Justin and Cash appear to be on track to put an end to Vita Nova’s reign of terror on Home and Away in the UK next week, but at what cost?
Justin (James Stewart) has grown upset with the cult’s control over the young victim after Andrew (Joshua Hewson) claimed he wanted to stay with his ‘family’ at the property after two prior rescue attempts.
Since Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) learned that the remains of Andrew’s mother Esther, who had been missing for more than ten years, had been found hidden inside a suitcase in a storage facility, the risk Vita Nova poses has been all too evident.
Cash and Justin were aware that Vita Nova had to be at fault, but the police task force is unable to establish this despite having sufficient proof.
Justin didn’t realise Andrew hadn’t been coerced into staying until he found a note in his jacket pocket; instead, he had been merely attempting to keep Justin from alienating the infamous doomsday preppers.
The next week, Justin launches a new rescue operation with the hope that the third time will be the charm in his never-ending quest to free Andrew. As Justin prepares to depart, a worried Leah (Ada Nicodemou) warns him about the dangers these individuals pose and begs him to talk to Cash before he does anything foolish.
But since this is Justin, it’s immediately evident that he went to the complex by himself when Cash later stops by the house.
When Cash makes her a second visit after that, Margot (Mandy McElhinney) isn’t exactly throwing open the arms, and she denies seeing Justin that day.
Cash notices that Andrew is uneasy as he stands next to Margot and inquires as to if he can vouch for Margot. As he unwillingly acknowledges that Justin isn’t present, Andrew is unable to look Cash in the eye.
Cash is once more compelled to go without having a chance to look around because he has no warrant and everyone is staring at him.
Cash has no idea that Justin is nearby, bleeding from a head wound and unconscious, in the same container where Margot previously beat Andrew.
Without a warrant to search the commune, which appears to be in short supply, Cash explains to Leah that he and the taskforce are unable to take any further action.
In the meantime, Andrew wakes up Justin and tells him he was wrong to come back for him while giving him some water. Soon after arriving, Margot urges Andrew to return to his work before teasing Justin by telling him that she sent Cash on his way.
The taskforce can be avoided by declaring Justin missing, which will give Cash access to a phone trace in the hopes of establishing Justin’s whereabouts. Cash discovers this the following morning.
Andrew returns to the room where Justin is being held captive and informs him that this is his chance to flee while the commune is preoccupied with breakfast. Andrew is once more asked to accompany Justin, but he declines out of concern that he would be running forever if he left right now.
Justin carefully exits the building, but Margot quickly realises what is going on and sounds the alarm. Margot cautions Andrew that they risk losing everything if Justin manages to get away as everyone is put on high alert to find their prisoner.
Justin sees an opening as the members of Vita Nova disperse and makes a run for it.
…only for one of the armed guards to notice him and fire an arrow through his leg!
When Margot approaches, Andrew runs to rescue Justin, but she tells him to go back inside because she is already there.
Margot refuses Andrew’s request to have Justin dial an ambulance, telling him they will take good care of him.
As Andrew discovers when he subsequently visits to Justin in stealth, if by “good care” Margot means toss Justin back into “the room” to slowly bleed dead, then she does a fairly fine job.
Andrew uses his survival abilities to help Justin by bandaging him before Justin persuades Andrew that he should make the call for assistance.
Andrew finds Justin’s phone, which Margot had stashed away, in a locked cabinet in one of the offices and calls Leah in a time of need.
Cash and Leah answer Andrew’s call just as the police inform them that Justin’s phone is at Vita Nova’s complex (oh well, all that police work for nothing in the end but at least they tried!).
Margot is taken into custody along with the other members of the commune when Cash and the taskforce raid it. In the midst of her screaming and raving, Margot swiftly accuses Andrew of being a traitor.
Is the threat posed by Vita Nova finally gone now that Andrew is back in capable hands and Justin has been taken to the hospital?
In Summer Bay, nothing is ever guaranteed, especially when the police decide to take Margot to the hospital for a psychiatric exam where she meets up with Leah and Andrew once more.
