Behind a chain link fence at night, Susan grasps EJ's hand. Her other hand stretches back toward a scowling Ava.
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI
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Sarah drops by the Kiriakis mansion to give Maggie an anniversary gift. Maggie shares how worried she is about Bonnie. Considering Xander was there for the dinner, Sarah wonders where he is now.

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After Alex and Justin find Bonnie tied up alone in the garden shed, they bring her to the mansion. Sarah checks her out, and Maggie brings her tea to soothe her nerves. Bonnie thinks a Long Island Iced Tea would work better, and Alex gets on it. Rafe shows up to question Bonnie, who can only describe the clown mask and blue business suit her captor was wearing. She adds that his build was more like a circus strongman than a clown.

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In the Kiriakis mansion, a grimacing Bonnie sits on the couch, surrounded by Justin, Alex, Sarah and Maggie.

Alone, Justin holds Bonnie as she successfully dulls her nerves with her Long Island iced tea. Justin declares he makes this clown very sorry he ever laid a finger on his wife. Bonnie assures him she’s okay. In fact, she’s more worried about Susan. Justin is confident Rafe will find her and bring her home safely.

On a dark road, Susan’s incessant chattering makes Xander crazy as he drives her in a rental car. When she asks where they’re going, he says he’s taking her home.

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Ava and Charlie argue in the crypt.

In the crypt, Charlie urges Ava to kill Susan in order to become the Vitali she is destined to be again — and also to stick it to EJ. Xander bursts in with Susan, who isn’t happy the clown lied. Privately, Ava yells at Xander for bringing Susan there. However, she gets an idea. While she goes to get the money from EJ, Xander will stay behind to kill Susan. Xander didn’t sign up for that, but Ava declares they need to take something from EJ he can’t replace. Xander thinks she’s lost it and tells Susan he’s taking her home. Ava whips off his mask, and Susan gapes.

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Ava pulls the clown mask off Xander's wincing face.

Ava tells Xander he has no choice now but to do what needs to be done. She hands Xander a gun and leaves to meet EJ. Susan begs Xander not to do this. Through tears, she promises not to tell anyone he was involved. Not even her sweet Elvis. Xander apologizes, but the stakes are too high now. Sarah will never understand this, so he has to do this for her. Susan again promises not to tell, but Xander knows Ava might if he doesn’t do what she wants. He points the gun at Susan.

At the DiMera mansion, EJ assures Tony he’ll do whatever Ava wants to ensure the safe return of his mother. He spoke to his banker, and the funds are in place. However, there’s one more thing he needs to deal with… Ava Vitali. He cocks a gun, revealing Ava texted him to meet at the airfield. He assures his worried brother the gun is just for backup, as a last resort.

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At the airstrip at night, EJ scowls at Ava.

At the motel, a towel-clad Xander says aloud to himself that his shower didn’t help wash away the guilt.

Rafe comes to the DiMera mansion, wondering where the hell EJ is. Tony informs him he’s on the way to the airstrip to make the exchange with Ava.

Ava meets EJ at the airfield and demands he transfer the money, or else her associate will put a bullet in his mother’s head. When EJ complies, Ava says she’ll release Susan’s body to him. EJ’s face contorts as she declares, “Your dear old mommy is dead.” EJ pulls out his gun and threatens that Ava’s next. She spreads her arms inviting him to pull the trigger. She will gladly go to her grave knowing that she beat him. EJ scrunches his face and tenses, as Susan races in front of Ava.

In the motel, Xander recalls allowing Susan to pray. On her knees, she asked God to forgive Xander. He lowered the gun and let her go. In the present, Xander worries Susan’s telling the whole world what he did. Sarah returns and tells Xander about a blue-suited clown kidnapping Susan and Bonnie. He glances at his suit draped over the chair and says he has to tell her something.

At the airfield, Susan orders EJ to put down the gun, as Ava grabs Susan with her own gun. A seething EJ is forced to watch Ava drag Susan to her car and drive away.

When Rafe arrives to the airfield, he only finds Susan’s yellow ski hat.

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At night, Rafe holds his phone to his ear in front of the Salem Airfield sign.

Ava drives Susan around a mountain bend. Fog drifts, and the road looks slick as EJ follows behind them. Charlie appears in the passenger seat to taunt Ava. He tells her she can still hurt EJ. “You know what you have to do,” he says. An emotional Ava turns the wheel hard, and the car skids. From his car, EJ shouts, “What the hell is she doing?!”

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At night, a grave faced EJ grips his car's steering wheel.

Next on Days of Our Lives: Li orders Rolf to deal with Wendy and Johnny, and Xander grapples with confessing.

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