Highway from Hell
Chapter Fifteen
Frank, Chet, and Biff arrived at Jack's apartment to find no one there. They searched around the place trying to find a clue to where they had gone. Frank noticed the notepad beside the telephone. "Terrance's at 9 pm," he read aloud. "Let's go," he told the others.
They arrived outside Terrance's around ten thirty. Frank knew it was a long-shot, but he started inside, telling Chet and Biff to wait for him. As Frank started in, a man in a pair of navy blue jeans and a black tee shirt rushed forward and took his arm, pulling him away from the entrance and into the shadows. Chet and Biff rushed to Frank's aid but stopped short as they recognized his attacker.
"What are you doing here?" Chet demanded in surprise.
"Keeping an eye on Joe," Fenton replied. "Why are you three here?"
"Trey," Biff answered with a grimace.
Fenton's eyes narrowed as he waited for an explanation which Frank supplied him with in short order. "Let's go," he said, leading the way over to a van parked at the corner.
The four climbed into the back of the van. "What's happening?" Fenton asked one of the two men inside.
"Jack's laid the trap," Agent Mason replied. "They are leaving now."
"Boys, come with me," Fenton ordered, opening the van's door and jumping out. He led them to a car which was parked nearby and they climbed in. Frank sat in front with his father while Chet and Biff sat in the back.
"How did Agent Mason know they were leaving?" Chet asked after Joe, Jack and two other people climbed into a Buick and pulled out into traffic.
"Jack bought Joe a watch this afternoon which has a transmitter inside," Fenton explained as he followed the car carrying Joe and the others. Fenton glanced over at Frank's face. He seemed to be working on a problem. "What is it?" he asked his son.
"That woman--Joe said her name was Tara," Frank said, frowning.
"What about her?" Fenton inquired, stepping on the gas as the Buick picked up speed to pass a row of cars.
"I know I've seen her somewhere before," Frank replied.
Fenton pulled out to try and pass but saw a tractor-trailer coming up fast. After it had passed, Fenton edged around the other cars but the Buick was long gone. He pulled out his cell phone and called Agent Mason. "They've lost them," Fenton told the boys.
"Nurse Reddy," Frank said, looking over at his father. "That's who Tara is. She was the nurse I spoke to when I tried to see Joe at the foundation."
Fenton called Mason again. "Get an address for Tara Reddy," Fenton told him. "She's a nurse at the foundation as well as the red-head in the Buick." In less than five minutes Mason called back with an address.
Fenton pulled off the main road and came to a stop beside the van which had been ahead of them. The four of them climbed out of the car and into the van once again. "What's wrong?" Fenton demanded, seeing Mason's distresssed look.
"Jack and your son have been captured," he informed Fenton. "Someone was waiting when they arrived and blew Joe's cover."
"Trey," Frank said grimly.
"That was the name mentioned," Mason admitted.
"What's happening now?" Fenton asked.
"Jack has been taken to the basement," was the reply. "Roger and Tara have decided to keep Joe with them until they are out of the country. Apparently," Mason continued, "they haven't realized Joe's watch has a transmittter."
"Sir," came Agent Cortez's voice from the receiving console. "Joe has regained consciousness."
"Speaker," ordered Mason.
"Where's Jack?" Joe was asking.
"In the basement, for now," Tara answered him. "We'll have to eliminate him when Ken gets here."
"You were the supplier all along?" Joe asked her.
"No," Roger answered. "I was. Tara's job description is the same as Benton's was."
"You brought the heroin into the foundation," Joe accused Tara. "And had Ken keep your customers going."
"Of course," Tara admitted.
"Why did you single me out to work for you?" Joe asked her.
"You, your father and brother, are the reason we lost so much," Roger answered for Tara, standing in front of Joe and looking down into his eyes which were starting to return to normal. "It was only fitting for you to become what you all despised. I'm sure your father suffered greatly when he thought you had died. At least," he added, his eyes growning hard, "until you managed to get in contact with him."
"How did you pull off the overdose in the rec room?" Tara asked Joe, her face wrinkled in thought. "You were comatose."
"Someone grabbed me and stuck a needle in me before I could fight them off," Joe answered.
