A/N: Good news, Bad news!

The bad news is that you had to wait almost 2 weeks or over 2 weeks for a new chapter. So very sorry! I have been busy. I apologize.

The good news is that the whole story will be finished this weekend and will be posting again on Mondays or at least weekly until it's done. So yay!

Thank you again for reviewing, reading, adding me to alert, and adding me to your favorites, etc. You motivate me to keep going and not give up! That means a lot to me and makes me smile!

Enjoy!

…

Chapter 10

Joe continued to stare at the paper until he heard a knock on the door. His intense gaze was broken momentarily and he went to the door to open it. A blond girl wearing jeans and a purple sweater greeted him.

Instantly knowing something was wrong, Callie asked, "What is wrong, Joe?"

Joe couldn't find the words as he contemplated whether or not he should show Callie the pictures. It was too late; Callie was already taking them from him before he could protest.

Callie gasped as she looked at each picture. Her hand flew to cover her mouth in horror. Tears started welling up in her eyes as she looked at Joe. "Frank?" is all she managed to say.

"Yeah. There's a note too. Apparently, whoever has Frank wants me too."

"We have to go to Con right away!" exclaimed the terrified girl. "Frank is in some serious trouble!"

"If he's not-"

"Don't even say it, Joe. If they want you then they are going to keep him alive." Callie looked again at the pictures. "Right?"

"Yeah, probably." Joe ran a shaking hand through his golden locks. "I think it's time I tried to get a hold of Dad."

"Good idea. I will give Con a call and you can call your dad from his office," stated Callie as she was beginning to regain her composure. Now, more than ever, she was determined to keep her cool and help Frank.

"Okay. I will be back in a few minutes," informed the youngest Hardy as he went in the direction of his famous father's office.

Meanwhile, Frank was coming in and out of consciousness. He was getting really tired of being strapped to a chair and getting beat up. Drake and Dex, however, enjoyed every minute of it.

"Boss is going to be quite happy with our work, don't you think Drake?" asked Dex as he rubbed his knuckles and admired his handiwork.

"Yeah I bet he will," grinned Drake. He moved his head to the sound of the door opening. Lars Jensen gracefully came through the door.

"Boys, you did a nice job on Mr. Hardy," smiled Lars as he approached the bloody boy in the chair. "How are you feeling, Frank?"

Frank just moaned in response, hoping that he wouldn't be giving any more satisfaction to the sadistic man.

Lars chuckled and then became more serious. "Now, Frank. Where is the code?"

"I don't know," mumbled Frank as he tried to shift in his chair.

"Wrong answer I am afraid. The code is quite important my detective friend. You are the only one that has it."

Drake and Dex looked confused. Both henchmen raised an eyebrow.

Lars added, "My associates that were to take care of this portion of the plan have been terminated prematurely. I do have idiots working for me. It's a shame." Lars lowered himself so he was looking straight into Frank's brown eyes. "Your little brother is no doubt going to be on his way soon. If you do not provide me with the information I seek, perhaps a dead Joe Hardy would entice you to talk."

Frank has been through many things in his life and some of them were near death experiences. However, he was frightened by Lars' threat because it was meant more as a promise. The main problem for Frank, besides his brother getting hurt, was that he really did not know what he was talking about. As he felt Lars' hot, cigarette scented breath on his cheek, his mind was scrambling for words, for something to say or to remember.

"Does this have anything to do with the Bayport Pub the other night?" stalled Frank. Lars rose from his menacing position and stood up straight.

"Maybe. The orders were such that every team had their own and did not know of another's. What happened at the pub?" asked the trained Assassin.

"I was chloroformed and left on the bathroom floor," replied Frank, weakly.

"That could have been when it went down. When you awoke, did you have any note or code of any sort?"

"No."

"Well, Frankie boy, I can't say that I entirely believe you," snarled Lars. The average-sized man looked at his hired help and said, "I think he needs a change of scenery to help him remember." He paused before continuing, "Oh, and clean up the blood. It's making a mess."

Drake and Dex nodded as Lars slipped out of the room. They approached Frank and started to unfasten him from the chair. Frank was still groggy from being hit and his muscles were fatigued from being in the same position for so long. There was no way he could regain enough strength in time to make a run for it. He had no choice but to wait for his captors to get him out of the chair. Despite all of this, Drake surprised the dark haired boy with a strong fisted punch in the face to knock him out.

