm? Robbery and Homicide? That’s..."

Cole: "Your friend Vic."

Mel: "Cole! ... No! Forget it! No way! There’s ... I can’t ask him for tickets!"

[It’s interesting how reluctant she is to do this].

———————————————————————

The next evening at the Chicago Art Museum, Mel and Cole are just stepping off the elevator. Cole looks elegant in a tux and white silk tie. Loved the vest under the tux. Mel is beautiful in an equally elegant blood-red velvet backless evening gown.

Cole, fretfully pulling at his collar: "Do I have to wear this costume?"

Mel: "It’s called a tuxedo."

Cole: "It’s uncomfortable, Mel."

Mel: "Try wearing heels." She turns and hands him her evening bag. "Here."

Cole: "What?"

Mel: "Hold that." She starts fixing his collar and buttons and straightening his tie. "Just try to relax." He looks down at her as she fusses and starts to smile. "What?"

Cole: "You look different."

Mel: "Yeah, well ... You’ve never seen me dressed like this before."

Cole: "It’s nice."

Mel, finishing up: "Everyone at the Gallery is going to be dressed in black tie ... But if you look good, you feel good." A final straightening of his tie and a pat.

Cole: "You make me feel very good."

Mel smiles and blushes, then leads the way into the Main Gallery.

Cole, following, holding out her evening bag: "Mel? Do you want this bag?"

Mel, looking around with approval: "Okay ... Now this is ... nice."

Cole, watching the couples dancing: "Why are they holding each other like that?"

Mel: "You’ve seen people dance before."

Cole: "Well, they don’t dance like that at the Watchfire!"

Mel: "No ... I guess they don’t ... Romantic, huh?" She goes to the desk to pick up a brochure.

Cole looks speculatively back and forth between Mel and the slow dancing couples, then goes up to her: "Mel, I would like to learn how to dance like that."

Mel: "You would?"

Cole: "Yes."

Mel: "Well ... I promise, when this is all over I’ll teach you."

Cole: "Okay."

Mel: "The Monet’s upstairs." They start to walk. "So, how do you find Zareth, exactly?"

Cole: "She’s probably posing as one of these guests."

Mel: "There’s got to be at least 60 or 70 people here!"

Cole: "78, including security and staff."

Mel: "Well, what are you doing talking to me? Go mingle!"

Cole: "Mingle?"

Mel: "Introduce yourself. Converse..."

Cole, cheerfully noticing who’s approaching: "Hello, Vic!"

Vic, reserved: "Hello, Cole."

Cole, to Mel: "It’s Vic!"

Vic, awed: "Mel ... You look..."

Mel, uncertain: "Good?"

Vic: "There isn’t a word in the English language to describe how you look tonight!"

Cole, naively: "Actually, there are several. There’s ‘beautiful,’ ‘pretty,’ ‘attractive’..."

Vic: "Mel..."

Vic, smitten as Mel blushes: "Mel..."

Cole, still happily babbling: "... You look very attractive yourself, Vic."

Vic, giving Cole his ‘who IS this bozo?’ look: "Handsome."

Cole, grinning: "Thank you."

Vic, pointedly ignoring him: "Listen, Mel..."

Cole: "Well ... I’m going to go ... mingle."

Mel, smiling encouragement: "Okay."

Vic: "Enjoy." To Mel, "Wow!"

Mel: "Let’s walk." She takes his arm.

———————————————————————

While Cole walks around the lower level, smiling and saying hello to people, Vic and Mel walk upstairs to the Rishler Gallery on the next level.

Vic: "What’s he doing here?"

Mel: "I invited him."

Vic: "Hmm..."

Mel: "Is that a problem?"

Vic, awkward: "No. No. I just thought that when you called..."

Mel: "What?"

Vic: "Well, I thought you’d be coming alone. That’s all."

Mel: "Well, the invitation said me and a guest."

Vic, reluctantly agreeing: "Yeeees, it did..."

Mel: "Vic ... you didn’t ... think that this was ... a date?"

Vic, even more awkward: "No." Then, "No, of course not. I just thought that we’d spend a little time together. You know. It’s not like we get to see each other all that often." Now becoming embarrassed under Mel’s knowing smile. "Okay. I thought it was a date."

Mel smiles and takes his arm again.

[From this exchange one guesses that Mel and Vic only see each other a few times a month. But Vic likely can’t give their relationship any more time than that without compromising the pace and commitment he’s giving to his job. Mel, however, doesn’t seem at all fazed by how little they now see each other (although that was one of the main reasons she’d broken up with him the last time - ref. "The Beast"). At this point she seems comfortable with their relationship as a sometime thing and likely doesn’t want or need for it to be more than that].

