Here is the next chapter. Thank you so much for the reviews! Amber
Chapter 22
Vanessa held her son closer to her chest. Brooke said. We have an emergency ladder right here! She pulled it out of the closet. Joe went to the hallway and saw the smoke. He had to get Ford and Josh! He went to the farthest room first and got Ford, then he went down the hall and got Josh. Both were sound asleep. He hurried into the bedroom and shut the door. The smoke was already coming up the stairs. He coughed. Vanessa had pushed the fire alarm button on the security system panel. Joe coughing pulled the emergency ladder out of the box. He secured it to the window. He gave Brooke, Josh whom he secured with a towel. "Go! Down NOW!" Joe was securing Ford to his chest. He looked to Vanessa who was waiting until Brooke was at the bottom before climbing down.
Sophia ran out of her apartment. "Oh my god!"
She took Josh from a coughing Brooke. Vanessa came down next with Allen. Joe prayed that he could carry Alex and Ford down this ladder. He didn't have time to think about it. Focused, he said to Alex. "Son I need both hands. You have to hang on to daddy and don't let go."
"I won't let go daddy!"
Joe climbed down the ladder. He was sweating profusely from the heat. He wanted to get the kids away from the burning house. Whoever lit the fuse might be waiting in. He jumped down the last two rungs. Vanessa ran through the yard followed by Brooke who was trembling. Then Sophia, and Joe. He panted. "We need to get to the Culpepper's house. It's the closest."
Brooke said. "I can show you a back way."
Joe raised an eyebrow. "Can you now."
Fighting the embarrassed blush she said. "Yes, we won't go near the roads. It's off a hiking trail. We all live off it."
Joe whispered. "Lead the way."
Brooke took them to the trail. She made a right and followed a trail that went off that. She walked a few yards. Luckily the moon was bright. Brooke pointed. "There is Ben's backyard. Ben's outside watering the plants. BEN!"
He turned around and his eyes brightened. Then he was dropping the water hose and running. "Oh my god what happened to you?" He looked up at the black smoke. Ben's father came out of his home. "I smell...Brooke dear what happened?"
"I don't know. We heard glass break and a fire started." She burst into tears.
Ben pulled her into his arms. "You're safe, come inside."
Joe said. "I have to call my brother." He wasn't looking forward to the call either.
Frank was sleeping on the fold out bed beside Callie when his phone beeped an emergency alert from the alarm system. He frowned then paled. "Callie we have a house fire."
Callie sat up. "What?"
Frank accessed the security cameras. They weren't working now but at 2105 PM a male in a black hoodie walked up to the house. He threw a brick into their window followed by a bottle of flaming liquid. "Oh my god!" Callie gasped.
His phone rang. Frank saw the number of David Culpepper. "Hello? JOE! Is everyone alright? You got the kids out...okay what about Sophia, Joanne, and George? Sophia is with you...I'll call Joanne and George now. Get yourselves checked out at the hospital. I'm on my way. It was a molotov cocktail, a man threw a brick in the window then the cocktail."
Callie was on her feet. "Is our house destroyed?"
"I think so love, but the kids got out. I don't know about Joanne and George."
Callie hurled herself into Frank's arms. Frank held her tightly. "They're okay. Joe's going to get them all to the hospital. I'm going to have Sam go over there to escort them." He dialed Sam Radley. "Sam, some bozo just burnt down my house when five of the kids were inside. They're all safe. Joe was there, he and Vanessa got them all out. Get over to the Culpeppers that's where they walked too. Get them all checked for smoke inhalation."
Brooke was crying in Ben's lap. Sophie had Josh. Joe still had Ford strapped to his chest. His own chest was heaving from exertion. Vanessa soothed. "You need to sit babe you took most of the smoke."
Joe unwrapped Ford who started grinning at him. Joe smiled back. "Hey buddy. You can go back to sleep."
Ford looked over. "Bwooke."
Brooke heard her brother and was up like a shot. "Hey little man! Come here." She took him. "We're going to be okay." She touched her cheek to his and held him close.
Ben was rubbing her back. "Who would do this? It's so unreal!"
Joe said. "Between Frank and Callie they've locked up plenty of criminals. It could be anyone, Frank's been wanting to upgrade the security system of the house. Now Callie is going to give him free reign."
