Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the canon book characters, and am making no monies from this story. Any Original Characters belong to the author(s).

Note: This story was written in 2006, so technology was not as advanced as it is today. Co-written with RokiaHDA, who wrote back then under the name of Aspen.

Thank you, Cherylann, Max2013, Lina, and Candylou for leaving feedback on the last couple of chapters. So very much appreciated!

A Fiery December

By EvergreenDreamweaver and RokiaHDA

Chapter 28

"He's...not dead...is he?" Vanessa quavered. She was beginning to feel she'd seen enough bodies here in Hawaii to last her for awhile. She gulped, watching Fenton's hands moving over Quint. She'd been exasperated with the guy, and furious at his part in what had happened to Frank – but she certainly hadn't wanted anything like this to happen to him! She could feel Megan pressed tensely against her as they waited.

"No," the detective said at last, "but he's not good. Somebody – and my best guess would be Ekela – beat him. Badly." He reached into his pocket and brought out his cell phone. "You know," he added ruefully before he dialed, "if I was Dylan McCullough, I'd make it a point to avoid me after this...and I'd never sign up to be a liaison again!"

"It's not your fault!" Joe argued in defense.

"True – but still..." He punched in 911 and waited for the response.

#####

"Joe, I don't know what guardian angel prompted you, but I suspect you saved that kid's life. If he makes it." Fenton put an arm about his younger son's shoulders and squeezed as they walked back into the Island Resort Spa hotel. It was after ten o'clock, and all of them – Joe, Fenton, Vanessa and Megan – were dragging with weariness.

They'd waited in the humid darkness for the arrival of the ambulance, and then followed it to the Hilo Medical Center. Once there, they'd waited again, sitting around in the emergency room waiting area until a doctor had come out to tell them that Quint was stabilized – for now. He made no promises.

A police officer they remembered vaguely from the seminar had shown up at the hospital and taken down what information they had, promised to get all the info to Chief Pauahi and Lieutenant McCullough first thing in the morning, and then advised them to go back to their hotel and get some rest. Not one of them put up the slightest argument.

"I sure hope he makes it," Joe sighed. He felt Vanessa take his hand, and squeezed her fingers, grateful for the silent support. Frank's gonna be mad he missed all this!

"I hope so too – not only for humanitarian reasons, but because he's a vital link in finding out what all was going on," his father said grimly. He patted Joe's shoulder as they prepared to go into their own rooms. "Goodnight, kids; see you in the morning. And Joe? I'm proud as punch of you, son." He smiled at the girls. "I'm proud of all of you."

Tired as he was, Joe felt a warm glow filling him at his father's words of praise. He gave Megan a little squeeze, kissed Vanessa goodnight, and went into his room. Hearing the soft breathing of his sleeping brother with immense gratitude, Joe knew he could actually relax and sleep, for the first time in 48 hours.

#####

"He was where?" Frank stared across the table, dark eyes wide. "You're kidding me – man, what a bastard that Detective Ekela turned out to be! Poor Quint."

Joe, who had just finished telling him of their adventures the evening before, nodded and took a drink of juice. "Hope he makes it," he said soberly. "He didn't look good last night, Frank. It's a wonder he survived long enough for us to find him, you know?"

Frank shook his head grimly. His expression lightened as he glanced up and saw Megan and Vanessa approaching their table in the coffee shop. "Hello, baby," he murmured, and got to his feet to take Megan briefly in his arms.

"How are you feeling?" the little redhead asked him anxiously, settling into a chair beside him. Vanessa sat down across from her, completing the square.

"A whole lot better!" Frank assured them. "I'm still kinda sore in spots, from scraping across the lava, and a little fuzzy...whatever they kept making me drink, it's got a long-lasting effect – but overall, not too shabby."

Megan reached for his hand and clutched it tightly between her own, evidently reassuring herself that he was actually there with them. Frank returned the pressure gratefully. "Joe was just telling me about what you guys did last night, finding Quint," he continued.