———————————————————————

Downstairs, just as Cole takes a crab leg from a waiter’s tray, he senses an aura and homes in on the new Museum Curator, Bradford Koltan, who is explaining a modern painting to a group of people. A beautiful brunette is hanging on his arm and his every word, gently caressing and stroking him.

Cole stands there and listens, holding the crab leg in front of him like a flower.

Cole, to a young woman standing near him as Koltan finishes his monologue: "Looks like three horizontal lines to me."

Koltan, haughtily walking up to him: "That’s the beauty of Modern Art. Two people can see the same piece. One sees a couple of cans of acrylic and a paint roller; the other sees a masterpiece ... Bradford Koltan, Curator of the Museum ... I don’t think I know you."

Cole, holding out his hand: "I’m Cole."

Koltan, disdainfully looking down at Cole’s hand: "Well, why don’t you have another look ... Cole? You may have missed something."

———————————————————————

In the Rishler Gallery, Mel and Vic are looking at a painting together.

Vic: "I don’t get it. I could do that."

Mel: "An eight-year old could do that!" Vic laughs as they move away from the painting, stopping now to view Monet’s Impression Sunrise. "Now, there’s art I can appreciate!"

Vic: "Ahhh! Isn’t that something special?"

A passing waiter offers them champagne. Mel accepts a flute, but Vic declines with a "No, thank you."

Mel, teasing: "Well, you’re a cheap date."

Vic, teasing back: "No, I’m not ... I’m on duty."

Mel, looking around: "There’s a lot of cops here tonight."

Vic: "Ahhh ... We got a last minute order to double-up security."

Mel: "Why?"

Vic: "Well, we got a tip from an anonymous caller. Guy claims someone’s going to lift the Monet."

———————————————————————

Koltan and his clinging brunette date walk upstairs to the Rishler Gallery, followed by Cole, who finds Mel standing there alone. Vic has just returned to work.

Mel: "I was just talking to Vic. Apparently, the police received a tip that the Monet was going to be stolen ... That’s why the security is so tight."

Cole: "Mmm"

Mel, noticing that he’s playing with one of his gizmos: "What are you doing?"

Cole, explaining: "Before we left I downloaded the guest list. Been running some background checks on some of these people."

Mel: "Find anything?"

Cole: "Uh huh. Bradford Koten, Curator of the Museum." He nods in the direction of the man, who is again holding court around a painting. "I downloaded his personnel file. Seems he started only ten days ago."

[Note: The man had introduced himself to Cole as ‘Koltan’].

Mel: "So, ah, Zareth poses as a curator to get inside?"

Cole: "It would give her access to all security systems, including blueprints and alarm schematics."

Mel: "Well, if it is her, the crowd is buying it."

Cole: "Zareth is a Desserian. She has the innate ability to blend into any situation."

Mel, amused: "Looks like that brunette’s blending into her pretty well."

Meanwhile, the erstwhile caterers are setting up chafing dishes, then standing back. Their leader, Max, is wearing an earpiece and he’s waiting for the go-ahead from two of his men, who are heading down the east stairwell to the Control Room.

Cole, looking around uneasily: "Something is wrong."

[Blooper: Note the brief glimpse of the microphone clipped to the strap of Mel's evening gown].

Mel: "What?"

Max’s two men now have a Museum Security Guard at rifle point and are forcing him to grant them access into the ‘Security - Authorized Personnel Only’ room. They then give Max the signal he’s been waiting for. He gestures to his ‘caterers’, who then pull out guns and rifles from the chafing dishes.

Cole grabs Mel and tries to get them out, but is unsuccessful as the ‘caterers’ take control of the room, forcing the Police and Museum Guards up against a wall and the Museum guests to get down on the floor.

Max, grandstanding and walking toward the Monet: "Claude Monet’s Impression Sunrise, produced in 1873, it marked the beginning of the artist’s atmospheric period ... In fact, this is the painting that would eventually give the Impressionist Movement its name." He turns to his hostages. "Good evening ... I’m here tonight to relieve the Museum of this brilliant work of art."

He then makes it very clear what he expects of his hostage situation.

Max: "To all of you who have paid a ridiculous amount of money to sip champagne and view the wonderful collection ... we apologize for the confusion, but there’s a slight change in agenda tonight. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the situation, here’s how it goes ... Stay on the floor! Keep still! No heroics! For those of you that follow the rules, you’ll have a really good story to tell your family and friends."

