Joe lay there gasping, unable to take in any air. As panic began to set in, he had to mentally calm himself and concentrate on breathing.
It only took a few seconds for him to command his lungs to take in and release air. Soon his feeling of panic began to subside. He took several more deep breaths then started trying to get up.
"Joe! Are you alright?" Frank shouted, rushing up to his side. He let out a small gasp and quickly plucked a tissue that happened to be in his pocket.
It wasn't until Frank crammed the tissue under his brother's nose and tilted his head back that Joe realized he had a nosebleed.
"Come on, I'll help you into the house." Frank advised, putting an arm around Joe's back.
"No!" Joe exclaimed, brushing him off. Someone's kidnapped Michelle! We have to go after them!"
"What?!" Frank exclaimed. Without waiting for an answer, he rushed for the van, knowing that Joe would explain on the way.
Soon the brothers were on the road, following the easiest path out of the neighborhood. Joe filled Frank in on everything he had seen in a squeaky voice as he applied pressure to his swelling nose.
"I wonder why anyone would want to kidnap Michelle?" Joe wondered aloud.
"Who knows? Maybe her father found out what she had been doing and was upset."
"Her father? Holding a gun on her and knocking her out?" Joe asked in disbelief.
Frank had to admit the theory was farfetched. "Did you happen to get the license plate, or the number of that cab?"
"No, I was busy with trivial things at the time, like trying to get oxygen into my lungs." Joe smirked as he continued to pinch his nose.
They continued to drive fifteen minutes or so, but finally slowed their speed as it became obvious that the kidnappers had gotten away.
"What now?" Joe asked as Frank made a beeline for downtown Bayport.
"We'll go to the cab company. It seems that at least one person who works for them might be involved in the kidnapping."
A little while later, Frank was rapping on the door of the manager's office at the cab company.
"What can I do for you?" The manager asked, looking oddly at Joe's bloody shirt and swollen nose. "Don't need any drivers right now."
"That's okay, we're not looking for a job. We were just wondering if you could tell us the name of a cab driver who might be working a certain area." Frank inquired, looking at the nameplate on the desk that read Ray Dennison.
"Why do you want to know?" Mr. Dennison asked.
"One of your drivers picked up a young lady this evening and..." Frank began.
Mr. Dennison held up his had. "...and you want to know where he took her." The brothers nodded. Dennison looked at Joe. "I think I'd find another girlfriend, kid. One who wouldn't leave me in that kind of condition after a fight."
Frank smiled as Joe rubbed his nose uncomfortably. Dennison turned around in his swivel chair to pick up some paperwork. "Although I do assign my guys to certain areas, I couldn't pinpoint a driver for you. Because the passengers can and do request to go anywhere, any of my guys could be anywhere in town at any given time.
Dennison turned back around and saw the disappointed look on their faces. "However, you're in luck. I've asked the guys to log all pick up addresses this week so that I can dispatch the drivers to the areas where they are needed most. All the drivers that are out there right now should have their logs turned in by 10:00pm tonight. If you would like to leave the address where she was picked up, I can check the records"
Frank gave the manager his home address and asked if he could check back later that night for the name of the driver. Dennison then advised them that his shift ended before ten but that he would have the evening manager give them the information when they called.
Soon Frank and Joe were in the van again.
"Any more ideas?" Joe asked.
After a long silence, Frank shook his head. "Talking to the driver will be our best lead. In the meantime, I need to get back home and finish decoding the message from the Network. I just hope that Mom and Dad haven't come home yet and walked into my room. I had just started decoding the message when I heard the commotion outside and rushed downstairs. If they were to see what I have decoded so far, we would probably have a lot of explaining to do."
The ride home was uneventful. Frank pulled up to the house and discovered that in the short time they had been away, his mother's, father's, and aunt's cars had all appeared in the driveway.
Frank walked to the front door, followed by Joe. They were met by a hostile Aunt Gertrude.
"Frank and Joe Hardy! How dare you boys take off and leave the front door standing wide open? Why, anyone could have walked in here and gone through our things. This house is outfitted with thousands of dollars in electronics, not to mention sentimental valuables like your grandmother's good silver. And your father! What would he say if someone had come in here and gained access to his criminal records?"
"Calm down, Gertrude. I'm sure the boys have a valid explanation." Laura said, interrupting her sister-in-law's tirade. It was then that Joe stepped out from behind Frank and she got a good look at him. She gasped and put a hand over her mouth. "Joe! What happened?"
