A Day Off

Chapter Four

The first thing Joe noticed when he regained his senses were the voices. They were numerous and loud, happy and full of laughter. He shook his pounding head, not even bothering to open his eyes, and tried to block them out. They couldn't be real, he decided. No kidnapper would keep his captive this close to a crowd this size. However, when the voices didn't disappear, Joe realized the truth-he was being held near a large group of people.

'That's why he put so much effort into tying me up,' Joe realized. 'And why he drugged me.'

His mind was still very sluggish from the drug, and he had to force himself to open his eyes. He was in the same position that he had been in when he was drugged; the pain was still there, only this time it was intensified by the aching of his neck that was a result of his forced slumber.

Trying to clear his fog-filled mind, Joe tried to figure out where he was. He focused on the voices, trying to pick out on in particular, to see if they said anything that would give him a clue to where he was. But at that moment, he heard the kidnapper's voice from outside of his small prison. "Yeah, Mary, I'll be right there. Gotta check on something in the back. No, no, Mary, you know my supply closet is off-limits...I'll get it." Then the door was opened a crack and the kidnapper stepped in, this time unmasked. Joe stared. He knew he had seen this man before-he was sure he had in his father's files at one point, but he knew he had seen him, in person.

He was bald, with cold blue eyes and a sinister smile. His chin was strong and firm. As the kidnapper advanced on Joe, the captive realized where he was being held. He struggled against his bonds, and his captor laughed evilly, pulling a bottle out of his pocket and popping two white pills into his hand. He ripped the duct tape off and Joe instantly began to cry, "Help!"

The man quickly covered his mouth and hissed, "So...you know where you're being held, don't you? We'll talk more about this tonight, but I will tell you this. My theory is that if you hide something someone is looking for in plain sight, it won't be found. So, yeah, I'm hiding you in Red's, the fifty's restaurant in ThunderWorld. No one ever comes back here, and no one would dream of looking for you here, so-"

"Hey, Chuck, what about those hamburgers?" came a voice from the front.

"Yeah, yeah, Mary," Chuck answered loudly. "I'm comin'!" He quickly pulled his hand away from Joe's mouth, and before the boy could react, he jammed the pills into his mouth and Joe was made to swallow them. The last thing he heard before he faded into unconsciousness once more was Chuck chortling evilly and saying, "Sleep well..." Then darkness consumed him once more.

Frank's leg bounced up and down in anticipation as he sat in a hard chair at the local police department, waiting for his father to arrive. He remembered his father's words exactly: "Frank, I'll be over within two hours. Just go to the police department and I'll meet you there."

It had been almost two hours, and Frank was getting impatient. He hated just sitting here while his brother was in danger. He got up and began to pace just as the door opened and Fenton Hardy rushed in. Frank ran to him as he asked, "Frank, any news?"

Frank shook his head sadly. "No, Dad. Do you know who his kidnapper might be?"

Before Fenton could answer, the Police Chief, a big bear of a man with friendly brown eyes and a full head of unruly dark hair, now spotted with gray, came up to the Hardys.

"Ah. Fenton Hardy," he said, extending his hand. "I'm Sammy Brown, Chief of Police. I've already met your son Frank here."

"Ah...hello," Fenton greeted him.

"I'm sorry about your son," Chief Brown informed Fenton. "We are already investigating. Of course, I'm sure you and Frank will do everything in your power to find Joe as well."

"Of course. We'll keep you updated, if you'll do the same."

Chief Brown smiled wanly. "Will do."

"If you don't need us for anything, Frank and I are going back to the hotel for-"

Frank interrupted, "But Dad, we've got to-"

"Son, hold on. I want to know everything that happened, and I also need a place to go through my files. I'm still trying to find someone who might be the culprit here."

"I don't have to go, Dad!" Frank insisted. "The scene of the kidnapping was roped off. Let me go and do some investigating before the police start snooping around more than they already are."

Fenton nodded. "Tell you what. I'll meet you there when I'm done."

Frank agreed, and father and son went separate ways, both hoping and praying for the safe return of Joe.

~Emachinescat ^..^