———————————————————————

Mel and Cole are whispering together from their place on the floor.

Mel: "Well, I think we can safely say that we found Zareth."

Cole: "I don’t think so..."

Mel: "You don’t think so? Cole, the man is robbing the Museum."

Cole: "That isn’t Zareth..."

Mel: "Then who is she?"

Cole, scanning the people in the room: "None of them. On her home planet Zareth worked alone, kept her exposure to a minimum. This posturing is too aggressive."

Mel: "So, what, these guys just happen to be robbing the Museum on the same night?"

Cole: "With Zareth there are no accidents. Everything’s done for a reason."

Mel: "Well, if it’s not one of these guys ... then where is she?"

Cole: "Notice anyone missing?"

Mel, looking around: "The Curator."

Cole nods.

———————————————————————

In the Security Room, a bald-headed thug is beating Chief Museum Security Guard Nero.

Leon, interrupting the beating: "Now, you know you’re just making this harder on yourself."

Nero: "Look! Look ... it can’t be done!"

Leon: "We know the access is from the hallway somewheres. All we need are the codes. So are you or are you not the Chief Security Guard here?"

Nero: "I am."

Leon: "Well, then, you have the codes. Now do it!"

Nero: "Look! It’s impossible!"

Leon, putting his rifle to Nero’s head: "Well, if that’s true then I have no reason to keep you alive so ..."

Nero, cringing in fear: "No! Look! Listen! Listen! It’s impossible! You can’t disable ... You can’t disable the alarm from this floor!"

Leon, tightly: "What do you mean ‘from this floor’?" When Nero doesn’t respond, he takes out his walkie-talkie. "Max! It’s Leon. We have a problem..."

———————————————————————

In the Rishler Gallery...

Max, into his walkie-talkie: "Well, sort it out yourself!"

Cole, whispering to Mel: "Something’s wrong."

Mel: "What?"

Cole: "The alarm."

Mel: "What about it?"

Cole: "It’s the only thing stopping them from taking the painting off the wall."

Max, yelling into his walkie-talkie: "Ask him in a louder voice!"

Mel: "They’ll just disable it, Cole."

Cole: "But they can’t"

Max, signing off: "I’ll sort it out!"

He marches up to the front of the room by the Monet.

Max: "All right! Which one of you is in charge? ... Come on! Don’t be shy ..." He checks his watch. "If you don’t mind ..." He loads and cocks his gun. "We have a schedule here."

Vic, who has his hands up and is facing a wall along with several uniformed Museum Guards and other tuxedoed hostages, glances back at Mel. She shakes her head ‘no’ but he knows what he has to do. Hands raised, he turns toward Max.

Vic: "I am. I’m heading Security Detail for Metro P.D."

Max: "Name?"

Vic: "Detective Vic Bruno."

Max: "Good! Come with me, Detective Bruno." Vic just glares at him and doesn’t move. "That’s a wonderful Abstract Expressionist work there." He grabs a woman from off the floor and puts his gun to her head. "And I think the contents of this woman’s skull would make a nice addition to the canvas. Don’t you?"

Vic, capitulating: "All right."

Max leads him toward the elevators at gunpoint.

Mel, whispering as Vic is marched past them: "What are they going to do?"

Cole: "We won’t know that until we get out of here, but we can’t draw attention to ourselves. Zareth probably already knows I’m here. As long as she thinks I’m busy, she won’t alter her plans."

Mel: "What about all these people? We have to help them."

Cole: "We can only take care of one problem at once, Mel. Or we’ll be putting these people at risk."

Mel: "So we just sneak out and leave them here?"

Cole: "Oh, we’re not sneaking anywhere..."

Mel, suddenly understanding: "Cole! You’re not leaving me here alone..."

Cole: "You’ll be safer here, Mel. Once I capture Zareth I’ll come back for you and the hostages."

Mel: "But these guys are everywhere ... How are you going to get out of here?"

Cole: "You’ll have to cause a distraction."

Mel: "Right." He touches her arm reassuringly. After a moment she steels herself, takes a deep breath and gets up. "Okay." She heads for the front of the room by the Monet.

Mel, to one of the thugs, doubled over and moaning in pain: "Oh! Ooh! Ooohh! ... Excuse me ... I have this terrible pain in my stomach ... May I please go to the ladies room?" When the thug doesn’t respond she doubles over even more, gasping, then sees that Cole is gone. She straightens up. "Okay ... Guess it’s gone."

