Heyyyy

Sorry about the late update. I actually have good reason though. I was travelling in Europe then working with kids in intercity Detroit for two weeks as part of a mission trip and then on my own. I love those kids.

Then I went camping.

I'm pretty exhausted right now and too tired to beg for forgiveness but here we go: sorry sorry sorry ahhh i'm so tired.

Anyways.

I do have a promise for you all!

I will be finishing this story before I go to college. I move in August 27th! So, this story will be complete before then!

Thanks for all the amazing reviews. All I will say is I don't deserve it and you all are amazing and I love hearing from you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys.

Quick catch up of recent chapters because I am an awful updater and you probably don't even remember what is going on in this story:

Vanessa was going to be kidnapped, Joe went with her. They tried to escape. Joe told Vanessa to run while he distracted them. He got beat up and almost killed but Vanessa comes back and stops the thugs. Then Joe is separated from her.

Nancy and Frank don't know what happened to Joe and Vanessa. They go to meet Nancy's stalker. Nancy goes with the stalker and is taken to a secret underground room. She learns that Headmaster Peters is planning on undermining the CIA by exposing their corruption and putting her own people in charge. Frank follows Nancy and her stalker convinced she is in danger, but upon finding her location is knocked out.

Alright, here we go! Enjoy! :)

When Nancy saw the dark ambition shining in the women's eyes, she knew she had to tread very very carefully.

"So you want to put the right people in change," she repeated.

"Yes. And the first thing we're going to do is make sure women are represented well in leadership. It's time for us to take our stand."

"We know you hate men, just like us. You've been betrayed time and time again..."

Nancy's brow furrowed slightly.

She didn't hate men. This was getting strange and ridiculous.

The look in Peters eyes was making her very unsettled. There was some sort of hatred; an ugly dark monster curled and ready strike.

"So the question is, will you join us?"

Two pairs of eyes watched her carefully. All of a sudden Nancy was once again aware of the fact that she was trapped beneath the ground, the earth weighing on her ceiling, the walls trapping her.

Nancy had dealt with plenty of mentally unstable people in her history of cases. They scared her. They weren't rational. They held burning passion and rash actions.

She was going to have to tread carefully. Very carefully. At least until she could be a little better armed and safe.

"Yes. I will join you." Nancy spoke the words, feeling them slide off her tongue.

"Perfect."

Headmaster Peters pulled out a switchblade and handed it to Nancy who took it with a confused look.

"As a symbol of our dedication, we show we understand what we will do rather than ever betray our secrets." Raven's green eyes shone with an eerie light.

Following their directions, Nancy slowly took the knife, took a deep breath and cut a shallow cut across her throat and down to her chest.

Warm blood soaked into her shirt as chills ran up her spine.

Maybe the CIA was corrupt but these women were crazy.

"What is your name?"

Vanessa stared into the darkness. She had been blindfolded before she was sat down and tied to a chair. She was not in the mood for this and all she could think about was Joe's injured form being pushed into a room.

"Answer me girl."

Vanessa clenched her jaw and stared straight ahead.

"All you have to do is threaten her friend in the other room and she'll open up," Scarface's voice suggested from somewhere in the room.

"Her friend?" There was a pause "You brought someone else?!"

"We had no other choice, honest! We couldn't kill him there, and we couldn't take the girl without him seeing us and..."

"You imbecile!"

Vanessa jumped as a gunshot rang out. There was a groan and thud.

Vanessa's blood ran ice cold.

"Alright sweetie. What is your name? I'm not going to ask again?"

She was alone in the darkness with the voice whispering in her ear.

"Vanessa Bender."

"And the name of your birth parents? And I'm not talking about Susan and Peter Bender."

Vanessa's eyes widened beneath the blindfold.

"How do you know I'm adopted?"

"Just answer the question."
"I... I don't know. I never asked."

"Sad. You don't even know your parents' names."
"They're not my parents," Vanessa's voice was even but held an edge of steel. "Why does this even matter?"

"Because your father struck it big in the stock market, promptly died and my employer found out he had decided to leave his fortune to his little girl he gave up for adoption eighteen years ago. My job was to track you down for my employer before the lawyers did. That's why."

"Why don't you let us go before you go to jail for a very long time?" Vanessa tried, her mind reeling with information. Her birth father, guns, fortunes...

