Road to Heaven
Chapter Fifteen
Biff, by far the largest of the group, ran full blast into the door, his arm flexed as he connected with it. The door crashed open, splinters of wood flying in every direction as he barreled intot he room. Chet tackled Smyte, who had jumped to his feet from the sofa when the door burst open, pushing him back into a chair which toppled over. Chet's fist slammed into the man's surprised face as the others raced into the bedroom where Frank was shouting at the men to untie Joe and give him CPR.
Fenton decked Davenport with a swift right uppercut as Biff threw himself at Andrews. The two fell wrestling to the floor as Fenton rushed over to Joe.
Joe had indeed quit breathing and Fenton pulled out his knife and began hacking away at the ropes which bound Joe to the bed. Officer Riley and Agent Mason, who had followed Mr. Hardy and the boys inside rushed into the melee. Con came over to help Fenton with Joe while Agent Mason helped Biff subdue Andrews. It didn't take long to get the ropes off Joe. They lifted him off the bed and placed him on the floor.
Chet came into the room as Fenton began CPR on Joe. Con was radioing for an ambulance so Chet untied Frank who hurried over to kneel beside Joe, prepared to take over CPR when his father got tired.
Within ten minutes, the ambulance had arrived and taken Joe to the hospital. Frank nor Fenton had been allowed to ride in the ambulance because Joe had regained consciousness but kept convulsing.
The police and DEA took control of the prisoners and blocked off the apartment. Agent Mason informed the Hardys the prisoner's vehicles would be impounded and searched and search warrants for Davenport's jewely shop and home were being issued.
Biff drove the Hardys and Chet to the hospital where Fenton called Laura and asked her to meet them. It was almost three hours before Joe was stabilized and placed in a room on the fourth floor. Someone would have to remain with him at all times. Unfortunately, Bayport Memorial wasn't set up to deal with drug addictions. The following morning, Joe would be transferred to The Edna Dulcimer Foundation where he would be placed on a heorin withdrawal regiment which would eliminate his dependency while reduciong the risks associated with withdrawal.
Con Riley dropped in late that evening to update the Hardys on the case. Chet and Biff had left earlier. "Smyte confessed to helping kill Kenny Wallace," Con told them. "He also told us where to find their latest shipment of heroin."
"So you have enough evidence to put them all away?" Laura asked, her face hopeful.
"More than enough," Con concurred. "Davenport was running a diamond smuggling operation on the side. His jewelry store was the perfect front. The cases which were imported from Africa that carried his legitimate merchandise also contained the contraband."
"What about the heroin?" Frank asked. "How did it get through customs?"
"That, we don't know," Con answered with a frown. "The DEA are still questioning the men but only Smyte is talking and he doesn't know who the supplier is."
"Excuse me," Nurse Johnson said, coming into Joe's room. "All but one of you will have to leave now." Con stood up and said he's visit Joe when he was feeling better.
Laura stood up and leaned over her still unconscious son. She kissed his cheek and pushed his hair a little further away from his face. "I'll see you tomorrow baby," she whispered softly then moved away so Fenton could say goodbye.
Fenton bent over Joe, kissed his cheek and stood up. His eyes wre bright with remorse as he stared down at his son. "I'm so sorry Joe," he said. "If only I'd taken you with me and Frank this wouldn't have happened."
Frank, who overheard, looked up at his father. "No," he told him. "He would be dead and so would I."
"What?" Fenton asked, confused.
"They knew Joe from the beginning," Frank told him. "If he and I had shown up as the new dealers like you had originally planned, they would have been suspicious and maybe even known right away it was a set-up."
"You're right," Fenton replied with a sigh. He had a thoughtful look on his face as he continued. "You two are pretty well known around town. Davenport may have even recognized Joe when Kenny kidnaped him." He looked down at Joe. "It's still not right though," he said. Joe had followed his orders and had been hurt for it. 'What kind of father am I?' he thought.
Laura and Fenton left, leaving Frank alone with Joe. Frank finally fell asleep in the chair beside Joe. He had no idea how long he had been asleep but when he heard gagging he had to force his eyes open. His body aching, he jumped from his chair and rushed over to Joe's side, hitting the call button when he reached it.
"Yes?" the nurse on call asked.
"He's having a seizure," Frank said, trying to hold Joe down so he couldn't hurt himself. A minute later, a nurse and two orderlies came running into the room and told Frank to wait in the hall. As he left, a doctor went inside.
Frank leaned against the wall, slowly sinking to the floor. He sat there with his head on his crossed arms resting atop his knees until the doctor left Joe's room. "Mr. Hardy," the doctor said, approaching him. Frank stood up, his face pale and anxious.
"He's awake now, but very ill. He could have another seizure at any time. Don't let him out of your sight even to go to the bathroom."
"I won't," Frank promised. "Do you have any idea how long it will take for the drug to leave his system?" he asked before the doctor could leave.
"That really depends on your brother," the doctor replied.
"What do you mean?" Frank demanded.
"Heroin causes a mental addiction as much as a physical one. Users, teens especially, become addicted because they enjoy the feeling of euphoria it gives them."
"Why teens especially?" Frank inquired.
"They ususally start experimenting in their rebellious phase," the doctor explained. "Their brains are more suspectible to change and the heroin is more easily incorporated into their system."
"So what you're saying is that if Joe is in his rebellious stage then..." Frank started.
"Then his detox could last a long while."
