(Do not own Hardy Boys ) Thank you for the reviews, I have to say I am enjoying writing this story, It's as much of a mystery to me, most of this I'm just writing as I go, I don't know how many chapters there will be. I don't even know how, it will end? Thinking of making it into like a series, haven't decided.

I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out. (bty: Santos is suppose to, have an Italian accent, I don't know how to write that, so if you read Santos, read with an Italian accent. only if you want too, its optional?


A Friend in need

Chapter 9

Slowly, Joe made his way down the hallway, grunting and panting along the way. He was hungry, thirsty and tired, his leg felt like it was on fire, but he had to keep going. Tony's life was at stake. Joe had to hurry, he didn't how much time he wasted, getting out of the room, Dr. Marsalis is probably, his way back to the room.

Joe was about to take a step, when he heard, "He's gone!"

"Find him!"

"Santos!" Joe's heart started pounding , he looked around frantically for a place to hide. Joe found a doorknob, praying it wasn't locked, twisting the knob the door opened, he quickly stumbled inside, before anyone spots him. Joe looked around the room, the walls had little blue bunnies painted on it. It kind of reminded him of a baby's nursery. His blue eyes, fell on to a white crib in the room. Joe looked inside enough, there was a baby boy , with dark hair, wearing little blue footsie pajamas, sleeping peacefully, in his crib.

The baby looked exactly like, the one in a picture, Tony showed him.

Joe's eyes wide, " I... found,... Tony's son!"

"What are you, doing in here?" a women's voice demanded,

Joe spun around to see, Angela Santos, standing in the doorway. she was about to say something, Joe hobbled up to her, covering her mouth with his hand.

In a whispered hiss, Joe pleaded, "Please,.. don't ... say a ... word," He guided Angela into the room, closing the door behind her. "I will... remove ... my hand," Joe winches in pain, as beads of sweat, streaming down his face, "Please,.. don't ... say a ... word."

Joe released his hand from Angela's mouth, "I...don't know...iff ...I can.. trust...you." slurring his words. "I ... need ...help, please."

"You think, you're going to get out of here," Angela whispered back, "In the shape you're in."

"I..have...to...your ...father is .. to kill T..Tony."

"oh no, Tony," Angela said under her breath, then replied."I'll help you, on one condition."

"What condition ?" Joe asked, not liking, where this was going.

"Please take Antonio with you."

"Are... you... c..crazy!" Joe hissed, " Look at.. me..I can barely... stand, It will be... to risky."

"Please, take my baby with you." Angela said, in tears her emerald eyes pleading. "I don't want him growing up, in this life, I have to save him, from my father."

Angela looking down, at her precious angel, "Tony will give, Little Antonio a better life."

"W..we have...to ..save Tony's life first," Joe let out a heavy sigh in defeat, "The... only way, Little Tony is... coming with me, ...is if you come too.,

"Thank you," Angela agreed, wiping away the tears.

"Okay, now...answer me this.." asked, Joe wiping the sweat of his face, " Are we... sti...ll in.. Bay..port?

"Yes, we are in a two-story lodge cabin, a couple of miles outside of town," Angela answered, "I think, I heard my father, called it Shore Road."

"The manager... at... Bayport Motel, Mr. Wheeler... has a cabin... out here, It is so secluded...you wouldn't ... know where it is, unless... Joe's voice tailed of, "Where is... Mr. Wheeler?"

"I don't know." Angela shook her head.

A shiver ran down, Joe's spine as a startling, thought came in to his head, "What if they, killed him?"

"wah.." The sound of the baby crying, broke Joe out of his thought

"It's okay." Angela spoke softly, picking up her in baby."He just needs a bottle, and a diaper change."

Joe watched in amazement, as Angela quickly, changed little Antonio's diaper, then cradled him in her arms. Little Antonio looked up at his mother, as he drank from his bottle. Angela was speaking softly to him, in motherly words. Joe could see Little Antonio smile up at her. It was the perfect picture of mother and son. They looked so natural together, there was just someone missing from this picture. That someone was Tony.

After everything Tony, is going through, in his life, worrying about, his missing son, a potential witness to a murder, on top of that, dealing with the death of his mother.

There was no way, Joe was going to leave the baby with Santo's. Little Antonio belongs, with his real father, Tony is the baby's real father, Tony needed his son, as much as Little Antonio, needed his father. Joe vowed some how, someway, he was going make that happen. "Angela,...get some of the baby's...things together, only the basic stuff. I...know a place where,...we can..go."

"Not without me."

Joe and Angela spun around to see, Dr. Marsalis standing in the doorway.


Frank and Fenton were sitting in Fenton's car outside the Prito home. They didn't want to face everyone inside, waiting for news about Joe. Fenton didn't know, how to tell Laura, all he could think about was Mr. Wheeler's body under that white sheet. Fenton shuttered at the thought, that could have been Joe. "Please God, let Joe be alright," Fenton prayed, wiping a tear from his eyes.

Fenton glanced over at Frank, who was just staring out of the window with a sad expression on his face, like he lost his best friend, Fenton put his hand on Frank's shoulder, "Frank, we'll find him."

"I promise you, We'll find Joe."

"Alive?" Frank turns to his father. "I can't get Mr. Wheeler's body out of my head, with a white sheet draped over it. I never felt so scared, I thought it was..."His voice trailing off. ", Joe."

"I have these horrible thoughts, running through my head, that Joe is hurt, needing help." Frank let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through, his brown hair, "What is Santos doing, to my little brother?"

"Why, can't find him?" Frank clutching his fist in to a ball, "Bayport is not, that big of town."

"Some detectives we are." Frank grumbled sarcastically.

Fenton knew Frank needed to venting, he could not blame him, he was just as frustrated, and worried about Joe. It was killing him, to think what is happening to his baby boy. "Frank, to tell you the truth, I don't know. Santos is always one step ahead, destroying evidences, he has people working for him, doing his dirty work."

"We could hack, into phone records." Frank suggested.

"I want to find Santos, as much as you do," Fenton informing his son, " We have to do this by the book."

"Are you saying, we have to give up Tony, to get Joe back?"

"No, of course not." Fenton put his arm around his son, " I care about Tony, just as much as, Joe. We'll think of something. Let's go inside, everyone is waiting."

to be continues...Please review, thank you.