"Cory," Trey informed them.
"Have you got everything?" Roger demanded.
"All five hundred bricks," Trey replied.
"Do you have any prepared?" Tara asked.
Trey shook his head. "Why?" he asked.
"We need to keep Joe with us for awhile but we need him manageable," Roger answered for her. "Also, we need some for our friend in the basement. I'll fix it while you take the last load out," Roger said.
Tara ruffled Joe's blond hair affectionately. "Who knows?" she said, smiling down into his angry eyes. "Maybe by the time we are safely out of the country you really will be addicted. You may even give yourself the grand injection that ends your feeble life."
"The only people with feeble lives are those who cause suffering just to make a buck," Joe spat at her.
"All set," Roger said, coming over, needle in hand. "Ready for a ride?" he asked Joe, smiling as Tara pulled Joe's sleeve up, exposing his arm.
"He's not, but you are." Joe heard the wonderfully deep voice of his father. He looked over at the door and saw his father, brother, and friends standing there. "You're ready for a ride to the state pen," Fenton concluded.
"How sweet," Tara cooed. "You've come to see us off." She reached into her handbag to get her handgun but froze when she felt the barrel of a gun in her back.
"You're under arrest," Agent Mason said from behind her.
"What took you so long?" Joe demanded as several officers suddenly poured into the room.
"We had to wait for reinforcements," Mason informed Joe as Frank came over to untie him from the chair.
"We were listening," Frank told Joe. "There was a transmitter in your watch."
"I kind of figured that out," Joe told him. "Jack is in the basement," he added, noticing no one had gone after him.
"Officer Ollivander is down there now," Mason said. "They'll be up soon."
It was a happy group who arrived at the Hardy household shortly before sunrise. Joe crept upstairs and woke his mother, who squealed with delight as she pulled Joe into a huge bear hug which left him gasping for air. After she finally released him, he went to shower and change. By the time he had finished, Laura had dressed and gone downstairs to prepare a big breakfast for everyone.
Frank and Jack took turns filling Laura in on what had happened that evening. When they had finished, her eyes were bright. "What's wrong?" Joe asked in concern. His mom shouldn't be about to cry.
"I'm just happy to have all my men home and safe," she answered. Fenton reached over, took her hand, and squeezed it gently.
"What happened to the guy at the funeral home?" Biff asked. "The one who gave you the ashes that were supposed to be Joe's?"
The phone rang and Frank went to answer it while his father answered the question. "Agent Mason had him arrested before dinner last night," Fenton informed the group. "Falsifying cremations wasn't all he was into," Fenton continued. "He was caught stealing rings, watches, and other items which should have been returned to the families."
"That's sick," Chet commented and no one disagreed.
Frank hung up the phone and returned to the table with a huge grin on his face. "Give," Joe ordered.
"No one was talking until Jenny got busted," Frank said. "Then Trey decided to confess. He fingered Roger and Tara as being in charge and Ken as being the pusher at the foundation."
"We already knew that," Joe interrupted. "The DEA got it all on tape before you burst in to rescue Jack and me."
"Yeah," Frank agreed, still grinning. "But Trey also ratted on Danny and about eight other guys who were working as distributors. Agent Mason said this has turned into the biggest bust of the summer. They have enough evidence to lock them all up after searching their places."
Joe leaned back in his seat thoughtfully. "Too bad all this had to happen after Kenny died," Joe said quietly.
Fenton cleared his throat. "Joesph," he began but Joe interrupted him before he could begin.
"I know Dad," he said. "This entire mess could have been avoided if I had done what I was supposed to. You're right. I'm sorry. But I'm not sorry we stopped them," he added. "Actaully," Fenton said, smiling affectionately at his youngest son, "I was going make you a deal."
"What?" Joe asked suspiciously.
"I'll never forbid you to work on a case with your brother if you promise to never try and solve one without him," Fenton said.
"He promises," Frank repled for Joe before he could answer. "Because if he ever does, I'll break both his legs so he'll have to stay with me."
Everyone except Frank and Joe burst out laughing. Frank's eyes met Joe's and Joe new Frank had meant what he had just said. Joe smiled and lifted his glass of orange juice in a silent toast of consent.