"Poor Quint," Vanessa murmured. "Have you heard anything about him this morning?"

The boys shook their heads. "No, not yet," Joe said. "Of course, the hospital would probably call Dad, not us – but he'd let us know."

Megan and Vanessa made the rounds of the buffet breakfast and returned to the table with brimming plates; Frank and Joe went back for seconds. Once settled in, the four of them gave their full attention to their meal.

"Real food!" Frank exulted between bites of an enormous overstuffed omelet, hash browns, bacon, and blueberry muffins. "I think the last time I had anything to actually eat was...lunch, New Year's Day!"

"Wow!" Joe's tone was sincerely admiring. "And I thought I liked breakfast – you're going to outdo me this morning, bro!"

"You had dinner last night," Vanessa reminded him. "Frank didn't."

"True." Joe speared a slice of melon off his girlfriend's plate and ate it before she could utter a protest.

###

They were just finishing, lingering over cup after cup of fragrant Kona-blend coffee, when a tall figure entered the coffee shop and looked searchingly around. Joe raised a hand, and Dylan McCullough strode over to them. He annexed a chair from a nearby table and seated himself.

"May I?" He reached for an empty cup and the carafe of coffee in the middle of the table.

"Good morning, Lieutenant," Megan said demurely, her eyes dancing.

Dylan took a comforting gulp of coffee, set down the cup and said in a deceptively mild tone: "I hear you were busy last night!"

"Well, you know us, never satisfied until all the loose ends are tied up," Joe replied with a slight smirk. Vanessa lightly bopped him on the back of the head in gentle reproof.

McCullough shook his head in seeming disbelief. "Quint," he said softly. "You actually went out and found him...an absolutely vital witness...incidentally saving his life in the process."

"Have you heard how he is this morning?" Frank asked eagerly.

"I was going to ask how YOU were this morning," Dylan replied, eyeing the elder Hardy with a smile, "but it's pretty evident you're feeling better."

"Much. And – I don't really remember, but I hear you were instrumental in keeping me from toppling into the lava."

McCullough flushed a little. "I was actually instrumental in giving you a whole bunch of scrapes and scratches...but you're entirely welcome, Frank." He cleared his throat self-consciously. "And yes, I was called a little while ago by the hospital. Apparently the Hilo police gave them my name..." He took another sip of coffee, teasingly withholding the information from his curious listeners.

"And...?" Megan widened her eyes and batted her lashes a little.

Dylan gazed at her, then transferred the look to Frank. "You can't deny her anything when she does that, can you?" he asked quizzically.

Frank grinned and shook his head. "Worse, you don't even WANT to."

"Mmph. Okay, well, Quint made it through the night, and has been awake for a few minutes here and there this morning. The prognosis is guarded, but...hopeful."

"His leg...?" Vanessa remembered with a shudder the bloodied bone protruding through the skin of Quint's leg.

"Badly broken, but the surgery went well. He'll walk again...they think. He has several broken ribs, concussion, lots of cuts and bruises from the beating Ekela gave him—"

"It WAS Ekela?" Joe cut in sharply.

"Well, in one of his lucid moments, Quint said that 'the Kahuna' had done it to him. So...yeah."

"Could we see him?"

"Well...no, not yet." McCullough shook his head. "He's not really able to hold conversations just yet. Maybe in a day or two."

"But we have to leave day after tomorrow," Megan lamented.

"It's the 4th already? Jeez, why do I always miss out on half my vacations?" Frank grumbled.

Dylan eyed him curiously. "This has happened before?"

"More than you can imagine," Joe assured him.

"Frank, maybe after breakfast we could have a conversation," McCullough invited, leaving the subject of ruined vacations.

"As in, you'd like to take my statement?"

"Uh-huh. If you feel up to it?"

Frank thought about it for a moment. He was still the slightest bit fuzzy around the edges, but breakfast and coffee had helped immensely. He wasn't sleepy any more...and he was afraid that the more time passed, the more he would forget – and his memories were pretty sketchy as it was! "I think I'd like to do it this morning, yeah."

