Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.
Thank you: Wendylouwho10 who read over the story for me and made content suggestions, helped with the flow, and provided some spelling/grammar corrections. Typos are mine and I discover them all the time. :-)
Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is blue spine-ish and AU. Timeline: Taken; Recovery; Retribution; Wild Pitch; and now this story. While you don't NEED to read the previous stories, things will be referenced and perhaps even some from my younger Hardys stories.
Chapter Nine
At 6:00 a.m., Joe was already awake having spent an uncomfortable night in the lumpy bed. The sore muscles he still had from his workouts with Overman did nothing to improve his sleep. He startled as something thumped across his back as he lay on his side facing the wall. He couldn't help but smile. This was the third time that Vanessa had hit him in her sleep as she tossed about. Taking one last glance at the clock on the stand, he carefully sat up to slide on his sandals. He might as well get his shower first since Vanessa hadn't gotten one the night before. He smiled to himself; she probably wasn't ready to face that shower last night. As he stood, he noticed that Vanessa had actually slid into the center of the bed during the night. His smile widened; he couldn't wait to tease her about hogging the bed. Grabbing his clothes from the suitcase, he headed into the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes later he came out of the bathroom dressed and with a rueful look on his face. Glancing over to the bed, he saw that Vanessa was awake and sitting up in the bed with her back against the headboard. "Um, you better go ahead and get your shower. I don't think this place has a lot of reserves for hot water and it was starting to get cool when I got out. If anyone else is showering this early-" He broke off as Vanessa hurried past him into the bathroom and closed the door rather loudly. Joe shrugged his shoulders as he spoke to the door that Vanessa had just gone through, "I didn't mean to use up the hot water." Joe looked at himself in the cracked mirror that hung on the door. He needed to fix his hair but otherwise, he thought his appearance would fit in nicely with the plan. He was wearing an obviously well-washed t-shirt with Tito Ortiz on the front. The well-known MMA athlete would be an automatic clue to anyone knowing the sport. And the fact that he had picked the self-proclaimed 'bad boy of Huntington Beach' said something about himself. Joe smiled as he went in search of his hair gel.
When Joe and Vanessa left the Osprey Inn less than twenty minutes later, it was obvious that Vanessa was in a bad mood. The combination of the bad mattress, lukewarm shower at best, and not being a morning person was working against her. After parking the car at Gunter's Family Diner, Joe sat for a moment and then said carefully, "You know, you're supposed to be the nice one of the two of us."
Vanessa turned to glare at him for a moment and then said, "Sorry. I didn't sleep well and that shower was awful." She paused a moment. "But then you had the same conditions."
"Except the water was hot for me," Joe said with a laugh.
"Yeah. Well, I'm going to shower tonight like I normally do and hopefully I won't have that problem again," she responded with a smile.
As they exited the car, Joe joked, "I'm glad to say that after last night no new bruises have appeared."
"Why would you have new bruises?" Vanessa asked with a frown as she fell into step with him.
Joe looked straight ahead as he said, "Well, you hit me with your arm enough times once you started hogging the bed."
He could hear Vanessa sputtering as she tried to come up with a response. "But-Well- I didn't. Ugh!" Silence. "I thought you didn't notice when it happened as you didn't say anything."
"Well, I figured one of us should be able to sleep and if you were I didn't want to wake you up."
Vanessa smiled as she hooked her arm through Joe's as they entered the restaurant. It was time to put on their game faces. The 'seat yourself' sign was still up, so the pair went to the same spot they had yesterday.
Pulling out the menus, they looked for something filling but inexpensive. It wouldn't do to be extravagant.
The waitress, Betty, from the day before came over and said, "So you did come back."
"Yes we did," Vanessa smiled back at her. "We were hoping that you'd have that list of construction companies for Jake."
Joe just stared at his menu as if he were surly. He could feel Betty's eyes on him as she pulled out a piece of paper and laid it on the table.
"I did bring it," she said still looking at Joe. "So Jake, do you box or something?" she asked him.
Joe looked at Betty and asked, "Why?"
"Your shirt. Isn't he a boxer or something?" Betty asked with what appeared to be simple curiosity, but Joe thought it might be more.
"'Or something' is more like it. And yeah, I'm into that. Pretty good at it too." He made sure to smirk at her in a cocky way.
Betty rolled her eyes and then took the list she had given to Vanessa back. She pointed to a name on the list and said, "Go here. Ask for Lincoln."
Joe looked at the name on the list- Zendel's, and his heart soared. "What should I tell him?"
"Just tell him you got his name from Betty at Gunter's." Betty shrugged and said, "He's my sister's husband."
"That's all I need to say?" Joe asked as he looked at the piece of paper that contained the names of three other construction companies.
Betty looked at him one more time. "I think when Lincoln looks at you, you won't need to say anything."
Joe gave her a puzzled look and said, "Okay," as he pocketed the paper.
"Now what are the two of you having this morning?"
After giving their orders, Joe and Vanessa looked at each other triumphantly. Things were going better than they could have hoped for. Their timeline would definitely be moving up which was fine with them. Maybe that meant they'd be out of that hotel in less than a week.
