THE TEST

When things go pretty well on the first day of their trip, Deb begins having second thoughts and tries to call off the ruse, but friend and co-conspirator Maureen can't be contacted. Too late. It's on.

On his way to the set up sting at the movie theatre Jim is waylaid by the beautiful, yet despondent VERONICA; she’s having a problem up in her apartment.

While Debbie catches the attention of a pretty, Lesbian SALESGIRL, Jim and Veronica get “acquainted”, until Jim hears a moan from another room. He tries to make a hasty getaway when Veronica rolls out wheelchair-bound, veged-out Buddy. Veronica offers Jim a warm beer and invites him into the bedroom where she doffs her top and takes him to bed, just as he passes out. When he wakens, alone, he hustles for a shower, but walks into a punch in the kisser. When Jim comes to this time, he finds Buddy, fit as a fat fiddle, probing Jim’s laptop, with his girl Veronica at his side. Jim’s fallen for a con, and the ride begins.

Buddy steps out and Jim manages a crafty escape, stops to alert a POLICEMAN, and hustles toward the mall. But Buddy’s beaten him there and Veronica’s already fed Debbie a story about Jim and her hubby going to a ball game. Buddy informs that he’ll be happy to do some nasty stuff to Debbie, should Jim become uncooperative and not let them access his multi-million dollar bond fund. The one they found right there in his computer.

At the crew’s hideout, Jim does time in Buddy’s wheelchair and finds out just how whacked out Buddy is when he takes Jim out for a food run and forces him to rob Mr. Wu’s Chinese restaurant without the benefit of a firearm, though Mr. Wu’s son is packing heavy. Back at the hideout, Jim is desperate to escape this new life. Maybe the ersatz Policeman will take his bribe. While Buddy snoozes, the Policeman secrets Jim out and away, but it was just a ruse to gain Jim’s confidence and more on his finances.

Next morning, Buddy makes a show of leaving the dangerous Veronica at Debbie’s hotel, before he drives a spiffed up Jim to the Financial Center where the drawdowns of his accounts begin. Debbie spots Veronica, tackles her, but is pulled off by onlookers who allow Veronica to escape.

All hope seems gone, especially after the Policeman swallows one of Buddy’s bullets right through a bottle of brew.

The Salesgirl consoles Debbie and convinces her to go directly to the SFPD. Jim takes things into his own hand -- the one he manages to free just in time to shoot Buddy in the crotch. But Jim takes one for the team in a twisted, explosive climax when Detective BASS shows up with Debbie.

Jim is tested but does survive. He's even learned a thing or two, from Buddy, no less.