Thirteen year old Frank Hardy's head was pounding, his arms wrenched tightly behind his back, legs unmovable as well.
The detective sought through his last memories to help clarify what exactly had happened, he'd received a call from Iola about Joe and had rushed to his bicycle. He'd made it around the block and then everything went black.
Frank's brown eyes flutter open, taking in the sight before him. The boy was sat in a chair, bound no less inside what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. "Hello?" calls the young boy, pulling at his bonds as he took a better look around him. "Is anyone there?"
A door opening is Frank's only response, his eyes widen upon sight of the well-known figure. Andrew Laurence, a man his father Fenton had been after for years.
"Hello Frank Hardy, know who I am?" The look on the child's face was all the answer he needed "I got a bone to pick with your daddy." Frank scoffed "Who doesn't? My dad and brother will find me, you know."
Andrew laughs, his hands reaching behind a desk to reveal a large plastic can "You know what's in here Frankie?" Frank frowns at the smile on the man's face, he had a sinking feeling of what that plastic contained "its gasoline."
"Very good! You're pretty smart kid." States Andrew before he tips the can to the floor, allowing the flammable liquid to pool into the wood "Did daddy tell you what my old profession was?"
"Why would that matter?" Questions Frank in confusion, his eyes drawn to the still flowing gas. Andrew puts on a hurt face as the can finally empties "Well would you look at that, I'm all out of gas."
Frank stares in horror as his captor opens a closet door, inside there had to be over fifty five gallon cans.
Andrew opens another container, this time walking around the bound boy as the gas flowed "I used to work at a gas station, stole as much of the stuff as I could."
Frank struggles as the deadly smell becomes too overwhelming, he could feel the liquid soaking his socked feet "So that's your plan? Burn this place down with me inside it?"
Andrew smirks as another can is emptied, the man simply opens one after another and begins once again, this time much closer to Frank "That's about it kid, I got plenty of time to set everything up."
"You won't get away with this, even if you do kill me, dad and Joe will hunt you down!"
Andrew laughs but says nothing in return, the man simply keeps with his routine of spreading gasoline. The liquid was now poured all around the place, all around Frank.
"You scared yet kid? You're going to be cooked alive in a few minutes." Taunts Andrew, he'd been planning this for some time now, he'd watched Fenton's son's, chosen which one he'd murder, stole all the gas he could in preparation.
Frank hid his fear quite well, watching Andrew pour the endless gallons of gas had him terrified on the inside, he'd read plenty to know that in a fire you either burn or suffocate and judging by his predicament, he would surely burn.
"Gotta hand it to you Frankie, you're taking this way better than I thought you would. Glad I picked you over your loudmouth brother." Joe, his little brother was the entire reason he'd gone out in the first place, now he wondered if he'd ever see him again. "Can I have one last request before I die?"
Andrew freezes, this kid really was something else, but he was also a Hardy "Depends on what it is."
Frank internally smiled, this plan he'd cooked up was all he had "Let me call my brother Joe to say goodbye. I came out looking for him before you kidnapped me."
Andrew drops the still flowing can on the ground as he pulls out a cursed phone from the desk drawer. The maniac keys in the number before finally finding the name he was looking for. The phone is pushed against Frank's ear as the dial tone plays, the elder Hardy begged that his brother answers "Come on, Joe."
A young, high voice on the other line answers in response "Frank, you finally got done talking with all the girls?" Frank rolls his eyes "I had to after Iola called saying you were in trouble, little brother."
"What? No I'm not in any trouble, but I may have stumbled onto another mystery!"
"That's great Joe, but I'm kind of in a bit of trouble myself." Speaks Frank before Joe decided to go on and on about whatever he discovered.
Joe's voice grew serious "What kind of trouble? Where are you, Frank?"
Frank chances a glance towards his captor, begging the man doesn't decipher his code, due to signs he could visibly see from a window he now knew where he was being held.
"Someone stole my bike dad bought me; you know the one by junction Inc.? It was the last one they had in stock, even the warehouses were all out."
Joe frantically rode his bike towards the old warehouse; Frank was sending him their SOS message. Stole. Junction and warehouse meant his brother has been kidnapped and being held inside the last warehouse on junction street.
