The Wrath of the Red Dragon

Chapter Fourteen

'The sun goes down and then she slips away. It gets so lonely after dark. If only we could relive yesterday. Tomorrow always seems so far. The end is near, so much is left to say. The world is getting cold tonight. Traumatized people are so afraid. I smile 'cause everything's alright.' —Fourteen

Frank Hardy and Jasmine Richards raced through the entrance of the gym. "It's really big," Jasmine said hesitantly. "How do we know which way to go?"

A scream of pain split the silence. "Joe," Frank gasped, as another horrified shriek sounded.

"No, Tristan, STOP!" he heard Isabella yell.

Racing into a back room, Frank saw a dreaded sight. His brother was lying on the ground, a small pool of blood surrounding him. Barely conscious, the boy was tied up, but no longer gagged. Tristan wasn't worried about somebody hearing them. He wanted to hear Joe suffer.

Without a second thought, Frank leapt at Tristan Honeycutt, a scream of rage parting from his lips. The two tumbled across the hard concrete floor. Isabella and Jasmine rushed forward and began to examine Joe. "He's hurt bad," Isabella said shakily. "After Tristan found out about his dad arresting Red Dragon, he began to beat him. I tried to stop him, but he did this."

Isabella faced Jasmine fully, and the girl saw the her friend had a large purple and green bruise on her left cheek, a split lip, and a bloody forehead.

"Oh gosh. What did he do to you?"

"Doesn't matter. We have to help Frank so we can get Joe some medical attention." Jasmine gently caressed Joe's face and stood up, determined.

"Stay here, Iz," she ordered.

"Are you sure? You don't have to do this."

Glaring at her friend, Jasmine growled, "Oh, yes I do." Seeing the gun that had apparently skittered from Tristan's grasp during the struggle, the girl grabbed it and turned it on its owner. Hearing the unmistakable click of a gun, both boys, badly bruised, turned around. "Get up," she ordered Tristan, the gun held steady in her hand, her voice calm and quiet, yet demanding.

Raising his hands in the air, Tristan stood, the gun following his head the entire time. "Isabella, get the rope that had tied Joe up. Frank, tie him up good and tight. Izzy, after he does that, you call the police."

Later, as the police took Tristan away, and an ambulance carried Joe off to be treated, Frank turned to Isabella and said, "Thank you. And I'm sorry about everything. I was too harsh."

"No, you weren't. I deserved it. But now, I'm just glad the police are going to arrest the rest of the gang."

"It was brave of you to tell them the names and where they are."

"I know. And until they're all safely behind bars, I'm going into the Witness Protection Program." She smiled slightly as a black van pulled up. "There's my ride. I'll see you soon, okay?" She kissed Frank tenderly on the lips and hugged Jasmine. "You were totally brave. I'm proud, Jazz."

She got in the black van that was to take her to the safe location and Frank sighed. "I'm going to miss her."

~Emachinescat ^..^