She goes to sit down again.

———————————————————————

Meanwhile, Vic has been taken to the Security Room where Nero is.

Nero: "Look, it’s like I say ... All the paintings are on a relay except the Monet."

The bald-headed thug goes to strangle him.

Max, holding up a finger: "Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Relay!"

Vic: "Means they’re together."

Max, snidely: "Thank you, Detective Bruno! I know what the relay is!"

Nero, nearly blubbering: "Via the central alarm! But the Monet’s on a stand-alone! The only way to disable it is through the central security hub."

Max: "Oh? And where’s that?"

Vic: "Just tell him."

Nero: "Sub-basement. Level two."

Leon, showing Max the blueprints they’re working with: "He’s lying! The schematics we have show the Monet’s reached through the central alarm!"

Nero: "Your information is wrong!"

Max, reasonably: "You don’t strike me as Friends of the Arts loving; more the beer-swilling, football-loving type. Now! Do you really want to die over a stupid painting?"

Nero, desperate: "Look! The only way is through the security hub!"

Max: "Suit yourself." He puts his gun to Nero’s head while Nero sobs.

Vic: "Way! Way! Hey! Hold on! Hold on! ... Now, look. I know I’m on the other side here, but it seems to me that killing the one guy who can help you disable the alarm isn’t such a great idea ... You want that painting? You need him to get it."

Max considers.

———————————————————————

Cole, backing up: "Just looking for the bathroom."

He flees around the corner as Max and Leon hasten to the corner after him. Angry, Vic almost gives chase as well, but he’s firmly stopped by Baldy.

Max: "Who was that?"

Leon: "I don’t know. One of the hostages must have gotten away."

Max: "Go have some fun."

Leon: "Right!" And he goes running after Cole.

Max, heading back to Vic, Nero and Baldy: "All right! Let’s go!"

———————————————————————

———————————————————————

Leon is cautiously approaching a corner of the hall as he searches for Cole. He then gets more than he ever bargained for. Cole grabs the barrel of his rifle and knocks him down and out with a single chop, then tosses the rifle away. As he wipes his hands, he gets a practical idea what he can do with his uncomfortable silk tie.

Having bound Leon’s hands with his tie, Cole then hears Max calling over Leon’s the walkie-talkie: "Leon! Leon! Are you there? Did you get him?"

Cole plucks the walkie-talkie from his pocket baitingly answers: "I got him."

Max, screaming in rage into his walkie-talkie: "I want a full search of the building! We have a hostage on the run! I don’t care how you get him, I want you to return him to me! Preferably in PIECES!!"

In the Gallery, Mel hears this pronouncement from the walkie-talkie of one of the thugs and sees several of them going for the elevators.

———————————————————————

Cole now enters the lavish office of ‘B. Kotan, Curator’, finding his body on the floor. He scans him with his hand to verify that the man is dead.

———————————————————————

At the central security hub, Nero opens the box of circuits and wiring.

Max, impatiently: "Let’s go! Get to work! ... If you have any sense of self-preservation, you won’t do anything stupid!"

Vic, gently, to Nero: "It’s okay, Nero. You can do it."

Before Nero can snip any wiring or do anything at all, the alarm goes off, bringing down the security gates.

Nero, terrified: "I swear! It wasn’t me! I didn’t do anything!"

Howling with rage, Max grabs Nero and throws him into a wall. He pulls his gun and, just as he pulls the trigger, Vic bravely moves into the line of fire as a shield and takes the bullet in his left shoulder/upper chest, falling back into Nero’s arms.

———————————————————————

Vic is brought back upstairs to the Gallery to join the rest of the hostages, hissing, gasping and grunting in pain and shock, half carried off the elevator by Nero.

Mel, seeing them and getting to her feet: "Oh my God!" She rushes over. "Vic!"

Nero, as he eases Vic down to the floor: "That bullet was meant for me! He saved my life!"

Mel, jumping up again to desperately plead with the other hostages: "Is there a doctor here? Anyone?"

There isn’t. She kneels down beside Vic.

Mel, to Nero: "We have to put pressure on the wound, stop the bleeding. Get towels, tablecloths ... Whatever you can find!"

Nero hurries off to do as bid.

Vic, gasping: "It wasn’t him."

Mel, not knowing what he’s talking about: "What?"

Vic: "He didn’t set off the alarm!"

Mel: "Then who did?"

Vic: "It was Cole!"

Mel: "What?!"

Vic: "I saw him when they took us downstairs. He must’ve tripped it."