Joe would no doubt decipher the code, but now he had to warn him of the danger "Anyways I was wondering if you'd seen it? A bike with flames couldn't be that hard to spot." Frank's bike most definitely didn't have flames; both boys knew this, but so did his captor. Quickly Andrew shuts the device off and angrily slaps the Hardy.
"You clever little rat! You never called to say goodbye, you told your brother where you are!" Andrew grabs the gas can and now runs around the bound boy, splashing all around the bound teen "Maybe he can burn with you!"
Frank fights the toxic fumes clogging his nostrils; the boy struggles to escape the ropes confining him in his prison to no avail "I told you that they'd find me!"
Andrew tosses the can outside the door, gas now running in a stream. The criminal slowly backs out the door, his hand holding a sparking match "Goodbye Frankie!"
The small flame is dropped directly into the gas line, intense heat raging all around within seconds. Frank coughs while pulling with all his might on his bound hands and legs, the ropes were loosening but not fast enough.
Joe raced off his still running bike upon sight of the heavy black smoke, somewhere inside was his brother "Frank! Frank can you hear me?" The young Hardy attempts searching through the flames for any signs of his big brother, but the smoke was far too thick "Frank!"
Frank could barely register anything over the sound of crackling flames, he was losing oxygen fast, not to mention the flames were growing closer as they circled around him "J ... Oe"
Joe strained his ears as much as he could, his jacket being used to cover his head from smoke and fiery flames "Frank!" Frank coughs, his struggles groaning weaker as his body begins shutting down from lack of oxygen "He ... Lp"
Muffled coughs are distinguished and Joe rushes into the inferno, his big brother was trapped inside; the black smoke heavy and fire clinging to his clothes. "Ow! Frank, where are you!" Yells Joe as much as he can, he knew he couldn't stay inside much longer, but he refused to leave his brother "Frank!"
"Here ... Joe, I'm here." Coughs the elder in response, he couldn't speak any louder; Frank only prayed Joe could hear him.
Joe crawls along the floor, hands waving blindly in his search, fingers ceasing as they hit a soft, moving object. "Frank, is that you?" The object moves again and Joe now deciphers it's Frank's foot. "I'm going to cut you loose." A switch blade slices through the tight knots, freeing the teen's feet.
Joe uses the chair to help pull himself up, quickly slicing the ropes confining Frank's wrists "Let's go!" Frank's hauled from the seat, his left arm pulled over Joe's shoulder as the two detectives begin their escape.
By this point, the flames completely covered the entrance, Joe would have lost all hope if he hadn't caught Frank's extended arm pointing towards the high window. "The ... Win ... Dow" coughs Frank
Joe leads Frank towards the exit, moving his brother in front of himself and pushing him right outside, himself following right after.
The brothers landed harshly along the concrete, but they'd take a few bruises over burning alive. Joe wipes sweat from his forehead and moved to Frank. "Are you alright, big brother?" Joe's voice was gravely, but it was nothing compared to Frank's coughing fit.
Joe snacked at Frank's back at any attempt to help the boy breath, at the sound of fire trucks, tears fell from his eyes "We're going to ok, Frank. The fire fighters are here and they'll get us to a hospital."
Frank continues coughing, his face now turning red, he couldn't breathe. "Help us! My brother can't breathe!" Screams Joe as his own coughing fit rears its ugly head.
The fire fighters quickly rushed to the scene, oxygen masks being paced on the two boys "It's alright, leave the masks on, they'll help you breathe easier."
Joe nods and looks towards Frank, his brother eyes were hazy, but slightly open, his chest slowly rising and falling. Joe snakes his hand between his brother's fingers, making Frank turn to face his younger brother, giving a slight squeeze to the hand.
Joe smiles with relief, he's missed these moments with Frank, ever since they'd solved the Apple Gate Treasure Mystery, his brother began fading away. That's why when he'd finally found a new mystery to solve, he was ecstatic! Frank would no doubt drop all the phone calls with girls and come with him to investigate.
Only Frank had gotten himself into some life or death situation. For once The Franklin Hardy was the one kidnapped, tied up and almost killed and Joseph had been the one to save Frank, his big brother was safe to sleuth another day and in the end that's all that mattered, once they got better he'd fill him in on their next case.
Ok, so not really sure where this came from, I just love the Hardy Boys! Again this is the Disney versions of the detectives and it's based off an episode of the very rare second season where Joe and Frank discover their next mystery, I added my own twist. I hope you enjoyed it! :)