Hi everyone! I'm back, and so is our favorite gang of intrepid sleuths. Thank you all for your lovely words about the last chapter, I've taken all your feedback and thoughts on board. I hope you like this chapter because things are going to heat up a bit in here. Don't forget to tell me what you think in the reviews.

Gotta mention it, as always: I do not own the rights to ND, HB, or the ND/HB characters or story. This is entirely a work of fanfiction and is not affiliated in any way with the aforementioned titles, which belong to Simon & Schuster publishers.

Joe's lower lip trembled, then to Frank's horror, the younger Hardy brother began to cry. Big, ugly tears splashed down Joe's cheeks, and he did nothing to stop them. It was like that little gold circle had broken him in two.

Frank wrapped an arm about his brother's shoulders and drew him roughly back into a thick, untamed hedge, out of sight of the cameras. Then, he handed Joe a handkerchief.

"Shush, Joe. It's alright. Come on. I need you to be strong if you're going to help me find him." He glanced at Nancy over Joe's blonde head. "Dad never takes his ring off," he said soberly. "It's not a good sign."

Nancy rubbed Joe's arm. She could tell Frank was fighting hard to maintain his composure too. But he was right. They'd be no good if they were all in tears.

But thankfully she didn't need to say anything.

Joe was smart, and he'd been through hell many times. So, after heaving with a few heart-wrenching sobs, he straightened his shoulders and rubbed his eyes roughly with the back of his sleeve. "If he's in there…"

"We'll get him out. That seems to be the main entrance there. Are you alright to go in?"

Joe's reddened eyes blazed with anger. "I'm ready to beat these bozos to a pulp-"

"I know, buddy. But we've got to be careful. Remember what you were saying before, in the car? Now is not the time to be racing in there with guns blazing. Not if we want to get dad out safely." Frank gave Joe a firm squeeze. "We've got to do this smart."

Nancy was glancing out of the sanctuary of the shrub. "It's quiet. I haven't seen anyone. We'll need to split up and try to find a way in. Are you sure you know where all the cameras are?"

"Mostly. I made a note."

Joe was distracted, slipping out into the deep darkness. He signaled to a broken window, motioning the other two forward. It was about a foot off the ground, easy enough to clamber into. Frank even offered his assistance, but Nancy, at 5'9 had no difficulty using her long, athletic legs to scale the small step and drop lightly inside the warehouse.

The interior of the warehouse was a large, empty room. From the dust and the elegant drape of cobwebs, it was clear the building had lain empty for some time. However, smeared footprints disturbed the dusty floor.

Nancy shone her torchlight around the cavernous space. "We're clear," she said.

Frank nodded, and the two followed Joe who had immediately begun chasing the footprints.

They lead to the rear of the building, where a huge, heavy door swung forlornly open. From the thickness of it and the windowless concrete space, the trio surmised that it had been used as a chilled storeroom. But the ominous reality was that it also served as a good prison. After all, there was no way to see in. And the only exit was the door, which could be bolted and secured, making the storage room soundproof.

"Someone's been here," Joe said glumly, pointing to a discarded blanket and a plastic water bottle. "But they're long gone now."

Frank pulled out his phone, then took a few photos. "I'm going to call the police," he said.

The police weren't much help. Chief Johnson told them she couldn't be sure their father had been there. The blanket and bottle could have been left by a homeless person, and the ring could have been dropped by their father when he was investigating. After all, the warehouse had been connected to his investigation.

Nancy and Frank didn't mention that the woman seen leaving the warehouse was Karen Chircop, as they didn't want to tip their suspect off.

Instead, they had to nod and thank the police for their time.

Joe wasn't so compliant. He shook with rage. "But we were here," he protested. "Earlier today. And we didn't see the ring. How can you explain that?"

Frank took Joe's arm. "Come on. We could have missed it. But the light of our torches could have picked it up, you know, the shine." Quickly, he spoke to Johnson over Joe's head. "Thanks again. Sorry for taking up your time."

Once they were safely in the car Joe exploded. "What was that?"

"That was me trying not to alienate the police. We need them on our side."

"But what if dad is bleeding to death in a ditch somewhere?"

"There was no evidence of a struggle in there, Joe," Nancy said. "No blood, no scrapings. And they moved him before we could get there. That's a good sign. It means they want to keep him alive."

Joe settled back in his seat, his face stricken. "Gee. What a consolation."

Frank was about to snap out a retort but one look at Joe's normally bright, boyish face snapped his jaw closed. This was the second time he'd seen his younger brother so downcast. It made him feel uncomfortable like he'd failed as a big brother, somehow.

Nancy read the thoughts written clearly on his face. She reached across and squeezed his hand. "We all just have to stay strong. Neither of you is to blame for this, your anger and disappointment need to be directed at the people who took your dad. And we're going to find him, okay? We just need to work together."

Joe glowered. "We know who took him. She had all that stuff."

"We'll work together," Nancy repeated. "But now, we need to sleep."

Frank hated to admit it, but Nancy was right. He could hardly keep his eyes open. But saying it out loud felt like he was letting his dad down, somehow.

When Nancy returned to her room, she felt exhausted. All her conviction had been a front, just for the two brothers. Alone, and out of sight she felt herself crumble. Her head ached and her bones felt heavy inside her skin. She popped a couple of painkillers and sat on the end of her bed, head in her hands. She closed her eyes and willed for strength and resilience. But when she opened her eyes, she still felt sapped of strength and stamina.

A knock on the door made her rise to her feet.

She opened it, wishing whoever was on the other side would just go away. Her dad, Bess, Frank, Joe… she needed time out. Just one night, or at least whatever she had left of it. She didn't expect to see Finn standing there for the second time in twenty-four hours.

"Finn, no offense but-"

He pushed past her into the room and closed the door behind her.

Nancy was too shocked to protest. He was normally so gentle and friendly.

He turned to her, apologizing. "Sorry, I just… I'm supposed to be on a flight home. No one knows I'm here." Seeing her shocked face, he hurried on. "Look, it's just… I heard one of the Chicago taskforce agents on the phone. They've sent your Glock to the Chicago PD for testing."

Nancy sat down with a sudden thud. "What?" was all she could manage.

"Yeah. I know. From what I could gather you're a suspect in Chircop's murder."

"But… I was sitting right there. Right next to him, on a stage in front of... hundreds of people."

"I know, Nan. But they think you were involved, somehow. Obviously, I'm not going to know all the particulars, but I know this: you're in really big trouble."