"Take no chances," laughed Drake as he lifted the motionless Hardy from the chair and out the door of the little room.

Back at the Hardy home, Callie and Joe had made their phone calls and were now talking strategy in the kitchen over a quick lunch.

"I left a message for Dad but I don't know when or if he will get it. He has the worst timing sometimes," commented Joe as he accepted a sandwich from Callie and sat down to eat it.

"Well, Con said we should definitely head over there as soon as possible," remarked Callie as she sat to eat her sandwich too. "He also said for you to stay put. He doesn't want you getting in hero mode only to get yourself killed."

Joe half-smiled. "Hey! I think before I leap."

Callie laughed, "Yes you are definitely the more cautious Hardy brother."

Joe laughed now too in response. "I even look both ways before I cross the street!"

"That was just lame Joe."

"Yeah," frowned Joe. "Okay back to saving my big bro. These pictures are all we have to go on."

Callie picked up the note by the corner to avoid contaminating it more with fingerprints. "We have this too."

Joe nodded in agreement as he finished his sandwich. He took it by the other corner, gestured to Callie if he could take it, and then held it to the light when she consented.

"There's a watermark on this," noticed Joe as he tilted his head to see the words and picture hidden within the paper.

Callie also moved her head at different angles to get a clear look. "Looks like it might be a logo for something."

"Yeah I don't see any words we can make out but the logo is something we could search for."

"Aren't we supposed to go to the police department and let them take it from here?" questioned the blond girl with a raised eyebrow.

"Right. How about you go ahead and take those pictures so they can start working on them? I will be right behind you after I use Frank's computer real fast."

Callie hesitated but agreed, "Okay. See you in ten minutes, Joseph Hardy! Or I am sending a squad car to get you!"

Joe smiled at his friend. If only Frank could see us getting along so well, thought Joe. He nodded her to say good bye and ascended the stairs two at a time.

I am probably going to regret this, thought the twenty one year old girl. Callie shook her head and left with the envelope containing the horrifying Polaroid pictures in hand.

Back at the abandoned warehouse that Frank was being held at, Drake and Dex had relocated him to a larger room that was probably once used for storage.

As Drake flung Frank to the ground from his shoulders, he said, "Wait right here while we get everything set up." He laughed to himself knowing Frank was in no shape to go far.

Frank looked at the door that went to the outside. He could see a little light shine through the small window towards the top. Frank knew it would be hopeless to try to move let alone escape through the door but it stood there anyways, beckoning to him. The sunlight seduced him into thinking it might be possible. His dark head of hair turned towards his prison wardens. Their backs were to him as they prepared whatever hell they were going to impose on him. For a moment he looked from the door to this captors and back again. Slowly he started making his mistake. Frank decided on crawling because standing up would cause too much strain on his weakened body. As silently as he could, he crawled on his hands and knees towards his escape. He was getting closer and closer to his destination when he heard an ear piercing sound.

Drake shouted, "Hey!" and sent a bullet into the door right above Frank's head. Frank stopped moving, knowing he was beat; again.

Dex sauntered over to him and picked him up by his chocolate locks causing Frank to grimace in pain. Then grabbing Frank by the arm, the tattooed man dragged him back to where he was left earlier. Meanwhile, Drake finished preparing long, rusty chains hanging from the ceiling rafters. Two shackled cuffs dangled in front of Frank. Frank gulped unconsciously.

"Pick him up," ordered Drake as he sneered at his prisoner. "That was a bad move, Hardy. A real bad move."

Dex picked up Frank under his arms and guided him to the shackles hanging from the long chains. Drake roughly opened and closed both cuffs to Frank's already bruised wrists. Dex let go of Frank and watched Frank's body sway as Drake used a crank to raise the chain. Frank's body was now off the ground, suspended in the air. His arms were above him and already throbbing.

"Where is the code?" asked Dex through stained teeth.

"I. Don't. Know," whispered Frank who let a single tear roll down his cheek.

This is not good, thought Frank. Even if Joe does come, I don't think he will get here in time. I can't hold on much longer. Joe… thought Frank as he obeyed his body by slipping into a much needed slumber and temporary escape.