Mel, stammering: "No ... No ... It’s..."

Vic: "He’s trying to be a hero, Mel! He’s going to get us all killed!"

Mel, soothingly, stroking his face: "Shh! Just try to relax, Vic."

———————————————————————

Cole, to himself, in self-annoyance: "Zareth!"

———————————————————————

Striding down another hallway in the Museum’s basement, Zareth allows her wrap-around skirt to drop to the floor. She’s now dressed for work in a black catsuit.

———————————————————————

Mel and Nero gently help Vic to recline with his head elevated above his feet. He’s groaning, hissing and panting the entire time, in a great deal of pain.

Mel, stroking his face: "This should make you feel a little better."

Nero: "Well, what else can I do?"

Mel, still stroking and comforting Vic: "Pray that the cops get here real fast! We need to get him to a hospital."

Max and Baldy then come into the Gallery from the elevator, Max punching in a number on a cell phone.

Max, on the phone: "It’s Max! ... How’s it going? ... Not very well ... Yes! It’s very unfortunate, especially as the alarm schematics that you gave to us are completely wrong! ... You’re the one that set this up and you are the one that’s going to take the fall! I’m sure that the FBI would be very interested to know ... Zin?"

Mel looks up at the mention of the name as Max, angered by Zin having hung up on him, tosses the phone away. Mel looks from the phone to Nero, who shakes his head as if to say, ‘bad idea’.

Max, to one of his goons: "We’ve been set up. We’ve got to get out of here as quickly as we can."

Leaving Nero to look after Vic, Mel scuttles across the floor after the discarded cell phone, snares it and slips beneath the long tablecloth covering one of the buffet tables without being seen. Cautiously, she punches in 911.

———————————————————————

An armed thug is searching a hallway in the basement. Zareth emerges from the wall after he passes around a corner and goes over to the doors of the Museum’s vault, setting her electronic gear in place to open the doors.

———————————————————————

Outside, the arriving police are setting up a perimeter around the building.

———————————————————————

Mel, whispering into the phone: "We’re talking about a cop here, one of Chicago P.D.’s finest."

———————————————————————

SWAT Teams are dispersing onto the roof of the Museum.

———————————————————————

Mel: "Really? Then why aren’t you here?"

———————————————————————

Zareth has gotten the vault doors open and is now inside. She dons special glasses that enable her to see the laser alarm beams and duck around, under and over them.

———————————————————————

In the Curator’s office, Cole is scanning surfaces when his cell phone rings.

Cole: "Mel?"

Mel: "Cole? Where are you?"

Cole: "I’m in the Curator’s office. Get off the phone. It’s not safe."

———————————————————————

In the Museum’s vault, Zareth has begun searching through racks of boxes and crates.

———————————————————————

Mel: "Well, things can’t get much worse down here ... Vic was shot."

Cole, picking up on her high level of stress and terror and realizing that she needs reassurance: "All right. Calm down. How bad is he?"

Cole hears a voice close by saying, "Check these offices! I want him!" and ducks back around a corner.

Mel: "Cole?"

He’s too busy slipping out of the office via another door to answer her.

———————————————————————

Zareth is still searching through the crates and boxes in the vault.

———————————————————————

Mel: "Cole?"

Cole, now out in the hall: "I’m here, Mel. I’m here." He takes off his jacket and tosses it aside.

Mel: "What are you doing?"

Cole, scanning a wall: "Looking for Zareth. I’m getting close."

Mel: "You’re looking in the wrong place."

Cole: "What do you mean?"

———————————————————————

Zareth unpacks a box containing a mounted Egyptian statue of a reclining jackal.

———————————————————————

Mel: "I overheard that guy Max talking on the phone with Zin ... Something about the alarm schematic being wrong." While she’s speaking, Cole has to duck back from a corner to avoid being spotted by the thugs hunting for him. "Cole ... I think Max is Zareth."

Cole: "Max isn’t Zareth."

Mel: "How can you be so sure?"

Cole: "Zareth killed the Curator."

Mel: "I thought you said the Curator was Zareth!"

Cole: "I was wrong. Hold on, Mel."

———————————————————————

Zareth has the jackal statue on a table and is opening its ornate base.

———————————————————————

While Mel is waiting for Cole to get back to her, one of the thugs drops his walkie-talkie and it slides under her table. She cringes back as he gropes for it.

———————————————————————

Meanwhile, Cole ambushes and belts one of the thugs hunting for him, knocking him out cold.