"I'm fine mom, really." Joe replied. He then proceeded to give her the abbreviated version of the events that took place that afternoon.
"Oh my! That poor young girl. I wonder why that man kidnapped her? Have you called the police?"
"The only thing the police would do right now is talk to the cab company, which we've already done." Frank advised. "Besides, we don't know the true motive of the kidnapper. We'd better keep quiet in case he calls us with demands."
Laura was not satisfied that her sons refused to involve the police, but it was not the first time she had felt that way. After confirming for herself that Joe was going to be okay, Laura announced that she was going into the kitchen to prepare supper. "I'd think you would feel better if you took a shower before dinner, Joe. I know for a fact that you would certainly look better."
"I will, Mom." Joe promised as she turned to walk into the kitchen, followed by Gertrude.
"I'm telling you Laura, if those were my boys, I would never allow them to do all of this detective work. It's coming to a point where they can't even stand in their own front yard without being attacked. Why if I had a child..."
Frank and Joe bound up the stairs, glad to be out of earshot of their aunt but feeling sorry for their mother who was still being subjected to her tirade. Frank pushed the door to his bedroom open and was relieved to find his computer the way he left it before he had responded to the attack.
As Frank continued to decode the message, Joe took his shower. Feeling better, he turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waste. His good feeling was quickly spent when he looked in the mirror.
His nose was slowly darkening to an unsightly blue color, and the swelling hadn't gone down any. Joe estimated that it would take a good two weeks for evidence of the attack to diminish.
He opened the door that led to Frank's bedroom and stepped out. The cool dry air that met him was a sharp contrast to the warm humid environment he had just left.
"What did you find out?" Joe asked, staring at Frank's computer.
Frank's response was to laugh out loud. "Have you considered a career in singing?"
"Why?" Joe asked.
"All you need to do is find Simon and Theodore and you've got yourself a record deal."
"Hey! I'm supposed to be the prankster around here." Joe responded, listening to his chipmunk like voice that resulted from his swollen nose and draining sinuses. Frank laughed even harder.
"Okay, you've had your fun. What's the big emergency?" Joe asked.
Frank calmed down and began staring at the screen again. "To be honest with you, I don't know. Evidently the Network's started using a new coding system that no one bothered to share with us. The little that I've managed to decode is telling me nothing."
A rap on the door interrupted their concentration. Frank quickly shut down the program as Joe ran into his room to dress.
"Frank?" Fenton asked, opening the door wide enough to stick his head in the room.
"Hi Dad." Frank replied.
"Where's Joe? He didn't answer my knock."
"Oh, he was over here, but he ran back to his room to get dressed. He had just got out of the shower."
"I need to talk to both of you right away. Give him a minute to dress then ask him to come with you to my study."
"Ok Dad." Frank replied as Fenton shut the door. Frank gave Joe the time he needed to dress then walked through the bathroom to Joe's room. "Dad needs to see us." He informed his brother.
Joe threw the towel he had been using to dry his hair on the floor and followed Frank to his father's study.
"Shut the door behind you." Fenton instructed when they appeared in the doorway.
Joe closed the door and sat down next to Frank in a chair that faced his father's desk.
"Where did this come from?" Fenton asked, holding up a piece of paper.
"What is it?" Frank asked.
"I found it on the copy machine. It's a birth certificate."
"Oh, that." Frank repeated the events of the afternoon to his father, who sat listening with interest.
"She mentioned that you knew her father." Joe added.
"Albert Ingraham, according to the birth certificate. Yes, I knew him." Fenton shut his eyes and put his hand on his forehead as if he had a headache.
"Dad? You alright?" Frank asked with concern.
Fenton didn't answer, but instead turned to gain access to his safe from which he pulled a manila folder. Out of that folder, he pulled a yellowing sheet of folded paper.
"Boys, we must find this girl. I think I have the answer she is looking for, and if I'm right, it will greatly affect all of our lives."
"How so Dad?" Frank asked. "We don't even know her."
"Take a look at this. You'll find that this little piece of paper will both answer and create many questions."
Frank took the paper as Joe read over his shoulder. After a few minutes, they looked at their father, a look of shock on both of their faces.
"Dad, it can't be true!" Frank exclaimed.
"It can." Fenton nodded. "And it is."