An urgent knock was heard at the door. Cassandra Culpepper came down stairs. She answered the door. "May I help you?"
Ben ran out to the hall. "Mom, that's going to be Sam Radley, he's a friend of Brooke's family. They're here."
Cassandra looked at the man in the doorway. "Hello sir."
Joe was about to stand up but Sam came barrelling down the hall. "What the hell happened? The house is in flames. I brought the ambulance here so they could check you guys."
Joe opened his mouth but Sam stopped him cold. "Don't even think about arguing with me Joseph Allen Hardy."
"I wasn't going to argue. Check the babies first. Give me the stethoscope." The medic came in. He handed Joe the stethoscope. Joe listened to Ford's lungs. "They sound clear." He gestured to one of his kids. "Next." Allen came over. Joe did this with everyone and checked his own. "We all sound clear but we need chest x-rays to be sure. Can you follow us in the suburban? Do you know if Joanne and George got out of the house?"
"They didn't get out Joe."
Brooke put a hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom. She threw up. Her emotions completely overwhelmed her. When the sickness passed she sat on the floor of the locked bathroom door and cried.
Frank sped to the Culpepper's house as fast as he could get there. He parked the car and sprinted to the steps. He saw the ambulance and was in a dead panic. He rang the bell then banged on the door.
Olivia Culpepper answered. "Mr. Hardy, they're here and okay."
Frank knew the child was telling the truth but had to see his kids for himself. He ran past the bathroom, (Ben was standing in the hallway) and into the den. The first child he saw was. "Ford!" He rushed forward, picked him up and held him tightly. "Hey buddy." Then his eyes fell on Josh in Sophia's arms. Frank looked around. "Where's Brooke?"
Ben called from the hallway. "She's in the bathroom sir. She's crying. We just found out that George and Joanne are dead."
Frank swallowed the bile in his throat. He knocked on the door. "Ladybug open the door." All Frank heard was her sobs. Frank pulled out his lock picks and opened the bathroom door with ease and stepped in. He gathered his poor daughter in his arms. "I've got you baby girl."
"Dad! Oh Daddy! Why is this happening?"
"We'll find out baby. Come out now. You need to get checked at the hospital."
"I'm fine."
Joe was in the doorway and he checked her lungs. "You need a chest x-ray and we need to check your blood."
Brooke's eyes burned. "Only if you do too. You were in there the longest with Ford and Alex."
"That couldn't be helped darling. We only had one ladder."
"I know that." She snapped.
Ben peered over Joe's shoulder. "Please babe stop being so stubborn. A second ambulance is coming to transport you guys."
David Culpepper said. "I'll ride in one of the ambulances. I've called Dr. Pike, he's at the ER and expecting you all."
Brooke said. "Fine."
Frank rode in the back of one of the ambulances carrying Ford. Brooke had Josh, and David climbed in last. Joe, Vanessa and their boys rode in the second ambulance. Sam followed in the suburban with his own sirens. Sophia had declined the transport since she hadn't been in the house.
Frank knew he had to call his father. He was dreading it. But if his father had seen the alert on the house. He shuddered. Fenton Hardy answered on the first ring. "Was anyone hurt?"
Frank swallowed. He had seen the surveillance footage he could tell by the anger in his voice. Frank answered. "Joanne and George couldn't get out of the house, they're dead. Joe, Vanessa, Brooke, and the boys all got out using the emergency ladder. We're on the way to the hospital to get them checked for smoke inhalation."
Fenton said. "Is Sam with you?"
"Yes sir."
"You're mother and I are on the way. Don't even think of arguing with me."
Frank didn't dare. It had been 10 weeks since his surgery. Fenton Hardy found that two observation rooms were being used for his family. His wife was right with him. He said. "Go to Frank. I want to get the story from Joe."
Laura nodded. She went into observation 7. Fenton squared his shoulders and went into observation 8. He saw his son's family. They looked pale but mostly unharmed. Joe looked at his father. His eyes brimming with tears. "That was too close. It sounded like a Molotov cocktail."
Fenton said. "I can confirm that. Frank's security caught it live. We have a description out as well as a picture to the media. We'll find the son of a bitch. There isn't a rock he can crawl under to get away from me."
Joe swallowed and thought. 'He's back!'
