Sleight of Hand
Chapter 25
Frank and Callie sat in front of the fireplace in the lobby of the restaurant, Frank's arm wrapped securely around her shoulders. He felt an overpowering need to maintain constant physical contact with Callie and wouldn't consider letting her out of his sight for even a second. Callie seemed to share those feelings as she had glued herself to Frank's side from the moment they were reunited.
After being pulled to safety by Arthur Gray and his agents, Frank and Callie had taken a few moments to collect themselves before taking a cable car down the mountain. A highly excited Vanessa met them at the bottom and told them of Joe's snowmobile pursuit of Ross. Frank smiled, thinking of the very brief standoff between Vanessa and Gray, who was about to take a few local officers and go in search of Joe and Ross. Vanessa was adamant that she would accompany the group. While Frank knew the Gray Man would openly balk at Vanessa's request, insisting it was "out of the question", he also knew this was a battle Arthur Gray couldn't possibly win.
Exchanging an amused look with Callie, Frank had settled back and watched the fireworks, silently predicting they would come to a swift end with Vanessa emerging as the winner. Sure enough, less than thirty seconds later, Vanessa was leading the little search party across the snowy field towards the woods, animatedly urging them to 'Hurry up!'
Frank glanced at his watch and sighed; that had been over twenty minutes ago. He peered out the window that opened onto the snow-covered field and frowned.
"I'm sure they're fine," Callie said, snuggling a little closer. "If anything was wrong they would have called for help by now."
Frank turned to her with a startled smile – she was absolutely right. "Thanks," he murmured, kissing the top of her head. Relaxing a little, Frank turned his attention to the parking lot and the police van parked discreetly in a corner. After being questioned briefly by Network agents, Bradford Grayson and his minions had been escorted to the van where they were apparently waiting for Ross' arrival before leaving for the county jail.
The interrogation had revealed that Frank and Callie really were to be freed once Grayson was satisfied the program was authentic. Every one of his men had insisted that was the plan – a direct order from Grayson. Apparently, when Ross realized it had all been a set-up, he simply wanted a distraction to buy him enough time to board a cable car and get away from the authorities. Frank's near-fatal fall over the rail had been purely accidental. And that bothered Frank a great deal.
Together, he and Callie could identify everyone involved in this botched operation and provide more than enough evidence to get them convicted on any number of charges. Why would Bradford Grayson simply let them walk away?
Callie sat up and nudged Frank, temporarily pushing his troubling thoughts aside. "Look!"
Following her gaze, he looked out the window and saw two police officers approaching the restaurant escorting a decidedly unhappy Ross between them. A few yards behind them was Arthur Gray, looking almost as unhappy as Ross. Moments later he entered the restaurant, headed for the lobby and immediately began pacing. He stopped to glance out the window, tapping his foot in annoyance.
"Where are Joe and Vanessa?" Frank asked.
Gray huffed, checking his watch for the umpteenth time. "Probably frozen together at the lips by now."
Callie couldn't help but laugh softly at the usually unassuming, fade-into-the-background Network agent's considerably ruffled demeanor. Frank winked at her and indulged in a little good-natured teasing.
"I don't know, Gray, you sound a little jealous. When was the last time you went on a date?"
Ignoring Callie's outright laughter, Gray shot him a withering look and was about to reply when he was stopped by the sound of an approaching snowmobile. He threw up his hands and looked skyward. "Finally! Can you keep them apart long enough for me to get a statement from Joe?" Gray asked Frank sarcastically.
"I doubt it," Frank grinned, tormenting the Network agent a little more.
Gray narrowed his eyes at the elder Hardy and glared.
The serene atmosphere was all but shattered as Joe and Vanessa burst into the restaurant and made a beeline for the lobby. Scooping Callie up in his arms, Joe twirled her around several times eliciting quite a few amused looks from other patrons.
"Hey, Sis, glad to have you back!" he cried out enthusiastically. Finally setting Callie back on her feet, he kissed her cheek and then released her. Leaning down he punched Frank on the arm. "Another win for the good guys, bro!"
