CHAPTER 15- TRUST NO ONE.

Fenton Hardy watched the unfolding drama on the interstate in horror as the chopper he was riding in came in to land. He had the door open before the machine touched down. He jumped and ran towards his sons, one seemingly unconscious, the other the object of an armed stand-off with the law.

Fenton shoved past Gray and walked slowly towards Joe, allowing his son time to recognise him.

'Joe?' his deep, gravelly voice was tight. 'Son, it's over.'

Joe stared at the man in front of him, scarcely able to believe his eyes. 'Dad?' he said in a small voice.

'You're safe now, son. Put down the gun. Let us help your brother.'

Joe adjusted his grip on his weapon. It was still pointed at Gray. He glanced down at Frank, then up at his father, uncertain. He trusted his father implicitly, but he could have been taken in too. If Joe backed down the three of them could end up as captives.

'Joe?' Fenton's voice was firm, but Joe could see the shock and fear in his eyes. 'Agent White was working without consent. Gray had nothing to do with this. You know him. Put the gun down, son. I don't want you to get hurt.' He kept walking steadily towards his sons.

Joe shook his head. 'Dad, STOP!' he shouted. 'You can't believe them, dad, any of them. They're fooling you too! Dad, they'll kill all of us!'

Fenton stopped, not wanting to push Joe. He held his hands out to him. Unarmed. Not a threat. Here to help. 'Okay. I want to hear what happened. Everything. Your side of the story. I'll decide for myself. But first we have to get Frank to hospital and you have to put down the gun. You have my word nothing will happen to either of you.'

Joe stared at his father, knowing he was reeling off meaningless textbook hostage negotiation phrases but desperately wanting him to be right. He turned his head slowly, eyeing each one of the four guns trained on him by hands steadier than his own. No way out. The silence of the standoff was punctuated only by his own ragged breathing.

'Joe?' The voice was weak.

Joe gasped and looked down. It was Frank! Joe knelt down, gun still trained on Gray. Frank grabbed his hand and held it tight.

'Let it go Joe. You have to. You're gonna get hurt. Take a chance, okay?' He croaked.

Joe looked into his brother's eyes, then sagged in defeat. He slid his weapon towards his father, who bent to pick it up. As he did, the Sheriff's officer ran in, shouting 'kneel down and put your hands on you head or I'll fire'. Joe complied, mouth open, panting, eyes fearful. He looked towards his father.

Straightening up, Joe's weapon in his hand, Fenton Hardy strode over to the officer, swept the man aside and went to Joe. He knelt on the ground and wrapped his arms around him. 'It's okay, son, you did the right thing. You're safe now.'

Joe buried his face in his father's chest for a moment, then turned and watched the paramedics load Frank onto a stretcher. Frank smiled weakly at him, then shut his eyes again. Joe moved his head a little and watched Gray arguing with the Sheriff's officer. The Network wouldn't want the incident reported. Joe couldn't feel grateful. They would have their own reasons and his welfare wouldn't be amongst them. The Network had their own things in mind for him.

'Dad' whispered Joe. 'Give me my gun back.'

Fenton leaned back and looked at his son, shocked. He saw the fear still in his eyes. 'Joe, that's not a good idea.'

'Please Dad. You can't trust anyone.'

'How about a compromise? I've got your gun. And mine. And I'll stay with you and Frank until you say otherwise.'

Joe stared at him, then nodded.

Fenton stood up, held out his hand and pulled Joe to his feet. He took off his jacket and placed it around Joe's shoulders, then put a strong arm around his back. They walked together, alongside Frank, to the waiting ambulance.

…

Fenton Hardy sat studying his sons. While Frank was in theatre, Joe had filled him in on the basics of what the brothers had been through in Haven Falls. Joe's voice had been quiet, haunted. And now Fenton understood.

Fenton Hardy and Gray had already been en-route to Haven Falls when they received Frank's desperate phone call, having received the message from him requesting back-up the previous day. When they had diverted to intercept Joe and Fenton had first seen his sons on the interstate, he had assumed that his youngest son was exhausted, running on adrenaline and in shock, unable to accept their ordeal was over.

Fenton had been wrong. Not about the exhaustion, adrenaline or shock. But about the ordeal being over. It might be…..but they simply didn't know. Joe in particular could still be a target. His fears were well-founded and could yet prove to have been spot on.

Now Frank lay in his hospital bed, propped up on pillows, leg bandaged and slightly raised. He was pale, his face frozen in thought. Joe was seated on a chair beside the bed, wearing Fenton's jacket, fidgeting nervously. He must have been wearing a shoulder holster matching Frank's until recently. His newly bandaged right hand periodically patted the place where the gun would have sat, subconsciously looking for reassurance but finding nothing. Fenton's lips narrowed. Joe was blatantly feeling vulnerable. Insecure.