———————————————————————

In the Gallery, the thug has reclaimed his walkie-talkie from beneath the table without spotting Mel.

———————————————————————

Mel: "Cole?"

Cole, as he turns away from the thug he’d decked and starts following Zareth’s Track: "Yes, Mel."

Mel: "So who is Zareth, exactly?"

Cole: "The brunette."

Mel: "The brunette?"

———————————————————————

In the Museum’s vault, sand and a metal cube tumble out of the opened base of the jackal statue.

———————————————————————

Mel: "She was the one playing with the Curator?"

Cole: "Yes. She used his key card to set off the alarm."

Mel: "Why would she set off the alarm?"

Cole: "For the same reason Zin contracted those guys to steal the Monet." He kneels down to sense the floor. "Zin gave them the wrong alarm schematics."

Mel, getting it: "He set them up!"

Cole: "Yes. And he called the police so they would focus on the Monet. But that was just a diversion, a distraction from Zareth’s real objective."

Mel: "So Zin doesn’t even want the Monet?"

Cole, now at the vault doors, is sensing Zareth’s electronic burglary tools: "No!"

———————————————————————

———————————————————————

Mel: "Well, what does he want?"

Cole: "I think I’m about to find out."

He disconnects and slips into the vault, looking around. Not seeing the laser beam trip alarms, he walks into them, not only alerting Zareth with the warning buzzer, but also closing and locking the vault doors behind him.

———————————————————————

While SWAT teams are making their way through the halls, the thugs in the Gallery are gathering the hostages into groups, but they leave Mel alone to tend to Vic. She has Vic’s head cradled in her lap and she’s holding a bloodied towel to his wound.

Max, on his cell phone: "Yes, Lieutenant, this is the man who holds the lives of 50 hostages in his hands so listen carefully. I want a helicopter with a commercial pilot, no police ... When it arrives we’ll release half the hostages. When we’re airborne we’ll release the rest." (He interrupts the conversation to tell his men: "All right! I want half against that wall, and half against that wall!"). "Now! three of these lucky people will be coming with us. They’re our collateral." (Again he interrupts himself to point out specific people: "One, two, three!"). "When we’ve landed and we’re sure that no body is following us, they will be released. You will be notified when and where to pick them up." (Seeing one of his men leading Nero to one of the walls, he again interrupts himself: "Not that one! That one is coming with us!"). "No, this is not a negotiation process. I am calling the shots. Because if you think you’re coming in here ... You’d better bring a lot of body bags!"

He disconnects.

———————————————————————

Vic, reaching up a hand to cover the one Mel’s stroking him with for a moment: "Mel ... Some day, huh?"

Mel: "Next time you’re taking me to a movie."

Mel, gently: "Vic..."

Vic: "... I know you don’t feel the same about me..."

Mel: "Vic..."

Mel: "Vic..."

Mel: "Vic ... Shh. You just need to rest."

Vic: "I just want you to know ... In case something happens."

Mel: "You’re going to be okay ... We’re going to be fine."

———————————————————————

In the Museum’s vault, Cole is trying to locate Zareth, knowing that she’s there but not seeing her, even when she emerges for a moment from the wall. He turns back and forth and is suddenly clobbered in the face with a 2x4, knocking him back and over a table to the floor. He hastily scrambles to his feet, still not seeing her, and starts to defensively back up, sensing that she’s very near.

Zareth, toying with him: "Now this ... is the fun part."

Boxes suddenly come crashing down on top of him from high shelving and Cole dives for a handy dolly, scooting out of the way, then rolling off the dolly through shelving to escape a blizzard of falling boxes and objects. Again he scrambles to his feet, but although all his senses are alert, he still can’t see her.

Zareth, taunting: "I know it sounded like it came from that corner. I’m afraid I move a little fast. I know it’s a slight problem that you can’t actually see me but ... you’re just going to have to do better."

Zareth attacks again, jabbing with a length of pipe. Cole ducks out of its way, grabs the end of it and shoves, knocking the materialized Desserian into caged shelving where she slides to the floor. Pulling out his Collector, Cole then goes for her, but she quickly takes a spray can out of her bag and douses him.

Cole goes rigid and falls to the floor, flat on his back.

Zareth, triumphantly walking round and round him: "You know, the Humans use something called mace. Zin told me about this nitrogen. Produces a nice cold spray that works the same way ... on you! It’s amazing, isn’t it, how our ... alien abilities still work in these Human forms."

Cole, gasping: "Yeah."

Zareth: "You had no idea I was on that wall! You walked ... right by me!"