Turning his attention on Gray, who was looking both perturbed and mortified, Joe elbowed him in the ribs. "Just like old times, huh?"
"If you mean the way you and your brother would barge into Network operations with total disregard for protocol and planning, create utter chaos and throw yourselves into danger at the drop of a hat, then yes, it is just like old times," Gray answered acidly. "And I'd just as soon not do it again," he finished, scowling at Joe for good measure.
Standing so close to Vanessa, Joe felt her tense up. 'You just crossed the line.' Crossing his arms over his chest, Joe smiled and nudged his brother. "I've been waiting all day for this." Settling back as if he were about to witness his favorite sporting event, Joe watched his fiancée let loose on the Network's most feared and powerful agent.
"That's it; I've had enough," Vanessa said her voice low and her eyes shooting fire. Straightening up, she used her five-feet-eleven-inches to its fullest advantage. Although Arthur Gray was only slightly shorter than she was, Vanessa appeared to be towering over him.
Sensing he had just made a grave error, the agent instinctively backed up a few steps, distancing himself from a very angry Vanessa.
"I don't care what kind of James Bond, top-secret agent clone you're supposed to be, you need a serious attitude adjustment!" Vanessa began, jabbing at him with a finger. "Let me refresh your memory about a few things. First of all, it was one of your trusted government employees who stole the greatest discovery in military history right out from under your noses. Before you can even pick up her trail, she agrees to sell it to not one, but two different terrorist groups and makes arrangements to meet with both of them. When things don't go as planned, she needs somewhere to stash the plans for a few days and decides Frank's laptop would make a pretty good hiding place."
As she spoke, Vanessa had continued walking towards the Gray Man, waving her hands and gesturing wildly. Gray was backpedaling just as quickly, taken aback by the verbal assault. Accustomed to being ignored or feared, he had no idea how to react to the irate young woman in front of him.
"Do you have any idea how lucky you are that they just happened to be here this week?" Vanessa demanded, waving in the general direction of Frank and Joe. "What if they hadn't been and she slipped that file onto someone else's computer? Would anyone else have been able to survive being kidnapped, beaten and left to die in a burning cabin in the middle of nowhere? Would anyone else have had the presence of mind to bluff their way out of turning over the file? NO!"
When Vanessa stopped to take a breath, Gray saw his chance. Standing a little taller, he tried to mount a defense. Before he could get one word out, Vanessa glared at him. "Don't even think of interrupting me."
Joe beamed. 'That's my girl!'
Vanessa had captured Frank and Callie's undivided attention as she continued her tirade, forcing Gray to acknowledge that had the plans fallen into the hands of anyone other than Frank and Joe, it most likely would have resulted in a tragic national scandal.
"Thanks to them," Vanessa pointed at the brothers, "you avoided major humiliation. They were beaten, kidnapped and left to die. Callie was taken hostage and used as a bargaining chip. They came up with a plan to get her back and keep your precious file safe! They took all the risks and you'll get all the credit. Yet from the second you got here you've been nothing but rude and insulting and I am sick and tired of it! It's about time you started showing them the respect they deserve."
All eyes were now on Vanessa, but she kept her gaze fixed squarely on the Gray Man, staring daggers at him. Joe watched her and shivered, deciding never to do anything that would get her mad enough to result in his being on the receiving end of what he had just witnessed.
Arthur Gray stared at Vanessa, more stunned than anything else at her outburst of rage. All those who knew his true identity generally gave him a wide berth. Whether it was out of respect or fear he wasn't sure, but he'd grown used to the invisible shield his reputation had created. A shield Vanessa Bender had no qualms about breaching.
"Well?" Vanessa demanded angrily. Hands on her hips and fire in her eyes, she obviously expected a response; and Gray assumed she would settle for nothing less than contrition and an apology.
He straightened up to his full height, painfully aware that Vanessa still stood a good two inches taller than him. With his back against the wall – literally – the Network's most powerful agent found himself cornered and understood there was only one way out of this. Clearing his throat, Gray looked directly at Vanessa as he spoke.
"Ms. Bender, your point of view has certainly given me a new perspective to consider," he began smoothly.
Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Oh, please." Shifting position, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Arthur Gray.
"You are absolutely right. The Hardys' assistance in this case was invaluable, as it has been in the past. And as always, it was deeply appreciated," he finished, hoping she'd be pacified by his rather vague admission.
Vanessa huffed loudly, tapping her toe in annoyance at the lame excuse for an apology. "In other words, you're saying you couldn't have solved this case without them and you'd like to personally thank them for their help?" She rephrased his statement and waited expectantly, not about to let him off so easily.
He nodded deferentially. "Yes, that is another way of putting it."
In his quest to eradicate terrorism, Gray had used methods that were often questionable and at times illegal, further enhancing his reputation. It was a reputation he'd nurtured and cultivated, watching it grow to mythical proportions. Certain heads of state, foreign leaders and even some terrorists lived in fear of crossing him. Secretly glad that Vanessa wasn't backing down, Gray bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. 'Apparently Ms. Bender isn't quite that impressed with me,' he thought, with a newfound respect.
"Well, they're standing right here." Vanessa stepped aside and made a sweeping gesture towards Frank and Joe. "There's no time like the present," she said, challengingly.
Gray swallowed what little pride Vanessa had left him with, finding it oddly refreshing that she wasn't at all intimidated by him or his reputation. Squaring his shoulders, he strode forward, coming to a stop in front of the brothers.
"On behalf of our government I would like to express my gratitude to both of you for your assistance in this matter. Without your help, the greatest breakthrough in military history would have fallen into the hands of terrorists." Gray extended his hand to a stunned Frank.
Speechless, Frank shook his hand and then watched as Gray turned to Joe.
"Thank you, Joe," he said to the equally stunned younger Hardy. "And I apologize for any inappropriate comments I may have made to you."
"Mrs. Hardy," Gray continued, now focused on Callie, "I am very sorry you were dragged into this. And I'm equally impressed with your ability to remain calm in a terrifying situation. Thank you." Finally, Gray addressed Vanessa, who had now returned to Joe's side.
"Ms. Bender, your willingness to speak out has given me the opportunity to consider certain events – past and present – from a different perspective." He let just the hint of a smile slip through. "Thank you."
"Anytime," Vanessa replied with a satisfied smile. "I'm always happy to open your eyes to a new point of view."
Arthur Gray was about to ask Joe for a detailed statement of his pursuit and capture of Ross when a series of thoughts he was totally unprepared for barreled into his consciousness like a freight train.
'Vanessawas the one who came up with the plan to use a fake disc. It was her idea to blackmail me to ensure my cooperation. She created the new program – a fake that was so good even I couldn't tell the difference. And she's ruthless in her defense of Joe, especially if she thinks he's been unfairly attacked.' Gray smiled as it now clicked why his opinion of Vanessa had completely turned around in one afternoon. 'She's smart, devious, uniquely talented and fiercely protective of what she loves and believes in… and she's not the least bit intimidated by me.'
Gray suddenly realized that Vanessa Bender possessed all the qualities that he looked for in his best Network agents. He toyed with the idea of voicing those thoughts aloud as his gaze flickered to Joe for barely a second. Picturing what the younger Hardy's reaction might be should he announce this sudden revelation, Gray smiled at the image that appeared in his mind and thought it best to keep his opinions to himself.
Assuming his normal, blend into the background persona, he turned to Joe. "I can take your statement right here instead of making you go down to the police station. Then you and your fiancée can get back to enjoying your vacation."
"Sounds good to me!" Joe agreed, his mind already wandering to thoughts of himself, Vanessa and a hot tub.
As the others listened, Joe gave a blow-by-blow description of his wild snowmobile ride through the woods, his first thwarted attempt to subdue Ross and his final and ultimately successful capture. When he concluded the colorful and entertaining recap, Joe could feel a pair of eyes boring into him. He turned and saw Frank staring at him in utter amazement.
"You willingly jumped off a speeding snowmobile?" Frank finally asked.
Joe shrugged casually as if to say 'Doesn't everyone?'