He watched both of his sons' eyes fixing on everyone that came through the room, assessing potential risk. Frank's gaze flicked to his brother on a regular basis. Was he seeking reassurance for himself or was he concerned about his sibling? Or both?

Fenton sensed he still didn't know all that had happened, but the change in his boys was marked. This experience had shaken them deeply.

….

Joe's hand went towards his phantom gun again as a new face came into Frank's room. It was Gray. Joe stood up, back to the wall. 'Well Gray, what did you find?' he growled.

Arthur Gray looked from one brother to the other. There was uncertainty in his eyes- not something they had seen before.

'Nothing. The town was deserted.'

'What?' Frank was incredulous. 'What about the base on the mountain?'

'Burnt to the ground. I'm sorry. I don't want you to think I don't believe you. I know you well enough to believe every word. But the area has been sanitised. Professionally. There's nothing left to find.'

'What about the men we tied up. And the bodies?'

'Nothing. I'm happy to take you there, once you feel up to it. You can see for yourselves.'

'That's okay. If we want to go, we can manage ourselves, thanks.' Frank's tone was cold. Fenton looked carefully at him. Joe clearly wasn't the only one who had lost faith in the Network.

Gray looked at each man in turn. 'What White was doing- the rest of the Network didn't know. Really. I would never have put him on to you if I'd known what he was planning.' He paused. 'I feel terrible. Responsible.'

Joe glared at him. 'You have to be kidding!' he hissed, furious. 'How can no one have known?! White was on that project for years! What did the Network think he was doing- bloody stamp collecting? That's bull! Who's sanitised the area, Gray? Use your head!'

Gray looked rattled. He looked intently at Joe. 'Let me make one thing clear….' At the sound of the word 'clear', both brothers gasped audibly. Frank whipped his head around to look at Joe, who had braced himself against the wall, fear in his eyes.

But nothing happened! Joe let out a slow shaky breath, gazing at Frank. The same two thoughts were in the brothers heads. The word had had no effect! Whether the drug was finally out of Joe's system, or if it had only been Mills' voice that could produce that effect, or whatever the reason, it appeared that Joe was free of that at least. But….had Gray used it deliberately? Had their tired minds imagined the emphasis he had put on the seemingly inoffensive word?

'Everything okay, boys?' concern was evident in Fenton's voice.

Frank nodded. Joe didn't respond, his distrustful gaze fixed on Gray.

Gray regarded them in apparent bewilderment. 'As I was saying, let me make one thing clear. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I'll be in touch.' He smiled grimly at Fenton, then left.

Joe walked to the door, checking he had gone. He closed it firmly. 'Dad, this is huge. It's all been covered up already! This was the government. Our government! Gray says he knew nothing, but he would say that, wouldn't he. So will everyone who's asked! And I'm damn sure that's not the end of it. This thing they've developed….it's too good. They won't give that up.'

Frank nodded, looking at their father in earnest. 'So what's your take, Dad? Who's responsible?'

Fenton shook his head slowly. 'I'm still taking it in. I'm shocked, boys. Honestly, completely shocked that a government agency has done these things to US citizens. And I don't know the answer. I don't know who knew. I hope Gray didn't. For his sake.' Fenton's face screwed up in anger for a moment. If the man who he'd come to think of as not just a competent colleague but, on some levels, a friend, had offered his sons up as guinea pigs, he would kill him. 'I'll promise you this. I'm going to find out.'

Frank and Joe exchanged a look. Their father was a formidable force at the best of times, but when his family was involved….

Joe started pacing the room. 'Who can we really trust now? I want to believe there was just a handful of rogue agents involved, paying off a handful of people. I really do. But it makes no sense! So, until further notice the police are out. Can't trust them. The government's out, big time. Tyler told Frank they would never let me get away! Mills said the same. There's a fair chance some of them still want to bloody dissect me! Or try to control me again.' he put his hand on his forehead for a moment, then looked over at his brother. 'So who do we trust?' He flopped back down in the chair by Frank's bed, gazing at his big brother intensely.

Frank grabbed Joe's hand, holding it firmly. 'Let's keep it simple, Joe. We trust Dad' he smiled at their father, 'And Mom, Aunt Gertrude, Callie, Vanessa. Our closest friends. And each other.' He looked closely at Joe. 'We can always trust each other. Everyone else…we'll play it by ear.'

Joe smiled sadly at his big brother. 'Team Hardy against the world?'

'Yeah. Until further notice…..Team Hardy against the world.'

THE END