Cole, still gasping: "That’s not true."

Zareth, holding up the cube to show him: "Three thousand years ... hidden here! Right underneath our noses!" She notices that Cole is struggling to get up. "Oh! It looks like you’re getting your strength back. We can’t have that now, can we?" She sprays him again. "Later, Tracker."

Using a key card to open the vault doors, Zareth then locks him in.

[Although Zareth had Cole incapacitated and flat on the floor, she just leaves him there and doesn’t even try to kill him. This is her enemy, the Tracker, the one who’s determined to send her back to prison, and she doesn’t even try. But then, her mission was to get the artifact for Zin (and to kill Max), not to kill Daggon. She’s cold-blooded and only does what she’s paid to do. And she had to get the heck out of there and does so].

———————————————————————

It’s bedlam as the police SWAT teams are closing in and Max and company are fleeing.

Max: "Okay! Let’s go! Move! Come on! Down the stairs! Fast!"

Vic: "Go on, Mel! Get out of here!"

Mel: "I’m not leaving without you."

Vic: "This may be your only chance! Now go!"

Max: "Get them going!"

Mel: "Shh. You just need to relax."

Max: "Everybody else, we’re taking the service elevator to the roof! Once we’re outside – You, you, you. Take them as well! – Use the hostages as cover! Stick together!"

Baldy then notices a red dot of light playing on his chest.

Max suddenly gets big-eyed, then goes rigid before collapsing. Zareth has just shot him in the back.

Zareth: "Zin wanted to save you the call."

She backs into the elevator and the doors close.

Zareth killed Max so that (a) he wouldn’t be making good on his threat to tell the Feds about Zin in payback for being used and, (b) so that the police can be kept busy arresting his men, providing ample distraction for her to make good her escape.

———————————————————————

Cole is finding that his strength isn’t enough to open the vault doors and even his energies are useless.

———————————————————————

The tossing in of a smoke bomb then announces the arrival of the SWAT teams to the Gallery and they soon have things well in hand. Vic is now on an EMS gurney to be taken to the hospital.

Mel: "These men are going to take care of you. You’re going to be okay."

Vic: "Mel ... about what I said over there..."

Mel: "Vic, don’t worry about it. Just forget it."

Vic, plaintive: "Should we?"

Mel, as they’re wheeling Vic into the elevator: "Go get better. I’ll come see you..."

[In the end Mel will certainly choose Cole (that’s how the Cirronian cookie crumbles), but she’s still torn between the two men in her life. And with Vic getting shot she’ll probably feel a bit guilty, especially because she’s so close to Cole. Vic might now see more of her because when a friend gets hurt, particularly one you have been ‘in love’ with, one tends to stick around to try and see them through it. Then again, it could do the exact opposite. Maybe Mel needs to get away from Vic for a while to face her feelings for Cole. She can’t fool herself much longer ].

———————————————————————

In the vault, in a nod to Highlander fans, Cole uses Zareth’s discarded can of liquid nitrogen to freeze the bars locking the vault door to a brittle degree, then whomps them with a handy katana to get out.

He then pursues after Zareth in hyperspeed.

[Note how he pauses a moment, still in hyperspeed, to give Mel a soft, unknowing caress on her cheek].

Zareth is now in her car, a white sporty model with a black racing stripe over the hood and top. Just as she starts the engine she looks into the rearview mirror to see Cole raising one ironic ‘gotcha’ brow and smiling at her. He then Collects her, reaching over from the back seat.

———————————————————————

Cole returns to Mel, who’s anxiously pacing, waiting for him just outside the Museum’s front entrance. As soon as she sees him she rushes into his arms and they fiercely hug a moment.

Cole: "Are you all right?"

Mel: "I’m fine ... Are you okay?"

Cole, his voice stuttering over the words because he’s shivering, wearing only shirt sleeves and vest by now on this cold winter night: "I’m fine ... It is ... it is a - a little cold. How’s Vic?"

Mel: "He’s in the hospital ... I want to go see him."

Cole: "Let’s go."

———————————————————————

Mel and Cole return to the Watchfire after visiting with Vic. It’s after hours, but Jess is still there, seated at the bar. She’s been waiting for word from Ewan, her boyfriend in London.

Cole: "You heard what the doctor said. Vic is going to be okay."

Mel: "Yeah ... I guess they don’t let you stay unless you’re family ..." She suddenly notices Jess. "Jess?"

They walk over to her.

Jess, as if she’s first realizing they’re there: "Hey! ... What’s with the clothes?"

