Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the canon book characters, and am making no monies from this story. Any Original Characters belong to the author(s).
This story was originally written in the early 2000s. There are many technological differences from today's world.
Thank you to Cherylann, Max2013 and LaurieQ for their kind comments!
Co-written with RokiaHDA, who wrote back then under the name of Aspen.
Ides of August
By EvergreenDreamweaver and RokiaHDA
Chapter 3
After spending some time discussing the issue, Frank, Joe and the girls had finally decided on a plan of activity for the day. Joe had come out the winner, and they walked the short half-mile from Caesars to where the gondolas for the Heavenly Aerial Tram boarded. Now they were being wafted upwards, ever higher and higher, towards the observation deck
"This is glorious!" Vanessa breathed, staring raptly through the glass at the sky, the trees, and the lake far below. "Absolutely breathtaking!"
From halfway up the mountain they saw, stretched out below them, the azure waters of Lake Tahoe and since the day was relatively clear, they could see almost halfway across the lake, all the way out to an island near the middle of the lake. All kinds of sails jutted up from boats in the water and dotted the blue waters with white or green or purple – whatever color the boaters wanted to use for their sails. They saw, too, several more ships, including some of the cruise ships.
"You think mom and dad are on one of those?" Frank pointed toward one of the cruise ships through the glass. "Do you remember which boat it was?"
"I think it was… I don't know, the something Tahoe? Tahoe something?" Joe said as he wrapped his arms around Vanessa and rested his chin on her shoulder, watching the scenery.
"That's real helpful, bro," Frank laughed.
"It's the Royal Tahoe," Vanessa said. "I remember your mom talking about it. She was really excited."
Frank had his camera out and running, even though he had to shoot through the glass. There was no way he was going to miss catching the panoramic scenery on film. Occasionally, he turned the camcorder inward, and filmed Joe, Megan and Vanessa as they – and the other four passengers in the gondola – ooohed and ahhed over the views. For a little while he allowed Joe to take the camera and film him with Megan, but soon Frank's fingers itched to possess the sleek little instrument again.
"What are we going to do after this?" Megan queried the others softly, as the gondola moved smoothly upward along its cable. "Joe, it's not your call this time!" she hastily forestalled the blonde Hardy boy as he opened his mouth to make his opinion heard first. "You wanted the gondola ride to Heavenly; give someone else a chance now!"
Joe bristled slightly, but Megan was one of the few people he accepted reprimands from without argument…just as Joe was one of the few people Megan allowed to use the hated nickname 'Red' to her. Mutual affection, and mutual devotion to Frank, made a strong bond between the two of them. So Joe kept still – well, mostly still. He silently mouthed Kayak! Kayak! Kayak! as Frank and Vanessa voiced their opinions.
"What I'd love—" Vanessa said wistfully. "Is a hot-air balloon ride, but those have to be booked way in advance, and they take off at sunrise…"
Joe groaned aloud at that. "Sunrise?" he protested…and then resumed his silent chant.
"…yes, at sunrise," Vanessa continued. "They have to launch when the winds are calm." She smiled. "I read about them last night, after you were asleep, Megan. There's one that takes off from a launch and recovery vessel on the lake, and ends with a champagne brunch right at Caesars! But it takes about five hours total, and it's really not a very practical idea, I admit. Plus, it's expensive to the max!"
"Maybe you could do something sort of similar," Frank suggested, ostentatiously ignoring his younger brother. "There's parasailing – that might be fun. You still end up way up in the air, after all." He swung the camera back toward the windows, panning across the interior of the tram, and the other passengers: a couple in their late twenties with a bouncy six-year-old son, and a man wearing dark glasses, who seemed to be regarding the teens with some intensity. "Sorry," Frank apologized with a smile, and politely switched off the Recording button.
"Hmmm…" Vanessa pondered the idea. "Parasailing. You're right, that might be a good substitute."
"What would you like, Frank?" Megan emphasized the pronoun.
Frank was once again filming the view, but he stopped when Megan directly addressed him, and turned to her. "Jet skis?" he proposed tentatively.
She blinked. "Jet skis?" she echoed, sounding just a bit apprehensive. "Well…okay…maybe…."