"And when Ross tried to run you down with the same speeding snowmobile, it never occurred to you to get out of the way? Instead, you stood there and waited for him to run you over, hoping you could jump back on and knock him off?" Frank continued. Despite the knowledge that nothing Joe did should surprise him anymore, Frank couldn't help but be astounded.
"Yeah," Joe replied defensively. "Wouldn't you?"
"NO!" Frank yelled, exasperated. "I wouldn't!" Slowly he shook his head, wondering if he'd ever understand the way his brother's mind worked. "What if your timing had been off or you misjudged the distance? You'd be dead now!"
"It wasn't, I didn't and I'm not."
Frank stared at his brother a moment longer and then looked at Callie, Gray and Vanessa in confusion. "How is it possible we share the same DNA?"
"You're just jealous because I have a better story to tell than you do," Joe challenged him.
Frank shook his head, bewildered, but as he looked at Joe, his dark eyes gleamed with mischief. "Maybe, but Callie's story trumps both of ours," he announced proudly.
A slow grin spread across Joe's face as he nodded in agreement. "You're right about that. And holding your considerable dead weight is definitely something to brag about," he continued teasing Frank and then turned to Callie. "Way to go, Sis." Joe punched her lightly on the arm and then leaned forward squeezing her bicep appreciatively. Unaccustomed to being the center of attention, Callie squirmed out of Joe's grasp and flushed with embarrassment.
"If you're up to it, you can give your statement now, too, rather than dragging you down to the station," Gray offered to Callie. "I'm sure you'd like to get back to your cabin as soon as possible."
"Thank you, I'd rather get it over with now." Callie accepted the offer gratefully, while Frank smiled his thanks.
"We will need you to come in tomorrow and identify those you saw while you were being held captive. If we find we need clarification on anything in your statement, we can get it then."
"Hey, does this mean you're done with me?" Joe asked, hopefully.
"Yes," Gray confirmed. "I think you've covered everything and then some."
Joe turned to Vanessa with a look in his eyes that she knew all too well. "If we hurry, we can get back to the cabin and have some private time before Frank and Callie get there," he suggested, raising his eyebrows hopefully.
"What are we waiting for," Vanessa replied with a wicked smile. She grabbed Joe's hand and pulled him towards the door. "Lets go!"
As Joe let himself be dragged away, he turned towards his brother calling out, "Hey, Frank! Do me a favor… DRIVE SLOW!"
"Really, really slow!" Vanessa added, her laughter echoing around them.
Shaking his head at the younger couple, Frank took his wife's hand as she began to give her statement. As he listened, the thought that had been nagging at him earlier returned even stronger. Why were he and Callie going to be allowed to simply walk away?
'They're professionals. Why would they leave witnesses who could identify them?' he mused, deciding to run it by Gray when he was done questioning Callie.
He had barely refocused on the question and answer session when a Network agent approached them, waiting silently to be acknowledged. Once Gray had given a nod of approval, the man addressed Frank. "He asked to speak with you."
Frank twisted in his seat, looking out the window in the direction indicated. Seeing Tom Carper staring at him from the backseat of a patrol car, he frowned. "What does he want?"
The agent shrugged. "Don't know. Said he'd only talk to you."
"Be right back." Frank squeezed Callie's hand and stood up. Following the agent outside, he walked to the car and looked at Carper warily. Saying nothing, he stood, waiting for the criminal to speak.
"Your wife never doubted you for a minute," the man said, a trace of envy in his voice. "She was absolutely certain you'd get her out of this somehow. Her devotion and belief in you was impressive." He stopped, waiting to see if Frank would respond, but got nothing but a stony silence. "Look I grew to like her and respect her a lot. I don't want to see anything happen to her. She doesn't deserve it."
"What are you talking about?" Frank snapped, as a knot began to form in his stomach.
Carper stared at Frank intently. "Did you really think we'd just let you walk away? The door to your cabin is wired with a bomb. It'll blow the second someone tries to open it. Whoever touches that knob will be incinerated. The only thing left will be a giant hole in the ground."
Frank turned and sprinted for the car at top speed as the knot in his stomach exploded.
'JOE!'