Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the books. OCs are mine.

Thanks to my Editor: Wendylouwho10 who read over the story for me and made content suggestions, helped with the flow, and provided some spelling/grammar corrections. The corrections were a bonus and not required when I asked for her assistance, so I take full blame for any typos. Thanks Wendylouwho10 for making my story better!

Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is AU. It is part of my story arc that begins with Frank and Joe in elementary school and progresses to this point where the boys are 18 and 16 with Joe turning 17 during this story. To understand this story, you need to read "Taken" definitely and "Recovery" would be highly recommended.

Author's Notes: Surprise! So, I just couldn't wait to post this chapter. Sorry that this is short, but the story begged to have a break here. And yes, I will make you wait until Tuesday for the next chapter. ;-)

Chapter Thirteen

Almost 6:00 p.m. …

Joe sat with his back against yet another tree. The chill in the air managing to raise goose bumps over his heated skin. The sun was just dipping behind the neighboring mountain and the temperature had been dropping over the last hour. The temperature wasn't the problem, it was his protesting muscles that were burning, cramping, and shaking from the extreme exertion that he had put his body through. He was still panting and trying to catch his breath as he pulled fingers wet with blood from his right side. It had only been fifteen minutes ago that he had taken a bad fall where he landed more with his body than with his knees. Unfortunately, it was also on the side where he was carrying the hatchet. Looking at the blood on his fingers, he realized it could have been much worse. It was fairly superficial but with the constant movement and exertion, the three inch cut hadn't had a chance to clot and scab.

He couldn't just keep sitting here though he wanted to. He knew his showdown with Marilyn was about to occur. There was no way that he'd be able to climb the escarpment; he'd kill himself in this exhausted state. Going around the cliff to a level area would take too much time and Marilyn wouldn't hesitate to kill Frank. He laughed a little. Frank had told him not to do anything stupid, but here he was planning to do one of the most stupid things of his life. He was going to make himself a target in the hope that Marilyn wouldn't be able to resist taunting him before she killed him. If she did taunt him, she'd be close. Hopefully, she'd be close enough that when he fired a shot he wouldn't be able to miss. And if he did miss with the gun…. His bloody fingers moved into the detritus and curled around the handle of the hatchet.

Enough, he said to himself. Groaning as he stood, he moved to put the gun and the hatchet in their places and then gripped the tree tightly as he leaned around it to look at the forbidding escarpment. Just because he was getting ready to make himself a target didn't mean that he needed to be a complete idiot. He scrutinized the rock face that was shades of gray and black in the gloom that was evening. The valley floor evened out here and lamentably for him, was open and only dotted with trees as it stretched fifty yards to the base of the cliff. There were numerous patches along the bottom of the cliff where there were trees, but he was going to have to cross the open area and a fifteen foot wide creek to get there.

Joe bit his lip. This is insanity. His breath quickened as he felt unwelcome moisture in his eyes. There wasn't another option if Frank was to live. Was it also insanity to think that Marilyn would let Frank live if he died? He stopped biting his lip as a noise emanated from his mouth that sounded much like a sob. Stop it. Exhaustion, hunger, stress, and anxiety were taking their toll and if he gave in to them, he might never leave the cover of the trees. Taking several deep breaths, he crouched down and left the shadows of the trees with the pistol gripped tightly in his hand.

Twenty yards. He was at the edge of the creek. He quickly crossed, the cold water having no bearing on his body this time.

Ten more yards. He spun with his pistol raised as his brother's voice came from above. "To your left, Joe!"

Instinctively, Joe raised his arm with the pistol as he spun to the left to find his target.

.**********.

Laura felt like she had been walking forever in the silence of the evening. She glanced at her watch. She had been walking about twenty minutes along the bottom of the escarpment. She had decided to stay along the bottom of the cliff instead of crossing the open area and going to the tree line. If someone were on the top of the cliff, she'd be too easy to spot and pick off. The thought had been chilling because that could very well be what had happened or would happen to one of her sons. Laura pushed that thought aside again as she walked carefully, scanning the area in front of her and across the open expanse. Her gun held carefully as she walked. It had been about ten minutes ago that she had decided to hold the weapon. If Marilyn were out here, she wouldn't wait for Laura to draw, she'd fire on sight. She was just coming out of an area that had several small evergreens, when she heard Frank's voice. "To your left, Joe!"

.**********.

Frank had been walking back and forth across a section at the top of the escarpment for about forty-five minutes. He had seen and heard nothing. Self-doubt filled him as he sat down for a minute to rub his eyes. Perhaps I should have gone to the vehicle. Maybe I'd have help by now. Dropping his hand from his eyes, he blinked several times. The evening shadows weren't helping anything as he scanned once again across the open area. He shifted his body so that he was on his hands and knees looking closer to the base of the cliff. It's Joe! He came across while my eyes were shut! Frank hurriedly scanned the trees across the way for any sign of Marilyn when movement to his right along the bottom of the cliff caught his eye. Honey blonde hair came into view and it looked like she was holding a gun. Without hesitation Frank called out, "To your left, Joe!"

As two gunshots sounded almost simultaneously, Sam Radley burst from the trees about twenty yards down from Frank.

"Sam!" Frank called out as the older man moved toward him while looking below. "How- Nevermind! Joe-" Frank looked back to the valley floor and saw his brother sprawled on the ground, unmoving.

Sam dropped to the ground beside Frank. "Do you see Laura down there?" Sam's eyes were on the ground below so he didn't see the look of horror on Frank's face. When he turned, he saw it clearly. "Dear Lord," he said and scanned below.

Frank wasn't sure he could breathe; the honey blonde hair he had assumed was Marilyn Laird could easily be the honey blonde hair of Laura Hardy in the shadows of the evening. What have I done?