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).

This story was originally written in the early 2000s. There are many technological differences from today's world. Co-written with RokiaHDA, who wrote back then under the name of Aspen.

September Reprise

By EvergreenDreamweaver and RokiaHDA

Chapter 37

I can't believe I left campus without my backpack! First it gets left in the car after the accident, now I go off and leave it…. Megan berated herself, sighing as she drove from her home to Bayport Community College once more. It's a wonder I ever get any homework done, at this rate! Still, she was secretly rather pleased to have an excuse to drive her sporty little turquoise Sunfire some more. She patted the steering wheel affectionately as she parked and got out. Sit…stay! she commanded it silently, and giggled to herself. Frank would say I've been out in the sun too long, if he heard me doing that….

She hurried across the campus to the building where she'd had her last class, crossing her fingers that this was, indeed where she had left the backpack – and that no enterprising student, teacher, or janitor had picked it up yet! It would be a major pain to try and get it back, if some well-meaning soul had done so! Ascending to the classroom, she was relieved to see it was empty. She had worried that there might be a class going on, which would have meant she'd have to wait until it was over – but the room was blissfully free of other people. And a second bit of luck, no one had come by to lock it for the night! Maybe there's another class here this evening. Slipping into the deserted classroom, Megan spotted her purple backpack sitting near her usual seat by the window. She retrieved it, and exited the room, pulling her cell phone from its pocket as she did so.

"Frank, it's me," she announced, smiling as she heard his 'Hey, baby, how are you?' in return. "I'm fine; I'm back at school." Megan paced slowly down the hallway towards the stairs, phone clamped to her ear as she walked.

"Why are you back there?" Frank sounded puzzled, as indeed he might.

"Because I've only got about half my brain cells working; I went off and left my backpack in class," she responded, laughing. "I got shanghaied by Kristen Forbes and Merise Kincaid right after class – they wanted to see my new car. And I was so happy to oblige them, I forgot about picking up my backpack. I was all the way home before I realized I didn't have it!"

Frank chuckled. "You weren't driving without your license, were you?" he chided jokingly, trying without much success to sound severe.

"Nope!" she answered triumphantly. "It was in the car, in that cute little pocket in the console."

As they spoke, Megan could imagine Frank sitting in the office at Wayne's World, leaning back in the chair, his feet propped up on the desk; a pose that she'd seen him in more than once when she'd visited him at work. She smiled fondly as she pictured him there. "What are you doing tonight?" she murmured, hoping he'd suggest getting together.

"I'm about to get off work – my last day here for two weeks. Since I'm getting this dratted cast off tomorrow, I'm supposed to take the next couple of weeks off. The doctor warned me that my arm is going to be almost more useless than it is now, until I get some serious physical therapy behind me." Frank sighed, but then his tone brightened again. "But I'm so glad to get it off, I don't care. Having the weight gone…you can't imagine how good that'll feel. I'll feel like things are getting back to normal, once it's off. And…" he dropped his voice significantly, "I'll be able to hold you with both arms again!"

Megan's laughter rippled softly. "That sounds very nice," she said demurely. "I feel good too," she continued happily. "Everything's almost healed – and I have a new car!"

"When I get off work, how about if I come back by campus and we can go for a ride in that new car?" Frank proposed. "If you don't mind dropping me off back at the school when we're done, that is. Do you have studying you need to do? I've already finished up my stuff; I have lots of spare time here."

"I have a little, but if you could get here fairly soon, I'd love to go for a drive with you," she answered. "It sounds like fun!" In fact, it sounds like a very nice idea, her thoughts ran simultaneously with her conversation. We could go out the Shore Road and park on the bluffs overlooking the Bay for awhile….

"Good, I'll come by campus as soon as I'm done here," Frank said. "Can you hang for about half an hour?"

"Sure – it's nice out. I'll just sit on a bench and start studying while I'm waiting," Megan assured him. "See you in 30."

"I love you, Baby…." Frank sounded almost wistful.

"I love you too," she murmured, and hung up.

The autumn evening was almost spectacularly lovely. Megan found a convenient bench in the level rays of the setting sun, and sat down. If it wasn't for the marred, blackened buildings visible from here, the view would be lovely too, she thought, shaking her head ruefully. She checked her watch – approaching 6:00, she noted. Frank would probably get off work then. It would be starting to get dark by seven. Oh well, even better for parking on the bluffs!

