Frank looked carefully at the clerk. What he saw was a man in his low thirties. He had long black hair slicked down. When he smiled, it reminded Frank of a snake.
Frank leaned forward, purposely letting his windbreaker fall open to reveal his gun. "Are you sure about that?" he asked in a low menacing voice.
"Let me check one more time," he stammered nervously. He pretended to study his computer screen. "My mistake," he said, "your bill is all paid."
"Thank you," Frank said. He slapped his key card down on the desk and walked out to the waiting SUV.
Several minutes later the rest of the group walked out of the hotel door with the luggage.
"Are we good to go?" Joe asked Frank as he threw his bags into the back of the SUV.
"Yeah," Frank answered. "The clerk tried to soak me for five grand, but that didn't last long."
"What'd you do?" Brandi laughed.
"I just let him see my gun," Frank told them.
"I bet he got you out of there in a hurry," Jacobs said, his face splitting in a good-natured grin.
"You got that right," Frank replied as they climbed into the SUV. As the others laughed, he put the car into gear and drove quickly away from the hotel.
***
Frank and his team pulled up to the warehouse just as the evidence team was piling onto their bus to leave. Spying them, Agent Kipp came over to talk to Frank.
"We're all done," he told Frank. "The skeletons have been taken to the morgue. The stolen cars were towed back to their owners."
"Anything interesting at all?" Frank asked.
"Nope," Kipp replied. He boarded the bus and it sped away moments later.
Almost as soon as the bus was gone a large delivery-type truck pulled to a stop in front of the warehouse. It was followed closely by a large passenger can full of people. Both vehicles had the words 'Illinois Cleaning' displayed on the side in large letters.
A young man hopped out of the driver's seat of the can. "Someone call for a cleaning crew?" he asked the group.
"Yes, we did," Frank answered. He quickly told him what needed to be done.
The young man waved his arm at the people in the two vehicles. "This is the place!" he shouted.
The cleaners, about twenty in all, piled out of the vehicles and started unloading all finds of cleaning supplies from the back of the truck.
"Start with the upstairs living quarters," Frank told the young man, who appeared to be the group leader.
"Right on," the man said. He related the message to his group as the lugged their supplies inside.
Frank looked at his watch. "It's past lunch time," he said. "Does anybody want to volunteer to stay here while we go get some food?"
"I'll stay," Agent Jacobs offered.
"Okay," Frank said. "Let's go," he addressed his two siblings.
"Make sure they clean out the hot tub," Joe told Eric. "I may need to relax later."
"Yeah, right," the tall redhead scoffed. "You just want to see my cousin in that bikini again."
Joe blushed and hurriedly climbed into the SUV without a word. His brother and sister laughed as they joined him.
"Sage and Joe, sitting in a tree…" Brandi mocked her little brother as Frank started to drive.
"Ah, put a lid on it," Joe grumbled, obviously embarrassed.
After several more teasing jabs, his two siblings finally quit.
"I saw a burger joint a few blocks down," Frank said. "Sound good?"
"Sounds great," Joe said, eager to get the attention off of himself.
The Hardys ordered enough food for themselves, Eric, Sage, and Candice. When their order was complete, the three hurried back to the warehouse.
"What'd you get me?" Eric Jacobs asked as they entered the huge building.
"Bacon cheeseburger, just the way you like it, fries, and a Coke," Frank answered as he handed him the drink a paper fast food bag.
Agent Jacobs took a sip of the Coke and popped a French fry into his mouth. "I approve," he announced after swallowing.
"Good," Brandi shot back, "because that's all you're getting."
Eric stuck his tongue, covered with mashed French fries, out at her.
"Ew! Gross!" she said,
"Knock it off, you two," Frank refereed. He glanced around. "Aren't Sage and Candice back yet?" he asked Eric.
"I haven't seen them," he replied. "Do you want me to give them a call?"
Frank thought for a moment, then answered. "Go ahead. It can't hurt."
Eric pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his cousin's number. He frowned and dialed again. He ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket. "That's strange," he said. "Her phone is off."
"What's so strange about that?" Brandi asked. "Maybe the battery is dead."
"Sage's battery is never dead," Jacobs said. "As far as I know, her phone has never been off since she got it."
"He's right," Frank agreed. He was beginning to get worried now. "Brandi, go out to the Infiniti and see if you can get a location on the Charger with the tracking system."
"All right," his sister replied, already on her way.
Frank glanced at Agent Jacobs who was standing by looking worried. "Finish your food before it gets cold," he advised.
Eric grinned wryly. "Yes, sir," he said as he bit into another French fry.
Several minutes later Brandi came walking back in. "The car is stationary several blocks from here," she told them.
"All right," Frank said, already on the move, "let's go." He strolled out the door, checking the load in his gun. He jumped into the SUV and the others followed. Within seconds the Infiniti was speeding away from the warehouse.
Frank followed the directions that the tracking device gave him as he drove towards the Charger. After a few minutes he saw the yellow car parked by the side of the road. He slowed and cautiously stopped the SUV behind it.
"I don't see any movement." Joe commented worriedly.
"Be careful," frank warned as he opened his door. The others did the same. Frank slowly approached the car with his M-4 ready. He reached the car and looked inside. He tried to analyze the sight that met his eyes.
The first thing that Frank saw was Candice sitting in the passenger seat. Frank could tell that she was conscious, but she looked pale and she remained motionless. Frank tapped on the window to get her attention. She very slowly turned her head to meet his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Frank mouthed.
Candice motioned with her eyes towards the floor of the car. Frank followed her gaze. What he saw startled him.
"Get back!" he shouted at the others, who were approaching.
"What's wrong?" Joe called back as he retreated.
"It's a bomb!"