Episode 8486

Extended Summary

Harper and Tane are walking by the beach. Dana isn’t answering her phone. Tane suggests she might have to have her phone turned off if she’s in court and that she would be safe there. He points out that Cash would be at the court but Harper doesn’t want to bother him. Tane tells Archie to listen to his advice more than Dana did.

Cash and Eden arrive back at the Lyrik house: Remi and Kirby have left a Happy Engagement banner, with a handwritten sign adding “Finally” and another pointing to champagne in the fridge. Cash thanks her for running away with him and apologises for being back so soon. Eden suggests blaming the legal system although Cash admits he was the one that wanted the case fast tracked. Eden convinces him to stay there an hour.

Justin returns to the Diner and tells Leah that Theo was happy that he brought the suit over but didn’t want him at court. Leah thinks Lacey’s in his ear. Justin advises her not to play the blame game, saying he made that mistake with Sonny. John picks up on the fact it’s the court case today but is most interested in the fact that Cash and Eden will be back and he can talk wedding plans.

Cash is kissing Eden, who is still in bed, goodbye. The lengthy farewell is cut short when they hear John calling out. Cash goes and finds him having let himself in. Eden emerges, looking a bit muffled, and John produces his “JP Celebrant” folder. Cash says he has to get to work but Eden has all day free. Eden tells John they haven’t set a date yet. John asks her to tell him all about the trip, party and engagement.

Tane finishes off with a class and joins Harper and Archie outside the surf club. Harper invites him to join them at Salt. Cash appears and they congratulate him on the engagement. Harper asks him to ask Dana to call her if he sees her in court. Cash is confused and they explain Dana’s seeing Sonny. Cash wonders how the River Boys know about her. He calls the security team, who confirm they’re on their way and Dana is with them.

Matthias tells Dana someone’s looking for her and Dana complains about Harper having spies everywhere. The vehicle suddenly pulls to a halt; there is a tree branch blocking the path. Matthias and the other guard get out and try to remove it. Sonny is about to give them a hand but Lacey says to stay where he is; there are masked River Boys moving in the bush around them. A large group of River Boys overpower the two bodyguards. Sonny starts to reverse up the road but two other River Boy vehicles block them. A masked Diesel comes over to them, saying he said to keep their mouth shut.

John and Eden walk on the beach with Eden relating what happened and how Gary felt. She also thanks John for always being there for them. Leah and Justin come over and congratulate Eden. Eden doesn’t mind coming back early, thinking it’s for the best that the court case will be over soon. Out in the bush, Dana and Lacey are standing around as the River Boys clear the road. (No-one else is in sight.) Dana recalls Diesel telling her to get Sonny to keep his mouth shut and Lacey suggests she does that about now. The still masked Diesel demands their phones. Dana hands hers over but Lacey says the police took hers at the safe house, challenging him to search her. Another River Boy wants to get going so Diesel tells them to enjoy their walk before they all drive off. Lacey says they need to get back to town. Dana thinks they need to find someone. Lacey says to start walking.

Leah and Justin return to the Diner. Leah isn’t happy that neither of them is with Theo, especially given how things are between them. Justin chats to Alf about how the court case is making some of them stressed. At Salt, Harper is giving Archie a cuddle while Tane tries to reassure her. Eden appears; they congratulate her on the engagement and she meets Archie. Tane recalls how she used to say she wasn’t a wedding person. Eden agrees she’s so uncool but talks about finding their way back to each other. Tane gets a call from Cash and tells Harper that Dana is stranded halfway to Reefton Lakes; Cash is going to get her and he’ll go too.

Dana and Lacey are waiting by the road side. Cash arrives in a police car and they explain the River Boys took Theo, Sonny and the security guards. They didn’t see any faces, although Lacey did see a tattoo, and only have a vague idea of the direction they went in. Tane also arrives and greets Dana. Cash wants to get statements. Lacey tells him she left her phone in the van so they can trace it.

Shortly after, at the police station, Cash tries to arrange the trace but tells Lacey the phone seems to be in an area with no reception. He is trying to get the court case delayed. Lacey admits she doesn’t know anything about the River Boys’ hideouts and worries about what will be done to Theo and Sonny to stop them testifying.

Harper is telling Archie not to take dating advice from Dana. Eden says Sonny’s not a bad person and Harper replies that he’s mixed up with them. Eden hasn’t been able to get hold of Theo, Sonny or Cash. Tane arrives with Dana, who is worried about Theo given he’s just out of hospital. Eden wonders if anyone has told Justin and Leah and decides she’ll do it.

Near the coffee cart, Leah chats to John and Justin about it, wondering if Cash will give them regular updates. Eden appears and asks to speak to Leah and Justin in private. They wonder if Gage has been released and Eden says not yet, explaining that there was an ambush, Theo and Sonny are missing and Lacey is helping the police.

Cash finishes a phone call and tells Lacey the magistrate might decide to go ahead with just the written evidence. He says witnesses pull out all the time, pointing out Lacey did it herself. She says she has been let down by the police in the past. Cash doesn’t look confident of Gage being convicted on written evidence. Meanwhile, the van is abandoned in the bush, Lacey’s phone inside and Theo slumped in front of it.

Cash gets a text saying the trial hasn’t been delayed. Lacey asks if she can still testify. Cash isn’t sure but makes a phone call. Meanwhile, Theo comes round and hears someone coming, who turns out to be Sonny. He doesn’t know where the security guards are. Theo says he was punched a few times to remind him where the stitches are. Sonny fetches his painkillers and some water but says they’d better ration it: They were driving for an hour and don’t know where the main road is, and are basically waiting for someone to find them… if they do.