Megan had just pulled her Music Appreciation book from her backpack when she glanced across the street, and froze stiff in her seat…

…a stocky figure dressed in unremarkable clothing was striding purposefully across the campus, a brown leather-like backpack on his back. Megan stared, dry-mouthed at the sight of the symbols on that backpack, and at the logo she glimpsed on the green sweatshirt he wore. The young man glanced from side to side as he strode along – and Megan felt a thrill of fear go through her.

Kirk Moncrief was looking directly into her eyes!

#####

Tonight's the night…have to act again tonight. Kirk Moncrief leaned back in his car seat, and rubbed his eyes wearily as he thought about his plans for the evening. He'd worked long and hard on those plans. His uncle was weakening in his stance, Kirk was sure of it. Or if he wasn't, he might soon be replaced anyway. One more burning – one more structure up in flames – and he'd give Kirk what he wanted – or get fired. Fired! Kirk laughed mirthlessly as the black humor of the pun struck him. A new college president would change things, so that the Adirondack Project would be approved, surely! All he'd have to do was ask – make the request. They couldn't all be as pigheaded as Uncle Charles, could they?

The Adirondack Project – it was his mission in life to see that it got approved and used, Kirk realized. If he didn't, what would happen to the animals? He had to save them – save them from a lifetime of torture and degradation! He'd tried other ways – he'd tried working with the A.S.P.C.A., to make changes in the animal-rights laws – but they were too slow! Lobbying – sending letters – it didn't work the way he wanted. It wasn't fast enough.

The Adirondack will protect them! They'll be safe, then. For it was a revolutionary new way of using plants for experimentation, instead of animals. Granted, plants were different, but…but it will work, I'm sure of it! Those test results were wrong – they just didn't try it enough times! And Uncle Charles and the rest of the college higher-ups – they're just greedy! They'd siphon off the money from the project budget into other areas that interested them more. Athletics! Art! Hah! They didn't care.

Kirk got out of his car and opened the hatchback, taking out the backpack and sweatshirt which rested within. He opened the backpack, quickly checking to make sure he had everything he needed. Paper…he chuckled a little, seeing the stacks of Students For Earth fliers he'd gathered up…scraps of wood…wooden matches, the kind that didn't burn out quite so fast as book matches…his ball of shoelaces, there for luck, although you never could tell when something like that might come in handy. Yes, everything was there. I'll have to be careful, tonight – don't want to set myself on fire! But that was okay, he was always careful about setting the fires. He always made sure no one got hurt, himself included. That's why he'd pulled the fire alarm before he left the Art Building.

There's something so nice and simple about fires. Powerful, too. Fires are so easy…you just have to be careful, that's all.

And Kirk was always careful.

He grinned, seeing that ball of shoestrings. He'd collected quite a few, over time. He was always saving the shoelaces from worn-out sneakers, or other shoes. At first just his own, but now people in his apartment building who knew about it – they sometimes gave him some. And people on campus who were his friends or acquaintances, too. It was a harmless hobby, it was recycling, and after all, you never knew when you might want something tied up! Plants…a lost dog running loose…there was always a use for old shoestrings.

Kirk slipped the green sweatshirt on, and hefted his backpack into place, then closed the trunk. He looked around cautiously. He didn't want to draw undue attention to himself. He didn't want people to pay any attention to what he was doing, or where he was going. I've got to make this look natural – can't let people see what I'm doing. Can't be caught…I've got to accomplish the mission!

Sedately, Kirk paced across the campus toward his goal. It stood taller than many of the buildings on campus. Very visible – and very attainable. It was rock-covered on the bottom, but the top – the top would burn. It would make a beautiful bonfire – a symbol, blazing in the night! Yes, that would be the best thing. And everyone who saw it would see it, and know – and Uncle Charles would know too!

Kirk kept on walking, across the street and down the sidewalk which led to his objective. As he did so, he looked around a little – and to his surprise, he caught sight of a very familiar face and figure. Megan! The pretty little redhead from his classes. She was sitting on a bench, that shocking purple backpack beside her, holding a book. Kirk felt his shoulders slump. He had thought she was so nice…well, she was nice – but she was taken; she hung around with that Hardy creep! The one who was supposed to be the hotshot detective, him and his brother. Kirk started to turn away, but he couldn't resist looking in her direction again.

He winced as his eyes met hers, and he turned swiftly and walked away, moving faster.

I'm not going to let anyone stop me! Not anyone! Not the cops – not my uncle. Not the Hardys. Not even Megan Wright! I'll do whatever it takes to accomplish my mission.

Anything.