"Because when they can't find you by the end of this month, the fortune will go to my employer and then a portion will go to me. That's why I can't let you go, sweetie. Believe it or not, you represent a whole lot of money."

"Am I related to your employer?"

"He's your uncle. And not very happy your father decided to leave his wealth to some girl they had all agreed was a mistake."

Vanessa felt sick.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Let's just say once the money is safely in my employer's bank account, your body might turn up. We have to do this carefully and make sure nothing is tied back to me or my employer. And that means you can't be talking. But hey. Maybe we'll let you have one last night with your boyfriend. Not sure how well he'll be able to perform for you though, being beaten up and all."

"You're sick. All of you."

"What can I say? It's a lot of money."

Joe was panicking even before he heard the gunshot in the other room.

After he heard the sound, he was in agony.

Vanessa might have been shot. She might be dead.

He was helpless to do anything and she might be hurt, lying somewhere bleeding...

Oh God. Joe felt like he was going to throw up, panic and fear drowning out all else.

It was just like with Iola, being helpless to do anything, simply hearing the explosion from afar, running over, too late...

The door opened.

"Vanessa!" Joe stumbled over despite his various injuries. "Oh God. You're alive. Did they hurt you?" He quickly pulled off the blindfold wrapped around her face with his cuffed hands.

"Oh my God, Joe," Vanessa's face paled as she took in Joe's injuries and her eyes flashed with anger. Joe was examining her as well.

"The gunshot?" His blue eyes scanned her form, wide with fear.

"I'm okay. It wasn't me they shot."

"Thank God." Joe gasped. "I heard the shot and... and I thought..."

Vanessa wrapped her arms around him gently and was surprised to feel that Joe's solid form was shaking.

After a bit, Joe pulled away. His face was composed again, the raw emotion and vulnerability tucked away once again.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine." Vanessa nodded her head. "They just wanted to talk to me."

"So what happened to you running away," Joe coughed.

Now that his panic was fading, he was starting to become aware of his own injuries. Everything hurt. He could feel warm blood trickling down his side but decided not to mention it.

"They were about to shoot you," Vanessa blinked. "Can you breath okay?"

"Yeah. It's just scrapes and bruises. Turn around."

"What?"

"Turn around."
Vanessa turned around and Joe reached with his cuffed hands and untied the rope around her wrists, revealing the raw skin beneath.

"Let me see." Vanessa helped him sit down and was once again examining him, this time with use of her hands. Joe groaned as she pressed lightly against his chest.

"I think you broke some ribs. And... Joe..." Vanessa looked up, her grey eyes bright with alarm. "Your side..."
"Just a scratch," Joe attempted a grin.

"That's BS and you know it. Let me see if I can stop the bleeding..." Vanessa quickly took of her sweater and pressed it gently to Joe's side. He winced as it touched his injury and Vanessa paled slightly but held the cloth steady.

"Your face..." Joe murmured. The left side of her face was bruised and bloodied from the gash beneath her eye.

"Just a scratch."

"You shouldn't have come back for me."

Vanessa stared at him. "Do you even know what idiotic words are coming out of your mouth? They were going to shoot you! I never planned on leaving, I knew something like that would happen."

"You could have gotten away. I don't know what's going to happen here."

"We're going to be fine." Vanessa pulled something out of her shirt. Joe stared at his own phone in her hand. "I've already texted the police and they can track the location of the cell phone to find us. Joe, they're coming. We're going to be fine."

"You grabbed both the phones but pretended only to have one." Joe stared at Vanessa.

"Yes. I hid it in my bra." Vanessa's cheeks reddened slightly, but she smiled. "Grabbing both phones but hiding one was the only way I could think of getting us both out of here."

"Vanessa, you are a genius." Joe kept staring at her. "A beautiful angel genius."

"Joe stop, your injuries are making you loopy." Vanessa blushed.

"Vanessa is a beautiful angel genius!" Joe sang.

"Joe!" Vanessa put her hand over his mouth. "Shhh."

Joe was silent and Vanessa slowly moved her hand away. Suddenly Joe grabbed it and kissed it.

"We're going to be okay," Vanessa smiled.

"Are you sure they didn't hurt you at all in the other room?" Joe's blue eyes were suddenly so serious. There was such an intense care in them that Vanessa felt her breath catch in her chest.

"I'm sure. They just wanted to talk to me."

"What did they say?"

"Did I ever tell you I'm adopted?" Vanessa started.

Review? :)