Continued in Highway from Hell
Chapter Fifteen
Biff, by far the largest of the group, ran full blast into the door, his arm flexed as he connected with it. The door crashed open, splinters of wood flying in every direction as he barreled intot he room. Chet tackled Smyte, who had jumped to his feet from the sofa when the door burst open, pushing him back into a chair which toppled over. Chet's fist slammed into the man's surprised face as the others raced into the bedroom where Frank was shouting at the men to untie Joe and give him CPR.
Fenton decked Davenport with a swift right uppercut as Biff threw himself at Andrews. The two fell wrestling to the floor as Fenton rushed over to Joe.
Joe had indeed quit breathing and Fenton pulled out his knife and began hacking away at the ropes which bound Joe to the bed. Officer Riley and Agent Mason, who had followed Mr. Hardy and the boys inside rushed into the melee. Con came over to help Fenton with Joe while Agent Mason helped Biff subdue Andrews. It didn't take long to get the ropes off Joe. They lifted him off the bed and placed him on the floor.
Chet came into the room as Fenton began CPR on Joe. Con was radioing for an ambulance so Chet untied Frank who hurried over to kneel beside Joe, prepared to take over CPR when his father got tired.
Within ten minutes, the ambulance had arrived and taken Joe to the hospital. Frank nor Fenton had been allowed to ride in the ambulance because Joe had regained consciousness but kept convulsing.
The police and DEA took control of the prisoners and blocked off the apartment. Agent Mason informed the Hardys the prisoner's vehicles would be impounded and searched and search warrants for Davenport's jewely shop and home were being issued.
Biff drove the Hardys and Chet to the hospital where Fenton called Laura and asked her to meet them. It was almost three hours before Joe was stabilized and placed in a room on the fourth floor. Someone would have to remain with him at all times. Unfortunately, Bayport Memorial wasn't set up to deal with drug addictions. The following morning, Joe would be transferred to The Edna Dulcimer Foundation where he would be placed on a heorin withdrawal regiment which would eliminate his dependency while reduciong the risks associated with withdrawal.
Con Riley dropped in late that evening to update the Hardys on the case. Chet and Biff had left earlier. "Smyte confessed to helping kill Kenny Wallace," Con told them. "He also told us where to find their latest shipment of heroin."
"So you have enough evidence to put them all away?" Laura asked, her face hopeful.
"More than enough," Con concurred. "Davenport was running a diamond smuggling operation on the side. His jewelry store was the perfect front. The cases which were imported from Africa that carried his legitimate merchandise also contained the contraband."
"What about the heroin?" Frank asked. "How did it get through customs?"
"That, we don't know," Con answered with a frown. "The DEA are still questioning the men but only Smyte is talking and he doesn't know who the supplier is."
"Excuse me," Nurse Johnson said, coming into Joe's room. "All but one of you will have to leave now." Con stood up and said he's visit Joe when he was feeling better.
Laura stood up and leaned over her still unconscious son. She kissed his cheek and pushed his hair a little further away from his face. "I'll see you tomorrow baby," she whispered softly then moved away so Fenton could say goodbye.
Fenton bent over Joe, kissed his cheek and stood up. His eyes wre bright with remorse as he stared down at his son. "I'm so sorry Joe," he said. "If only I'd taken you with me and Frank this wouldn't have happened."
Frank, who overheard, looked up at his father. "No," he told him. "He would be dead and so would I."
"What?" Fenton asked, confused.
"They knew Joe from the beginning," Frank told him. "If he and I had shown up as the new dealers like you had originally planned, they would have been suspicious and maybe even known right away it was a set-up."
"You're right," Fenton replied with a sigh. He had a thoughtful look on his face as he continued. "You two are pretty well known around town. Davenport may have even recognized Joe when Kenny kidnaped him." He looked down at Joe. "It's still not right though," he said. Joe had followed his orders and had been hurt for it. 'What kind of father am I?' he thought.
Laura and Fenton left, leaving Frank alone with Joe. Frank finally fell asleep in the chair beside Joe. He had no idea how long he had been asleep but when he heard gagging he had to force his eyes open. His body aching, he jumped from his chair and rushed over to Joe's side, hitting the call button when he reached it.
"Yes?" the nurse on call asked.
"He's having a seizure," Frank said, trying to hold Joe down so he couldn't hurt himself. A minute later, a nurse and two orderlies came running into the room and told Frank to wait in the hall. As he left, a doctor went inside.
Frank leaned against the wall, slowly sinking to the floor. He sat there with his head on his crossed arms resting atop his knees until the doctor left Joe's room. "Mr. Hardy," the doctor said, approaching him. Frank stood up, his face pale and anxious.
"He's awake now, but very ill. He could have another seizure at any time. Don't let him out of your sight even to go to the bathroom."
"I won't," Frank promised. "Do you have any idea how long it will take for the drug to leave his system?" he asked before the doctor could leave.
"That really depends on your brother," the doctor replied.
"What do you mean?" Frank demanded.
"Heroin causes a mental addiction as much as a physical one. Users, teens especially, become addicted because they enjoy the feeling of euphoria it gives them."
"Why teens especially?" Frank inquired.
"They ususally start experimenting in their rebellious phase," the doctor explained. "Their brains are more suspectible to change and the heroin is more easily incorporated into their system."
"So what you're saying is that if Joe is in his rebellious stage then..." Frank started.
"Then his detox could last a long while."
Continued in Highway from Hell