End
Chapter Fifteen
Frank, Chet, and Biff arrived at Jack's apartment to find no one there. They searched around the place trying to find a clue to where they had gone. Frank noticed the notepad beside the telephone. "Terrance's at 9 pm," he read aloud. "Let's go," he told the others.
They arrived outside Terrance's around ten thirty. Frank knew it was a long-shot, but he started inside, telling Chet and Biff to wait for him. As Frank started in, a man in a pair of navy blue jeans and a black tee shirt rushed forward and took his arm, pulling him away from the entrance and into the shadows. Chet and Biff rushed to Frank's aid but stopped short as they recognized his attacker.
"What are you doing here?" Chet demanded in surprise.
"Keeping an eye on Joe," Fenton replied. "Why are you three here?"
"Trey," Biff answered with a grimace.
Fenton's eyes narrowed as he waited for an explanation which Frank supplied him with in short order. "Let's go," he said, leading the way over to a van parked at the corner.
The four climbed into the back of the van. "What's happening?" Fenton asked one of the two men inside.
"Jack's laid the trap," Agent Mason replied. "They are leaving now."
"Boys, come with me," Fenton ordered, opening the van's door and jumping out. He led them to a car which was parked nearby and they climbed in. Frank sat in front with his father while Chet and Biff sat in the back.
"How did Agent Mason know they were leaving?" Chet asked after Joe, Jack and two other people climbed into a Buick and pulled out into traffic.
"Jack bought Joe a watch this afternoon which has a transmitter inside," Fenton explained as he followed the car carrying Joe and the others. Fenton glanced over at Frank's face. He seemed to be working on a problem. "What is it?" he asked his son.
"That woman--Joe said her name was Tara," Frank said, frowning.
"What about her?" Fenton inquired, stepping on the gas as the Buick picked up speed to pass a row of cars.
"I know I've seen her somewhere before," Frank replied.
Fenton pulled out to try and pass but saw a tractor-trailer coming up fast. After it had passed, Fenton edged around the other cars but the Buick was long gone. He pulled out his cell phone and called Agent Mason. "They've lost them," Fenton told the boys.
"Nurse Reddy," Frank said, looking over at his father. "That's who Tara is. She was the nurse I spoke to when I tried to see Joe at the foundation."
Fenton called Mason again. "Get an address for Tara Reddy," Fenton told him. "She's a nurse at the foundation as well as the red-head in the Buick." In less than five minutes Mason called back with an address.
Fenton pulled off the main road and came to a stop beside the van which had been ahead of them. The four of them climbed out of the car and into the van once again. "What's wrong?" Fenton demanded, seeing Mason's distresssed look.
"Jack and your son have been captured," he informed Fenton. "Someone was waiting when they arrived and blew Joe's cover."
"Trey," Frank said grimly.
"That was the name mentioned," Mason admitted.
"What's happening now?" Fenton asked.
"Jack has been taken to the basement," was the reply. "Roger and Tara have decided to keep Joe with them until they are out of the country. Apparently," Mason continued, "they haven't realized Joe's watch has a transmittter."
"Sir," came Agent Cortez's voice from the receiving console. "Joe has regained consciousness."
"Speaker," ordered Mason.
"Where's Jack?" Joe was asking.
"In the basement, for now," Tara answered him. "We'll have to eliminate him when Ken gets here."
"You were the supplier all along?" Joe asked her.
"No," Roger answered. "I was. Tara's job description is the same as Benton's was."
"You brought the heroin into the foundation," Joe accused Tara. "And had Ken keep your customers going."
"Of course," Tara admitted.
"Why did you single me out to work for you?" Joe asked her.
"You, your father and brother, are the reason we lost so much," Roger answered for Tara, standing in front of Joe and looking down into his eyes which were starting to return to normal. "It was only fitting for you to become what you all despised. I'm sure your father suffered greatly when he thought you had died. At least," he added, his eyes growning hard, "until you managed to get in contact with him."
"How did you pull off the overdose in the rec room?" Tara asked Joe, her face wrinkled in thought. "You were comatose."
"Someone grabbed me and stuck a needle in me before I could fight them off," Joe answered.
"Cory," Trey informed them.
