Disclaimer:
I don't own any of these characters except for Mac, Lillian, Mrs. Steel, unnamed police officers, and a couple of nameless bad men. There are several mentions of other Hardy Boys Novels; some ideas and character/group/place names are borrowed from these books. Other Hardy Boys book titles are also mentioned. I don't own those either.

Author's Note:
This is the very first fan fiction, which I wrote about three years ago.

Chapter 1

"Hey Frank, catch!" Seventeen-year-old Joe Hardy tossed the Frisbee to his older brother.

Dark haired Frank caught the flying disk with ease, a grin spread on his handsome face. "Is that the best you can do?" he teased. The two brothers were catching rays at the local Bayport beach. Nearby, dressed in an attractive two-piece bathing suit, sat Frank's favorite date, Callie Shaw. She watched the two brothers with growing amusement.

"Throw him a fast one, Frank!" she cheered, her blonde hair floating on the light sea breeze. Frank obeyed with a quick, flawless return to Joe. WHOMP!

"Hey, hey, watch it," Joe cried as the Frisbee bounced off his forehead, " Easy with the fast ones, Frank!" He gently massaged his head where the disk had hit him, "Right above the eyebrow. Smooth, Frank, real smooth."

"Sorry Joe!" Frank apologized with a grin. He sat down on the unoccupied beach towel beside Callie, laughing, "Boy, I'm beat!"

"You're beat?" Joe retrieved the Frisbee from the warm sand and sat down beside Frank, "I was the one being mauled by the Frisbee!"

"Sure, little brother," Frank laughed, "Whatever you say."

"Have some lemonade." Callie said as she tossed a thermos of the cool drink to Joe. He caught it and unscrewed the plastic lid.

"Thanks," Joe replied taking a few large gulps from the half full thermos. " Gee, what a way to spend our summer vacation, huh Frank?" he asked, raking a hand through his sandy blonde hair.

"Sure is," Frank agreed, " Just a wide stretch of beach, warm sun, cool lemonade,

and-."

"No mysteries to solve," Callie chimed in with a smile.

"Yeah," Joe replied. He watched a young couple walk side by side down the golden stretch of beach collecting shells. He and his girlfriend used to do that before she was killed in a terrorist bomb explosion, during one of the Hardy brothers' most terrifying cases Dead on Target.

"Joe?" Joe's thoughts were instantly brought back to the present. "Joe?" Frank said again, "Pass the lemonade?"

"Oh sure, here." Joe replied. He handed the thermos to Frank.

"Thanks," Frank said. He took a few sips of lemonade. The three teens sat in silence watching the surf.

Joe sighed," I don't know about you two but I'm famished. I think I'll go to Mr. Pizza for a good old pepperoni and mushroom." He stood and rolled up his beach towel. "You guys coming?"

" Sure, I could go for a good pizza." Frank answered with approval.

" And I could use the air conditioning." Callie agreed slipping on a cover-up over her suit, "Let's go!"

The Bayport mall was crowded with shoppers. The three teens plowed their way through the mob to the popular teen hangout, Mr. Pizza's pizza parlor. Frank and Callie hurried to a vacant booth while Joe placed the order. Moments later, the Hardys' chum, Tony Prito, came with their food.

" Hey Tony! How's it going?" Frank greeted his friend with a smile.

" Great, but how 'bout a hand?" Tony replied, desperately trying to balance their order on a wobbly metal tray. Joe came to the rescue, removing the sodas and placing them on the table. " Thanks," Tony answered as he sat down the pizza and slid into the seat beside Joe.

"So, what are you fellas up to?" Tony asked eagerly, "Solve any new cases lately?"

"Believe me, if we had, you'd be the first to know." Frank answered. He took a sip of his strawberry soda, and then added, " That is, after Dad of course." The boys' father, Fenton Hardy, was a private investigator. He often assisted the two brothers on their many cases.

"Tony! A little help here?" a blonde waitress called from behind the counter, "There are still several more orders to fill."

"Coming Lillian! Sorry guys, got to run!" Tony apologized, "Stop in sometime when I have a lunch break or something, okay?"

"Will do," Joe replied, taking a slice of the hot pizza.

"Hey leave some for me." Frank joked as he too took a slice.

"Hey, if it isn't the Hardy boys!"

Frank and Joe looked up into the smiling face of their friend, Chet Morton. "Hey, Chet," Joe replied, "Have a seat."

"Thanks," Chet replied sitting down beside Joe. He eyed the half eaten pizza eagerly.

"Help yourself," Frank invited sliding the tray toward Chet, "We probably won't be able to eat it all anyway."

"Don't mind if I do," Chet answered helping himself to two large slices, "Oh yeah, that reminds me," He replied between bites, "I'm having a party Friday night. How would you fellas like to come?"

"Sure," Frank said," What's the occasion?"

"Nothing. Just a get together," Chet answered taking a large bite from one of the pizza slices on his plate, "Well, how about it?"

"Sounds great," Frank responded, "How about it Joe…Joe?" But Joe wasn't listening, his blue eyes were set on the dark haired girl who had just entered the parlor.

The girl was Iola Morton.