"Kayak…kayak…kayak…." Joe elevated the volume of his chant a notch. Vanessa burst into laughter, as did everyone else, including the couple with the little boy, who had been listening to the conversation with interest.
"Let's wait and see what's available," Frank suggested, turning off the camcorder once more, as the gondola glided to a stop at the observation platform. They all got to their feet and stepped out into the pine-scented, sun-warmed morning.
They walked around the observation deck, marveling at the deep blue water far below, and the Sierra Nevada mountains surrounding it. Shadows created by a few puffy clouds scooted across the glassy surface of the lake, and Vanessa wistfully pointed out one of the hot-air balloons in the middle distance; and they noted several of the parasailing boats heading towards the middle of the lake.
"Let's walk a little ways," Joe proposed, seizing Vanessa's hand and pulling her towards a trail heading up the mountain from where the gondolas unloaded. The two couples walked up to the large sign posted at the trailhead, and studied it carefully.
"Hmmm…three trails – easy to moderate – plant and animal life!" Joe murmured. He turned to Vanessa, a manic light in his blue eyes. "Animal life!" he hissed, drawing nearer. "I read that you shouldn't feed the squirrels, or let them get too close…because they might bite – and they might carry…plague!" He snapped his teeth near her neck, in mock threat, then wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her close for a quick kiss.
"I think one must have bitten you, and it was carrying rabies," Frank muttered. Then he decided to follow Joe's example, minus the mythical plague-ridden squirrels, and drew Megan into his arms.
They only walked a short distance along the woodsy trail before deciding that they'd rather check out the little gift shop adjacent to the observation platform. As Vanessa stated, sandals weren't the best choice of footwear for hiking, and she'd already shaken enough things out of hers earlier in the day!
Once in the gift shop, the girls settled into shopping with the ease of long practice, while Frank and Joe hovered uneasily. They caught sight of the people they had shared the tram ride with: the couple with the little boy, who was now exuberantly slurping at an ice cream cone, and the man with the dark glasses, who somehow seemed to always be at the corner of their vision.
Vanessa unerringly went to a display of miniature replica hot-air balloons, and purchased one with a multi-hued gas bag. "My mom will love this," she announced, as she watched it being carefully wrapped for her.
Megan tapped Frank, and tugged his head down until his ear was on level with her mouth. "What do you want to bet that balloon is for Van, not Andrea?" she whispered, with a soft giggle. "You just wait…Vanessa will find something 'more appropriate' for Andrea before the trip's over, leaving the balloon for herself!" Frank chuckled. He suspected Megan was right.
"Are you going to get anything, babe?" he asked her. "They have some pretty stuff here."
"Yes…I know." Megan surveyed her surroundings thoughtfully. "I do want to grab souvenirs everyplace we go. I just don't know what I want, yet." She kept walking and looking, picking up things and putting them down again. Finally, however, she paused in front of a display of tiny, clear glass bells, with Heavenly etched on them in gold-edged script. She picked one up, cradling it gently in her hand. "This."
"Oh, pretty, Megan!" Vanessa breathed, as the little redhead displayed her choice. "Absolutely lovely!" Joe nodded too, and Frank smiled his approval. It felt…right.
As they left the gift shop, Joe noticed the man in the dark glasses was still hovering in their vicinity. Each time any of them looked directly at him, he seemed to be busy with his own sightseeing or shopping, but somehow, he was always there. Joe nudged Frank discreetly.
"Is it my imagination, or is that guy really following us?" he muttered.
Frank shrugged minutely. "I don't know. It isn't like we're doing anything suspicious," he replied. "Why would anyone want to follow us?"
Overhearing their low-voiced conversation, Vanessa offered her opinion. "You guys are always in detective mode, aren't you? You don't know how to relax any more!" she whispered.
Frank chuckled, acknowledging that she probably was right. They probably were being paranoid.
"Baby, is there anything you want to do now, especially?" he asked Megan, as she stood next to him, cuddling her well-cushioned package containing the glass bell. She thought a moment, looking around, and an impish smile crossed her face.
"Ice cream!" she pronounced, pointing toward the tiny shop with a line of sightseers standing in front. "I demand ice cream – immediately, if not sooner, and the more, the better!"