"Have you got everything?" Roger demanded.
"All five hundred bricks," Trey replied.
"Do you have any prepared?" Tara asked.
Trey shook his head. "Why?" he asked.
"We need to keep Joe with us for awhile but we need him manageable," Roger answered for her. "Also, we need some for our friend in the basement. I'll fix it while you take the last load out," Roger said.
Tara ruffled Joe's blond hair affectionately. "Who knows?" she said, smiling down into his angry eyes. "Maybe by the time we are safely out of the country you really will be addicted. You may even give yourself the grand injection that ends your feeble life."
"The only people with feeble lives are those who cause suffering just to make a buck," Joe spat at her.
"All set," Roger said, coming over, needle in hand. "Ready for a ride?" he asked Joe, smiling as Tara pulled Joe's sleeve up, exposing his arm.
"He's not, but you are." Joe heard the wonderfully deep voice of his father. He looked over at the door and saw his father, brother, and friends standing there. "You're ready for a ride to the state pen," Fenton concluded.
"How sweet," Tara cooed. "You've come to see us off." She reached into her handbag to get her handgun but froze when she felt the barrel of a gun in her back.
"You're under arrest," Agent Mason said from behind her.
"What took you so long?" Joe demanded as several officers suddenly poured into the room.
"We had to wait for reinforcements," Mason informed Joe as Frank came over to untie him from the chair.
"We were listening," Frank told Joe. "There was a transmitter in your watch."
"I kind of figured that out," Joe told him. "Jack is in the basement," he added, noticing no one had gone after him.
"Officer Ollivander is down there now," Mason said. "They'll be up soon."
It was a happy group who arrived at the Hardy household shortly before sunrise. Joe crept upstairs and woke his mother, who squealed with delight as she pulled Joe into a huge bear hug which left him gasping for air. After she finally released him, he went to shower and change. By the time he had finished, Laura had dressed and gone downstairs to prepare a big breakfast for everyone.
Frank and Jack took turns filling Laura in on what had happened that evening. When they had finished, her eyes were bright. "What's wrong?" Joe asked in concern. His mom shouldn't be about to cry.
"I'm just happy to have all my men home and safe," she answered. Fenton reached over, took her hand, and squeezed it gently.
"What happened to the guy at the funeral home?" Biff asked. "The one who gave you the ashes that were supposed to be Joe's?"
The phone rang and Frank went to answer it while his father answered the question. "Agent Mason had him arrested before dinner last night," Fenton informed the group. "Falsifying cremations wasn't all he was into," Fenton continued. "He was caught stealing rings, watches, and other items which should have been returned to the families."
"That's sick," Chet commented and no one disagreed.
Frank hung up the phone and returned to the table with a huge grin on his face. "Give," Joe ordered.
"No one was talking until Jenny got busted," Frank said. "Then Trey decided to confess. He fingered Roger and Tara as being in charge and Ken as being the pusher at the foundation."
"We already knew that," Joe interrupted. "The DEA got it all on tape before you burst in to rescue Jack and me."
"Yeah," Frank agreed, still grinning. "But Trey also ratted on Danny and about eight other guys who were working as distributors. Agent Mason said this has turned into the biggest bust of the summer. They have enough evidence to lock them all up after searching their places."
Joe leaned back in his seat thoughtfully. "Too bad all this had to happen after Kenny died," Joe said quietly.
Fenton cleared his throat. "Joesph," he began but Joe interrupted him before he could begin.
"I know Dad," he said. "This entire mess could have been avoided if I had done what I was supposed to. You're right. I'm sorry. But I'm not sorry we stopped them," he added. "Actaully," Fenton said, smiling affectionately at his youngest son, "I was going make you a deal."
"What?" Joe asked suspiciously.
"I'll never forbid you to work on a case with your brother if you promise to never try and solve one without him," Fenton said.
"He promises," Frank repled for Joe before he could answer. "Because if he ever does, I'll break both his legs so he'll have to stay with me."
Everyone except Frank and Joe burst out laughing. Frank's eyes met Joe's and Joe new Frank had meant what he had just said. Joe smiled and lifted his glass of orange juice in a silent toast of consent.
End