Author's Note: This is the first in my series that I call "The Casefiles Continued." Some of the things in this series will make a little more sense if you have read at least the first few casefiles. The sequel to this story is entitled Forgotten Enemies. Do not worry, I have the first three books written and I am about halfway through the fourth.
I am only posting a few chapters at a time because I do not have a lot of time and I have to give you some incentive to leave reviews.
So please, tell me what you think of my stories!
"What do you want on your pizza?" nineteen year old Joe Hardy called through the apartment that he shared with his older brother, Frank, while they were at college in New York City.
"Pepperoni is fine with me!" twenty year old Frank called back.
Joe uncovered the mouthpiece of the phone and told the clerk from the restaurant his order. After he wrote down the total and the time the pizza would arrive, he hung up the phone. He was just turning to go back into the living room when a knock sounded on the front door. "Were you expecting anyone?" he called to Frank.
"No," was Frank's reply.
Puzzled, Joe opened the door to reveal a young woman standing there. She was a few inches shorter than Joe's six-foot frame and her beautiful face was framed by long dark hair. Joe guessed her age to be around twenty-five. What struck Joe most though was the frightened look in the woman's eyes.
It took Joe less than a second to complete his observations and then the woman spoke urgently. "Hurry up and let me in before they see me," she pleaded.
"O…of course," Joe stammered as he stepped out of the way. The woman darted in through the open doorway and quickly shut the door behind her. She leaned against the closed door and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thanks," she said with a shaky grin.
"Do I know you?" Joe asked as he studied her face intently. "You look familiar."
"I guess you could say that," she answered, "although we have never met."
More confused than ever, Joe was about to reply when Frank stepped into the hall. "Who was at the door…?" Frank asked, the end of his question fading off as he caught sight of the woman standing there. "Who's your friend?" he asked instead.
"I don't know," Joe finally manages. "We just met."
"Oh," Frank said. He held out his hand for their visitor to shake and said, "I'm Frank Hardy."
"Hi, Frank," the woman replied. "My name is Brandi."
"I'm Joe," Joe said, also offering his hand. As she shook it, he asked, "Do you have a last name, Brandi?"
"Yes, I do," she replied hesitantly. "It's…Hardy."
Frank looked questioningly at Joe and Joe looked back at Frank and shrugged. They both turned to look back at Brandi and waited for her to continue.
"This might take a while," she answered their looks. "Can we sit down somewhere?"
"Oh, sure," Frank said as he led the way into the living room. Joe promptly dropped into the recliner as Frank and Brandi seated themselves on the couch.
"I don't know where to start," Brandi admitted.
"I know this sounds cliché," Frank grinned, "but start at the beginning."
"Ok," she replied. "Here goes." She settled back on the couch and started her story. "Ever since I could remember, I have lived in a strange place," she told them. "At first it didn't seem strange, but as I got older, I started to notice how different my life was from the other kids at school. I lived with a man who I thought was my grandfather in a large house. The house was surrounded by a wall with barbed wire on the top. The house and grounds were patrolled by many men with automatic weapons. When I was young, I asked my 'grandfather' about the men, and he told me that they were there for out protection and to keep bad men out. It wasn't until I was about fifteen years old that I realized that the guards were not to keep people out but to keep people in. I went to a private school, but I was never allowed t go without a guard. When I got to college, it was the same. I had to do all of my shopping online, because I was never allowed to go to the mall like the other kids. I grew up believing my name was Brandi Kerry. How mistaken I was!" Brandi stopped to catch her breath.
"What changed your mind?" Frank asked her.
"About two months ago, the man that I knew as my grandfather became very sick. On his deathbed, with his last breath, he said, 'escape' and handed me a sealed envelope. When I returned to my room that night, I opened the envelope." She paused for breath again.
Joe impatiently asked, "What was in it?"
Brandi's answer shocked them both. "Inside was a newspaper clipping telling of a young girl that had been kidnapped from her father's house. Her father was a New York City Police Detective. There was also a paper with your names and address on it and your parents' names and address on it. The last item was the thing that shocked me most."
As she paused again, Joe almost yelled in his impatience, "What was it?"
Her startling reply came. "It was a birth certificate for Brandi Kerry Hardy and the parents were listed as Fenton and Laura Hardy!"