"Ah, I love a girl with simple tastes," Joe drawled. "You're all right, Red."
Choosing ice cream turned into a task of epic proportions, for the little ice cream stand was stocked with over two dozen different flavors. Frank went 'simple,' and selected chocolate, then stood calmly licking his cone and waiting for the other three to decide. Vanessa waffled between peppermint stick and butter pecan for several anxious minutes, then shifted gears and went with Cookies 'n Cream. Megan opted for mango, and Joe decided on the peppermint Vanessa had spurned. However, he wanted to try Vanessa's too.
"Come on, babe, give me a taste…" Joe coaxed, dogging his girlfriend's footsteps as they walked back toward the aerial tram car.
"No…mine!" she denied, holding it as far away from him as possible. "You have peppermint; be satisfied with that."
"Frank and Megan are sharing!" Joe pointed to his brother, who was holding his chocolate cone where Megan could lick it, at the same time nibbling bites of hers. "Pleeeeease, Van?" he said plaintively.
"Mine, mine, mine!" was Vanessa's laughing rejoinder to his wheedling. She waved her cone tantalizingly near his face, and when he lunged for it, she jerked her hand upwards slightly. The result was inevitable: Joe ended up with Cookies 'n Cream ice cream smeared on his nose.
"Agghhh! Van!" he spluttered, half-laughing, half-furious. She laughed wickedly, but the next minute was tenderly wiping his face clean with a paper napkin, and finally consenting to trade bites of ice cream cone. Megan and Frank watched with amusement, Frank wishing heartily that he'd had his hands free to activate and aim the camcorder.
###
They rode the gondola back down the mountainside, and once at the bottom, set out for the nearest parasailing outfit. To their delight, one of the boats was just returning from an earlier trip, and there were only a few people waiting to board. The four teens hurried out onto the dock which had been built over the rocky shoreline.
"Vanessa, why don't you and Megan go," Frank suggested, seeing that there wouldn't be room for all four of them in the boat, since there were others who had been there first. "You're the one who wanted the balloon ride, and this is next-best choice. Joe and I can do it some other time, when we all can go up together."
"No, that's not fair—" Vanessa began to protest. "We should wait and go later, so that you guys can go along!"
"No, really, babe," Joe assured her, "We'll stay here and watch, and Frank can film you. Then we'll go up later, and he can shoot footage from up there. That way we'll get it both ways."
Megan looked up at Frank, her expression a mixture of anticipation and disappointment. "I'd like to go – but I'd like you to go, too," she said softly. "It won't be nearly as much fun without you."
"Ahhh, Megan…" Frank smoothed her coppery hair gently, a very tender look in his dark eyes. "You always know the right things to say, don't you? Well, you and Van go ahead, this time, and have fun. And Joe's right, I'll film you."
"You kids going, or not?" the boat operator asked in a bored voice. "I've got a schedule to keep, here."
Finally letting themselves be persuaded, Megan and Vanessa boarded the boat with the others, and it pulled away, out into the deeper water. The boys stayed at the end of the elevated wharf, Frank focusing his camera on the boat as it receded. He could see Megan's auburn hair shimmering in the sunlight, and he smiled affectionately, even though he knew perfectly well she couldn't see the smile.
"Frank, I'm going to walk up to that snack stand and get a drink." Joe spoke to him quietly. "You want anything?"
"Mmmm…yeah." Frank didn't take the viewfinder away from his eyes. "I'd take something, yeah."
"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't accidentally walk off the dock – it's a long drop onto those rocks!" Joe chuckled, and Frank heard his footsteps retreating. It seemed very quiet and peaceful there, now that the boat had departed; other than Joe, no one else was around.
Frank kept filming a little while longer, then hit the 'pause' button. He was just starting to lower the camcorder when he was startled by a hard shove in the back, and he felt someone grab at the strap connected to the camera.
Instinctively reacting to the push, Frank staggered, his hands clutching at his precious camera, which still swung from its strap about his neck. Overbalanced, the elder Hardy boy stepped the wrong way, and suddenly felt nothing but air beneath his foot.
He was going to fall from the wharf onto the cruel rocks below!