You'd think nothing says "breakup" like tying up a former paramour in your basement and tormenting them. But when it comes to the splenetic split between GENERAL HOSPITAL's Alcazar and Carly (who learned that he was repsonsible for the couthouese car bomb), ending things once and for all becomes a, shall we say, knottier proposition than expected ... especially when you figure in one of the scariest ex factors ever (yes, Cornthos ... that means you).

The week begins with pretty much every party in this twisted quadrangle of Sonny/Carly/Sam/Alcazar in over their heads. For Alcazar, this is a more literal proposition, considering he was boud and nearly drowning (which Carly was unaware of) before Courtney rescued him from the rising water in the basement. For Carly, Sonny and Sam who all wound up at the penthouse at the same time, its on the figurative side: Carly informs Sonny that she knows of Alcazar's limo whammo, then insists she has handled it ... Sonny accuses her of continuing to protect Lorenzo ... and Sam struggles to figure out how to handle being in the middle of the firestorm. "[Carly] doesn't want Alcazar to get hurt or be killed," allows her portrayer. Tamara Braun. "She does care for him, he's been good to her."

"I think she's a little conflicted," adds Head Writer Charles Pratt. JR. "While betrayed, it didn't turn out exactly they way she thought it would. She thought she could torture him and get him to not love her and then be done with him. But she still does have feelings for him." A fact of which Sonny is all too aware. While he heads out to track down Alcazar. Carly and Sam are left to um, "discuss" things at the penthouse. "She's not comfortable that this other woman has moved into her home," stresses Braun, "and has staked her claim on Carly's territory. Carly wants out of there; she needs to get out of the penthouse. Carly is afraid that Sonny is going to go after Alcazar, and she is worried about (Lorenzo). So Carly does what she knows how to do best: She pushes buttons. She pushes Sam's buttons enough that she causes a ruckus ... so she could escape from Max and the guards."

And just like her estrangles husband, Carly's instincts lead her to head to Alcazar's abode, where the one-time arms dealer has just dragged himself following his harrowing ordeal. Too bad Sonny's there waiting for him. "Sonny wants to kill him," acknowledges Ted King (Alcazar). "Alcazar confronts him with the question, "Are you killing me for the right reasons or because you're jealous? 'The two argue, and then Carly shows up." And thats when, one might say, Sonny really gets fired up. Instead of offing Alcazar himself, though, Corinthos hand over the gun to Calry, "What Sonny wants is for Carly to say, 'I love you, Sonny. I want to be with you, Sonny. I made a mistake with Alcazar," explains Head Writer Rober Guza, Jr. "It's about killing Alcazar figuratively, in her head."

"It's a test," relates Braun. "It's totally a test for (Sonny), but she's not thinking about that at the time. They're both just so angry and so hurt and they both have such strong walls up. No one is willing to bend, so it's like they are each forcing the other to prove something. For Sonny to put her in that position is really a rotten thing to do. She's thinking, 'So, you want to turn me into a murderer?You want me to kill someone?' She's shocked."

As is Lorenzo, but that's not to say that he believes for a second that Carly would actually go through with the crime. "She had the opportunity to (kill him) when he was locked uo," reasons King. Concurs Guza, "Alcazar knows absolutely that Carly's not going to kill him. Clearly, there are still feeling, and he knows it. What he cann't know, and in fact doubts, is that Sonny's going to let him live."

"An argument between Sonny and Carly ensues," continues Braun. "She says to Sonny, 'Fine. Is this what's going to make you happy? (killing Alcazar) has to happen to make everything all right? 'She fires shots... but she ends up just shooting at the floor." And that's when Lucky and D.A. Ric show up. Naturally,no one in the troubled trio comes clean about what just whent down, then Sonny takes off. in the aftermath, Alcazar informs Carly that he's not leaving town anytime soon.

At this point, Carly washed her hands of this man. "I won't protect you any longer,' is essentially what she says to him," notes Guza. "The residual feelings she's had for Alcazar have cost her way, way too much." of course, for Alcazar, no price is too high when it comes to trying to win back his beloved. "He's pretty resolute," says Guza, "because the thing is, she's not going to go to all this trouble if she's over him. She ahd to lock him up and torment him for a couple of says to try to get past him..."

By Friday, Carly and Sonny once again come together, but there's still no happy ending in sight. Knowing that he's cut Courtney out of his life for saving Alcazar's, Carly threatens to eliminate Sonny's visitation with the boys unless he softens his stance towards his sister. "It's about saving Sonny's life," nods Guza. "Sonny is systematically cutting all ties (to his loved ones). It's not about just necessarily protecting Courtney. It's about protecting both of them and getting Sonny off this path of self-destruction."

In addition, Knowing that his parents remain oceans apart, young Michael decides to engineer his own "Kindapping" to reunite Mommy and Daddy. "It starts out funny, but then it gets very serious," cautions Guza. "Will this crisis be what brings Sonny and Carly back together.?"