Cole, stilling rubbing his hands and arms against the chill: "We went to a party."

Jess, looking them over: "Must’ve been a wild one."

Mel: "You have no idea! ... How come you’re still here?"

Cole goes to sit down at the bar and wait.

Jess, indicating the Fed-Ex type of zippered mailer on the bar: "It came this afternoon ... Been trying to work up the courage to open it."

Mel: "It from Ewan?" Jess nods. "And you think it’s...?"

Jess nervously shrugs.

Mel picks up the mailer and starts to unzip it open.

Mel: "There’s something else in here ..." She pulls out a maroon velvet ring box. "You were wondering whether he was serious ... I think the verdict is in..."

She hands the incredulous Jess the box.

Cole is peeking at the item he’s holding in his hand, what he’d taken from Zareth.

Jess: "Oh my God!" She opens the box, finding a folded piece of paper. "It’s not ... It’s a poem." She reads it aloud, "You ask me to declare my intentions to you, to prove that I love you still; Come back to London, my love, and this box in your hand I will fill."

Mel, smiling: "I’m not sure, but I think that was a proposal."

Jess: "Oh my God!" She gathers up her coat and the envelope. "I gotta call him!" She starts to run out, calling back to them, "Good night!"

Mel: "Jess!" She turns back. "I’m really happy for you."

She holds out her arms and Jess comes flying into them for a big hug. Both are laughing.

[Note: In the last episode ("Native Son") Jess sold all of her belongings so she could stay in the U.S., yet here she’s planning on leaving for England to get married. Shouldn’t the writers have waited (at least!) another few episodes to have her get the proposal? It seems a little odd that she would feel so strongly about staying in the States, and then so quickly decide to go back to England].

Jess: "Oh, God!"

She then leaps into Cole’s arms for a quick hug and goes racing out as Mel calls out, "Good night!"

Cole: "She’s very happy."

Mel, noting the cube Cole is holding in his hand: "So, that’s what Zin wanted ... Any idea what it is?"

Cole: "No, but there’s Vardian unit measurements on each of the axes." He holds it out and appears to push a button. A holographic image appears in the air. "Looks like positioning data ... It seems to be encrypted."

Mel: "An encrypt?"

Cole: "It’s a map. An ancient one."

Mel: "A map of what?"

Cole: "It looked like Chicago ... It’s no accident that Zin is here. He wants something."

Mel: "Yeah, but what?"

Cole: "I don’t know. But I intend to find out." He starts to head upstairs, then changes his mind and turns back to Mel with a smile. "But not right now."

He goes over to the jukebox and turns on some music.

Cole: "You promised."

Mel: "Now?"

Cole: "Why not?"

Mel: "Okay."

She removes her coat and walks over to him.

Mel: "Okay ... This hand ... goes here..." She places his right hand around her waist. "I’ll put mine here..." She puts her left hand on his shoulder and holds out her right hand. "And we hold hands over here."

They start to dance.

Mel: "Good ... Okay ... Whoa, whoa ... whoa ... whoa ... Slow down ... Let the music move you ... Listen to the rhythm..."

And then they’re dancing perfectly, Mel’s head snuggling down to his shoulder. He’s a fast learner!

This is as sexy a scene as will ever be seen with both parties fully dressed and one of the most sensual things shown in the series up to this time. The song they were dancing to (written specifically for this scene) was beautiful and so fitting for the two of them and for the moment –

"I just can’t seem to stop holding you, although we are world’s apart ... heart to heart, soul to soul, and how I can’t let go..." – Very poignant!!

And the relationship between Mel and Cole is really developing. He’s not only beginning to view her as a woman (not just as his teacher and mentor), he’s beginning to view himself as a man.

Note: The title of this episode is a word play on the 1955 Hitchcock movie, "To Catch a Thief", which starred Cary Grant as a retired jewel thief.

• Why did Zareth leave the can of liquid nitrogen behind in the vault? Conveniently, it was exactly the thing Cole needed to escape.

• So, is the Museum Curator’s last name Koltan, Koten or Kotan?

• In the Museum, Mel is wearing strappy black heels. Later, when she’s outside in front of the building looking anxiously around for Cole, she’s wearing clunky black boots. It must’ve been cold out there when filming this scene and no one told the cameraperson to shoot only from the knees up.

• The gate is shown down in front of the Monet painting. The alarm doesn’t go off until Nero, the Museum’s Chief of Security, is about to cut the wire. Only then do things begin closing and the gate is then first shown going down in front of the Monet ...