Dylan looked longingly at the buffet. "After a little while?"

Frank laughed. "Sure, Lieutenant."

"Go ahead and eat," Joe urged. He was surprised at how un-antagonistic he was feeling towards McCullough this morning. With Frank safe and sound, all his animosity had dissipated like dawn mist.

The police lieutenant obeyed without argument, returning a few minutes later to the table with two heaping plates. He settled in and began to eat with gusto. Frank continued to drink coffee, the other three exchanged glances and got to their feet.

"We're going to take off for awhile," Joe said, "so that you two can do your interview without an audience."

Dylan looked up, startled. "Didn't mean to run you off—"

"You aren't," Vanessa assured him. "We've been intending to play miniature golf ever since we got here, and now's the time to do it, before it gets hot and the course gets crowded. You can meet us there later," she added to Frank, who nodded assent.

#####

Laura and Fenton found them there, some time later, just finishing a round. Joe was in a highly triumphant lead, with Vanessa one stroke behind; Frank had purposely muffed a few shots to stay close to Megan, who cheerfully admitted that she was terrible at golf, even miniature golf, and proceeded to prove it with every hole she attempted.

"I win, I win!" Joe watched the ball trickle into the final hole with deep satisfaction. "Hardy skill triumphs again!"

"Not by much," his girlfriend reminded him, following his lead and sinking her own.

"Shall we concede?" Frank inquired, and Megan nodded with a rueful smile and picked up her ball.

"I know I'd come in last anyway, so it doesn't much matter," she said. She walked over to the entrance. "Good morning!" she added, to the Hardy parents.

"Could you expand the game to include two more?" Fenton asked with a smile. "We were looking for something to do." He didn't say what he was thinking: both he and Laura just wanted to stay in eyeshot of their older son as much as possible right now.

"Sure, Dad!" Joe pushed the little gate open to admit his parents. "Bet I can beat you all again!" he challenged.

"You're on," his father said, and went to pick out a club.

###

Three rounds later they decided to call it quits. Fenton had won once, Frank once – after Megan insisted he try instead of sticking at the rear of the pack with her – and Joe once. This, Joe insisted, made him the overall champion, since he'd won the previous games. Frank and Fenton graciously let him cling to his fantasy.

"Dad," Frank said, as they walked back towards the main hotel, "is there any chance at all that we can stay here longer? Not go back on the 6th?" Behind Fenton's back, he caught sight of Joe's enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Fenton looked surprised at the request. "Well, possibly," he hedged, "but why?"

"Well, for one thing, we – me especially – missed two days of it." Frank wasn't above leading with the sympathy card.

As Frank had known they would, both parents looked stricken. "Uh – what about school?" Fenton asked.

"It doesn't start until the 14th. We're fine."

"Girls, your mothers are expecting you home..." Laura paused, looking inquiringly at Megan and Vanessa.

Vanessa grinned cheerfully. "That's why they invented telephones," she quipped. "Really, my mom won't mind. She'll probably say she'd rather have me here than home lying around being bored anyhow!"

"And yours, Megan?"

"I think I can talk her around," Megan said with a whimsical smile. "And I'd truly love to stay longer if it's possible."

Frank leaned down to whisper in his girlfriend's ear. "Use the eyes on Dad, Baby. He'll cave!"

"Besides," Joe moved in for the kill, "we want to make sure all the loose ends are tied up with the case – and we can't talk to Quint yet; Lieutenant McCullough said it might be another day or two until he can see us!"

Fenton looked from one young face to the other, shook his head and admitted defeat. "I'll see if I can book us here until the tenth, how's that? And change the airline reservations."

"YEEEEESSSSSSSS!" Joe slapped palms with Frank; Vanessa hugged Laura and Megan daringly moved to put her arms around Fenton's waist. He hugged her back, laughing.

"Nice Kodak moment," a new voice interjected, and a smiling Chief Pauahi came out of the hotel lobby to meet them. "I've got some news for you," he said.