Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys and am making no money off this fic. Sorry this took so long as I was working on a super secret project which I am very excited about. Thanks to Susan Clark, Lina 59 and Candylou for the comments and as always reviews including constructive criticism are welcomed.
Frank waited for his eyes to adjust to the limited light that filtered in from under the closet door. Once he could make out his brother's form in the gloom, he began to twist and turn in order to get his mouth next to Joe's hands.
It seemed to take an age, but finally Frank was in a position where Joe could start getting the gag off him. He grunted to catch Joe's attention, then waited.
Joe caught on quick. He soon had one corner of the tape between finger and thumb and was yanking it upwards.
Frank gritted his teeth as the tape came away but after what seemed like an eternity, his mouth was free.
"Great," he said, "now roll over and I'll get your gag off."
He scooted back to give Joe the room to move. Soon, he heard the grunt that meant his brother was ready.
Frank felt around behind him until his fingers found Joe's face. He then felt around until his fingers encountered a smooth surface. He kept going until he found the edge of the tape. Frank took a corner of the tape and pulled upward.
"Ouch," Joe complained, once the tape was off, "couldn't you be a little more gentle."
"There's no time for that," Frank responded, "we've got to get free and stop Renee before she gets away with that egg and gets rid of any witnesses. If we sit back to back, could you get the tape off my wrists?"
"You got it," Joe said.
###
Nancy finished the last of her turkey club sandwich and watched as George forked up the last of her pasta. The two girls were sat at a table in the hotel cafe.
Just then, Nancy saw Luke walking by. He was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses and kept glancing around as if looking for someone.
"We've got to find out what he's up to," Nancy whispered, "Come on!"
The girls hurried to catch up with Luke. When they got close to him, they dropped back a little so that he wouldn't know that he was being tailed.
Luke boarded the escalator. Nancy and George were about to board when a suit clad businessman shoved in front of them.
"We're going to lose him," George said as they stepped onto the escalator.
"We won't" Nancy replied.
Nancy kept her eyes fixed on Luke the whole ride down to the lobby. They couldn't afford to lose him now. The key to the whole case might be within their reach.
Luke stepped onto the lobby floor. Nancy and George were close behind him. He took the elevator down to the underground garage.
From the shadow of a nearby minivan, Nancy watched as Luke got into a sedan which then sped off. She and George hopped into her Mustang and followed close on the sedan's tail.
As the Mustang kept up its pursuit of the sedan, the sky darkened and a few drops of rain hit the windshield.
"Looks like a storm's coming," George remarked.
Nancy didn't answer but instead kept her eyes fixed on their quarry.
They were heading out of town now. The landscape changed from businesses competing for space on the sidewalk to houses and eventually to empty fields dotted with the occasional farmhouse.
"Isn't Muskoka State Recreation Area out this way?" George asked.
"I think you're right, George."
"You know," George commented, "that place can get real empty at times. If I wanted to meet someone without any prying eyes, it would be at the top of my list."
"Then let's try and get ahead of them," Nancy said, turning off the main road.
The girls took a series of back roads until they reached the main entrance. Once inside, Nancy drove to a far corner. After parking up, the girls concealed themselves behind some nearby bushes.
The sedan arrived and Luke and Henrietta got out. They stood looking around before taking the trail that led to the river.
Nancy and George slipped into the woods that ran alongside the trail. The rain was falling harder now.
"What's the plan?" George asked as they crossed a small stream.
"We try and beat them to the river," Nancy answered.
"Do you think we'll make it in this weather?"
"I don't know, George. But we've got to try."
The rain and muddy ground made progress slow. The girls also had to make their way through thick undergrowth and cross more streams. At last the woods started to thin out and Nancy saw open space ahead.
Just as they were about to emerge onto the riverbank, Nancy stopped as her ears caught the faint sound of voices. "George, do you hear something?"
"Yeah, I think so. Sounds like three people. Two women and a man."
"Can you hang back a bit?" Nancy asked, "I'm going to see what's up."
George stood with her back against a tree. "I'll be right here. Be careful, okay?"
Nancy picked her way to the edge of the woods, careful not to dislodge any stones or pebbles that could make a noise and give her away.
She finally emerged onto the bank. The voices were clearer now. Nancy turned her head. She could see three figures outlined against the dark sky.
Her heart thumping in her ears, Nancy ducked back into the woods and inched her way along the treeline towards the voices. George joined her.
"Can you work out what they're saying?" George asked
"Not yet," Nancy replied, "I'm going to try get as close as I can without being spotted."
"Do you want me to circle around and come in from the other direction?"
"That would be great."
George melted into the trees while Nancy continued along the treeline. The voices were louder now. Suddenly, Luke's voice reached her ears.
" Let's not go doing something that we'll all regret." He sounded desperate, almost pleading. Nancy quickened her pace.
Finally, she drew alongside where the three figures were standing. What she saw nearly stopped her in her tracks.
Luke and Henrietta were stood close together. Facing them was Renee Watkins, a silver pistol gripped tightly in one hand.