Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.
Thank you: Wendylouwho10 as always for being my sounding board and flow checker. ;-D Typos and grammar errors are mine.
Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Continues my "Taken" series. This one comes after "Mission Parameters." Setting started out as kinda blue spine with a touch of Casefiles and is now very AU. F/19/20 J/18.
Author's Note: Several moments in this chapter that I really like for Frank and Joe. :-) Also, sorry for the delay! I was busy in real life!
Chapter Eleven
Joe opened his eyes and looked at the clock: 3:57 a.m. One of the few times he had actually woken up before his alarm. He reached over and turned off the alarm and then worked to extricate himself from under Vanessa's arm and her body that was snuggled up behind him. She had slept under the sheet and he had slept on top just to add a layer of separation no matter how thin. However, unlike their previous lapse he hadn't had to invoke his aunt's name to insure celibacy. Sex was the last thing on his mind as he contemplated firing a rifle at another human being; a being who would be standing next to his brother. As he showered, he thought about taking the actual shot. In reality, the shot itself was truly not the issue and that was somewhat disturbing on its own. It was his brother's safety and that of Iola that caused him concern. I can do exactly what needs to be done but what if Sacco's people don't follow through on their end? What if the cartel hurts Iola anyway? The thoughts plagued him even as he exited the shower and dressed. He looked for a moment at the sleeping form of his girlfriend. He had left a note on the side table and he knew she was going to be ticked about that. But there was nothing more that she could do and waking her up now would just add time to what she already had to wait. As he looked at her he realized that he would do anything to keep her safe.
.**********.
Five thirty a.m. Sunday morning and Joe was in the car he borrowed from ORT with Ross driving. If the tags were run, law enforcement would not look twice except perhaps in curiosity.
Man, he's going to drive me crazy with his ramblings. Most of Ross's talk was self-excusatory. He was rationalizing how all this wasn't his fault. I don't have time to argue with crap like that, Joe thought. For him there was no doubt where the blame lay.
Joe closed his eyes and blocked out Ross' voice as his fingers traced over the outline of a gun shell in his pocket. He had waited until Vanessa had fallen asleep before he had taken his rifle out for a check. It was then that he had discovered the box of shells wasn't his. He had transferred the case from the van to car the previous day so the shells had to be in there before he did the switch. The fact that they came with a note in Frank's handwriting saying to use them meant they most likely had some alteration to them, courtesy of ORT, that would be beneficial; at least it would be beneficial to Sacco.
Saturday had been an excruciatingly long day even with Vanessa's help. It would have been harder if he had had to talk to his mother. Frank had been the one to tell their mother that they were staying at college for the weekend because of an 'assignment.' Being Laura Hardy, she had questioned him. Frank had related the conversation he had with her to Joe.
"You always stay here Saturday night to go to church on Sunday." Laura had said to Frank and Joe could just imagine her crossed arms. "What's going on and does your father know?"
It was good that these questions had been for Frank as he was the one their mother would listen to more in this situation as Joe had just been through so much in the past couple of years that Laura tended to mother him much more than his brother. "We have an assignment and no dad doesn't know yet but it's just for a day." Frank had told her. "When dad comes home Monday, we should be able to tell him all about it."
Laura had sounded uncertain but had given in with Frank's assurance that they would 'be careful.'
Joe snorted at that thought. Frank's going to be side by side with a mafia don while I take a shot at said don with a sniper rifle. Nothing to worry about there mom. He wished now that he had had a chance to ask her to say an extra prayer for them but that would have sent up red flags so he took a moment and said one himself. As he ended, he thought, well, I am going to church in a way… just not going in.
At 6:55 a.m. Ross parked the car along the street two blocks from the Hainy building. Before exiting, Joe said, "When I call you get back to the car."
"I will," Ross said with only a trace of nervousness in his voice. Joe stared at him for a few moments longer and then climbed out of the vehicle. Seeing no one around, he opened the back door of the vehicle and slid in. He grabbed the gun from the floor and quickly got it on his back; the tinted windows added to the coverage of his activity. The coat was on quickly; final adjustments would be made once he was on the street. Ross had turned around in the drivers' seat to watch him. Pointing his finger at Ross, Joe said, "You better be ready when I get here."
