Janel's phone rang. Since she didn't have anything better to do, she answered it. "'Lo?"

"Help!"

"Linds? Hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm being held hostage!"

Janel sat bolt upright. "What? Where? How much ass do I have to kick?"

"New York. Maybe heading to Chicago. Definitely Uncasville in the end, though."

"Well, yeah, kinda knew that. So who's holding you hostage? And why are they allowing you to use the phone?"

"Thibault and the rest of the front office."

Janel let out a long breath. "Be serious."

"I'm being serious!"

"I've seen Thibault. You could knock him over with one hand. What the heck kind of hostaging is this?"

"They won't let me go to Minnesota unless the Lynx send them four starters."

"Like, ever? Even when the Sun play the Lynx?"

Lindsay laughed. "Of course they'll let me play on the road trip. And no one's said anything about free agency."

"Are they keeping you from going to McDonalds or something whenever you want to? Are they, what's it called, restricting your movements? Following you or something?"

"No, though there's one PR guy that's getting a little too friendly..."

"So where are you getting this hostage hooey from?"

"Online. Don't you believe everything you read? According to just about everyone the Lynx are doomed to obscurity and dispersal now, and Connecticut represents an evil right up there with the stuff in the Middle East. If everyone believes it, it's gotta be true."

"Please tell me you're not saying this with a straight face." There was a long silence. Janel gently let her head hit the wall of her room. "You are, aren't you?"

"Well, duh! Hello? Impossible situation here! Get me outta here! Go beat up the Lynx coach if you have to, but-"

"Lindsay." That was enough for Lindsay to stop talking. "Why are you freaking out like this? It's not like you. In any case, I'm not going to do something stupid to get you out of Connecticut. I'm not going to beat up the Lynx coach, I'm not going to make any dramatic rescue missions."

"Even if I...-"

"Not even for that, Linds. The most I might do is get a little rough with Mr. Friendly so he'll leave you alone. We both knew this was going to happen. And I don't like it, but hey, such is life. It's not the end of the world. Besides, it's not like those hardcore psychos are going to hate you."

"Please..."

Janel shook her head, then realized that it was pointless. "No. You're just, weird as it is to say it, being way overemotional about this. Take care, Linds. I'll see you on July 14th. I'll be the big galoot behind the bench cheering for you." Without letting Lindsay get in another plea, she hung up the phone and found herself wondering how everything had gotten so crazy.