.**********.
Less than an hour later, Joe drove up and parked outside of the metal trailer that said "Zendel's Construction: Office." The building was sitting just outside a fenced area for a five-story building that was in the construction process. The workers were filing into the site with their tools and equipment, ready to start work for another day.
Joe took a deep breath and said, "Wish me luck."
Vanessa reached over and squeezed his hand. She would be waiting in the car while he went inside. They had thought it would be best. As Joe exited, Vanessa turned the ignition key slightly so that she could roll her window down and turn on the radio.
There were no sounds when Joe opened and closed the office door. However, there wasn't much need for chimes to alert anyone as there didn't seem to be much beside the main room. There was a door at the far side which he was sure went to a bathroom, and then a half-wall which had a stove and refrigerator on the other side. A large man stood up from behind one of the three desks in the room.
"Can I help you, son?"
"I'm here to apply for a job and I was told to ask for Lincoln."
The large man looked to a shorter man who sat at one of the other desks. "Linc, this boy wants to talk to you about a job."
The man, who had to be the Lincoln Betty mentioned stood and walked over to Joe. "Do I know you?"
"No, but Betty at Gunter's told me to ask for you. I told her I was looking for work and she gave me the name of several construction outfits but told me to check here first and ask for you." Joe could feel Lincoln's eyes going over him. He knew he was being evaluated and if he was found lacking, the mission would be over.
"Are you good at doing manual labor?" Lincoln asked. "Right now, I don't have any of the more skilled jobs open, but I do have some jobs for materials movement here, and some roofing on another job.
Joe answered quickly, "I can do it."
Lincoln nodded. "You look pretty strong."
"I am," Joe replied simply.
"Are you into MMA?" he asked nodding his head toward Joe's shirt.
"Yeah. I've had some training and learned from watching others," Joe replied with a slight smile.
Lincoln nodded. "Fill out this paperwork and if it all checks out, you can start work tomorrow."
Joe took the paperwork but didn't move.
"Is there a problem?"
"I don't know sir. I got arrested last year for stealing a car. I got probation but I'm off of it now."
Lincoln smiled at him. "No problem whatsoever son. You've paid your dues. Consider this a clean start. You work here for a bit and Zendel's might have some other opening that you would fit in with."
"Thank you," Joe said and turned away with the clipboard and paperwork. He belatedly turned back and added, "Sir."
Lincoln nodded.
Joe sat down in a plastic chair near the door. He could feel Lincoln's eyes on him. A kid with a record who knows MMA. Agent Johnson had been right. He was probably just what they were looking for.
When Joe left fifteen minutes later, Lincoln told him to go ahead and purchase some long workpants, sturdy shoes, and some plain t-shirts. Joe's inner smile left as he saw Vanessa leaning with her back against the car. A man was standing very close to her with a hand on either side of her. Even though he knew that Vanessa had training from ORT in self-defense, his protective instincts kicked in. "Hey!" he yelled from the door. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
The man in question didn't move from his position of corralling Vanessa but turned his head to take in the youth headed his way. "Just saw this lovely lady here and wanted to introduce myself," he said in what he probably thought was a suave tone but just sounded sleazy.
Knowing that Jake Petrov wouldn't try to be diplomatic, Joe strode purposefully over to the man who was his equal in height and weight. And at least this time, Joe knew that his actions suited his own personality as much as Jake Petrov. When Joe was just feet away, the man pushed from the car and turned to face Joe head on.
Joe swung wildly with his first attempt to get the man off-balance. The guy easily dodged and gave Joe a jab to his ribs as he moved in closer. Joe took the punch and then swung his leg connecting hard on the outside of the guy's knee. He instinctively reached down for his injured joint when Joe grabbed him by the hair and brought his knee up to connect with the man's head. Joe watched as he crumpled on the ground. Seeing that the man was moving slightly and not seriously injured, Joe kicked some dirt on him and turned to Vanessa. Fire was still in his eyes as he pointed at her and said, "Did you do anything to lead him on, Val?"
"No, Jake. I promise. I was just out stretching my legs. You were in there almost half an hour," Vanessa said as she leaned back away from Joe.
Nodding, Joe turned to go around the car. As he expected, the two men from inside were now in the doorway. Joe stopped in front of the car and jerked his head back to the guy on the ground. "He was hitting on my girl," he said by way of explanation.
"We saw," Lincoln said. "It won't happen again."
Joe nodded and went around to the driver's side. Once they were on the road, he turned to Vanessa. "You're okay aren't you? He didn't touch you?"
Vanessa smiled at his concern. "No he didn't touch me and I'm fine. I was hoping you'd come out though. It was a perfect chance to show that you're willing and able to throw a punch." She continued to smile as she said, "And if he had decided to more than brag about his bedroom skills, I'd have taken him out myself."
Joe darted a glance at her and laughed as he said, "Never doubted your ability to do that."
"How did it go?"
"Perfect and with that fight outside, I think I'll have a job for tomorrow." Moving into a turn lane for a supercenter, he said, "And with that in mind. I need some work clothes. Care to help me shop?"
Vanessa laughed. "Music to a woman's ears."