Ross gave him a quick nod and then turned around as Joe exited.
Seeing no one nearby, Joe adjusted his coat for a better fit. Behind him, he heard Ross close the door and alarm the car. They had decided it would be best for Ross to walk around a little instead of sitting in the parked car which could draw suspicion. As Joe focused on the gray cement pavement in front of him, he said another prayer that everything would work out as planned.
.**********.
Frank smoothly pulled out of the driveway of the Sacco's gated house. The serenity of the tree-lined drive and ornamental shrubs belied the criminal life that lived in the red brick house. But Frank only took a cursory look. He was playing chauffeur for the day and Nick's intimidating nephew, Rocco, was on bodyguard duty sitting in the passenger seat. The Sacco children were on a planned trip to their grandparents and so it was just Nick and Elise Sacco in the backseat of the car. Frank had been somewhat surprised at first when Elise had gotten in but then she began a conversation with Nick that left no doubt she was in full support of her husband. She knew the importance of pulling this off and if the Martinez cartel thought this was a fake hit then all would be lost and Elise would wonder when they would try for her husband again. So Elise was here as she would be any other Sunday morning.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Frank saw Nick staring at him. "Something you want to ask?" His eyes went back to the tree-lined street that was only moderately traveled at this time on a Sunday morning.
"After our talk, I did some checking. It seems that you and your brother are linked with the ATF."
Frank said nothing.
"I'm thinking it's more than that, Mr. Hardy. Or least something… other than that."
Frank kept his eyes on the road, the dark sunglasses hiding his eyes. "Think what you like, Mr. Sacco."
The car was quiet as they drove along. Frank could hear a quiet murmuring between the couple behind him but he didn't try to determine what it was. He had been at the Sacco home for two hours before they left. Nick refused the bulletproof vest that Frank had tried to give him. Sacco said he was trusting him with the shooter but he'd wear his own vest. However, he did let Frank place the fake blood packet between the vest and his shirt.
Frank himself looked a little different. His hair had a black rinse in it making his dark brown hair even darker; in addition it was slicked back. Frank also hadn't shaved since his first talk with Joe and now sported a neatly manicured beard of three days growth. It was definitely not thick but enough to dramatically alter his looks with the hair color and sunglasses.
When they arrived at the garage and Frank parked, he turned to look at the couple. "Mrs. Sacco, please stand on your husband's right. Rocco will stand behind you. I'll stand on Mr. Sacco's left which is the direction that the shot will come from. Please remember to act as you normally would."
"Of course, Frank," Elise Sacco said calmly as if she participated in deadly charades on a daily basis.
"Step out if you would, Elise," Nick said. This left Frank alone in the car with the Sacco men. "Anything happens to her…." Nick let the words drop off with implied meaning.
Frank slowly removed his sunglasses so that Nick Sacco could see his eyes. There was no fear there or signs that he was intimidated. "Something very serious already happened to my brother and yet here you are still breathing. Remember that and remember that I don't consider that debt paid."
Nick stared at him for a moment longer making no comment or movement that could be considered an acknowledgement. He was the first to look away as he opened the door and then in a fluid motion he exited the car.
Frank let out the breath he was holding and replaced his sunglasses before exiting the car along with Rocco.
.**********.
Joe positioned himself along the parapet of the Hainy Building. The wind was minimum and the sun was not glaring in its early morning rise. In terms of his training, this shot should be as easy as starting a car. But he had never shot at a human being like this. True he had aimed and fired at Dominic Laird but the gun hadn't been loaded but he hadn't known that. I can't be thinking about that now, Joe said to himself. How can I not? Another part of his mind responded. They have Iola. Her life depends on this shot. There is no room for error. Joe calmed his breathing and watched the road. It was 8:05 and the Sacco car should be arriving—there it was pulling into the garage.
The gun was balanced on the stone parapet, its black color sharp against the gray concrete. Its location though was all but invisible to those on the street below and the buildings that did overlook this particular rooftop were businesses. All of this had been taken into account and Joe's vision focused through the scope. His specific focus: the exit from the garage in his site. The door opened into the garage and Frank stepped out and looked both ways and then motioned for the Saccos to exit. Nick Sacco paused as he exited the structure to take his wife's arm.
Joe breathed out as he pulled the trigger in one clean motion.