CHAPTER 18

"No!"

Frank opened his eyes, expecting to see the gore sight of Callie in front of him. He didn't realize he had closed his eyes.

The first thing he saw was Garcia's expression. The shocked look on Garcia's face as he looked on the floor, where the bodies were lying, made Frank turned to look.

"What in the – ?" Frank said, unable to believe the sight. Morris was lying on the floor, with a bullet on his chest. One glance told Frank that the man was already dead.

He turned around, and almost took a double take when he saw a familiar person at the doorway. He was holding a gun.

"Agent Karlinger!" Frank exclaimed in shock.

Another person stood beside him.

"Frank! You're alive!" the look of pure happiness on Joe's face was short-lived when Bruce began training his submachine gun on Joe and Karlinger.

A sudden explosion erupted outside the room.

Garcia, and the thugs exchanged uneasy glances.

"Martha, Sam! Go and check it!" Garcia ordered the blond woman and the muscled man harshly. "I'll take care of these punks."

Martha, and Sam left the room, leaving only Garcia, Bruce, and another thug. The latter had his weapon pointing at Frank.

Garcia grabbed Liz, who was slowly regained consciousness. She gave a scream when Garcia pulled her to her feet.

The sounds of gunfire echoed outside the room. Frank wondered what was happening. It felt as if they were caught in the middle of a war.

Then all of sudden, everything seemed to be moving in fast motion.

Karlinger made a sudden lunge toward Bruce with a swift blow toward Bruce's jaw, while Joe tackled Garcia, knocking him, and Liz to the ground.

Frank took the diversion to give a full-force karate kick to the thug that had him at gunpoint. The gun cluttered to the concrete floor, and the thug gave a yowl of surprise. A look of anger crossed his face when he realized what had just happened. Frank didn't give him a chance, and gave him another kick that sent the man crashed against the chair, knocking him unconscious in the process.

Seeing that Joe and Karlinger had everything under control, Frank didn't waste his time checking Callie and Phil's condition.

"Are they all right?" Joe kneeled down beside Frank. Liz looked over their shoulders worriedly.

"Here, take this," he handed Joe the plastic case before checking Phil for a pulse. "Phil's all right, but I think he needs the paramedics right away," Frank reported with a relieved.

"I've already called them," Joe said. "What about Callie?" he asked as Frank gently examined her wounds. Frank noticed red marks on her wrists, which indicated she must had been tied up. Her face was covered with bruises on her forehead, some minor cuts on the sides of her face, and dried blood trickling at the corner of her lips and nose. He couldn't help feeling angry toward Morris for what he had done to Callie. But he couldn't do anything about it, now that Morris was dead.

Callie stirred slightly. "Frank…hurts…little…" she mumbled drowsily, still closing her eyes and snuggled closer against him.

"Callie?" Frank asked, puzzled.

But her head had lolled to one side, unconscious again.

"Looks like she's going to be okay," Joe remarked, slightly amused at his brother.

"I guess…I don't see any major injuries, but we'd better get them both to the paramedics anyway," Frank told him, breathing a sigh of relief.

"You're right," Joe agreed, and carried Phil over his shoulder, while Frank carried Callie.

By the time they reached the door, the sounds of gunshot had stopped. A man stood in front of the doorway.

"Dad!" Frank asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"We've got everything under control here," he told them. "And as for me being here, I've already knew about your meeting with Morris."

"What?" Frank asked, as they walked out of the warehouse and headed toward the ambulance, which was parked between two squad cars.

He and Joe handed Callie and Phil to the paramedics.

Joe looked sheepish. "Actually, I told him," he confessed. "I know you told me not to tell him…"

"I guess you did the right thing, Joe," Frank assured. "I wasn't really thinking clearly."

"When I thought I saw you dead…I…" his voice faltered, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"It's okay, Joe," Frank said comfortingly, giving him a fierce hug. He told them what had happened when Morris brought them here.

"You mean all that happened while I was out?" Liz asked in surprise.

Frank nodded. "I guess they didn't bother to wake you up. They needed the chip from me first, before forcing you to give the cipher key to the program.

"So, what had happened? How did the FBI know about this?" Frank asked Joe, changing the subject.

"Actually, they found me," Joe said. "They had been tailing us since we left the house."

"They still think I'm a suspect." Frank looked thoughtful. He turned to his father. "Dad, there's something I need to know. When I was captured, Morris mentioned something about Massalski. What did Morris mean about your history with him?"

Mr. Hardy's face turned impassive. He hesitated before answering. "We…We used to grow up together. We went to the same elementary school, and yes… we were best friends…," he admitted. He paused to look at his sons' shocked expressions. "… until we reached high school. I didn't know that Massalski's father was a crime lord, until my father told me about it when I was sixteen. As you know, your grandfather was the chief police of NYPD.

"I think you can just imagine – the son of a crime lord and the son of a chief police were best friends. And add to that, Massalski's father died on that same year, and Massalski inherited the so-called 'family business'. He wanted me to join his business after we finished high school – as his advisor, but I've already set my mind to be like my father. I did try to get him to quit his family business, but that guy was a tough nut. For him, family loyalty comes first than others.

"That was the time when we realized our differences. And that was also the time he finally declared me as his enemy. I didn't hear more about him when I started my training. Not until fifteen years later.

"Massalski's name came up again on one of my cases. I was kidnapped when I was tailing him on foot in downtown Manhattan. Both of you were seven and eight years old when that happened. I was taken to his place and beaten to a pulp. And he still wanted to offer me that same job. His advisor that time Mr. Silverhawk wasn't happy with that decision."

"Hey, Bruce's real name is Conrad Silverhawk," Frank suddenly spoke up.

"That's Massalski's advisor's son. Mr. Silverhawk had already planned to have his son, Conrad, to marry Massalski's daughter. But Massalski had other plans in mind. He tried to trick me to become part of his organization by planning to kidnap Joe."

"Me?" Joe stared incredulously.

"Yes, because you're blond," Mr. Hardy explained. "You don't know, Massalski. He has obsession for symmetries. By kidnapping you, and he'll keep you until you're adult enough to marry his daughter, who happens to be blond – and Conrad isn't blond. If that happens, I would also be a part of his organization – involuntarily."

"That's explains why Bruce – I mean, Conrad, is so angry at Joe," Frank said thoughtfully.

"To make a long story short, I managed to escape Massalski's prison. I dug out the earth until I reached the other side of the wall – which thankfully was the garden. I reported to my colleagues, and they raided the place, but Massalski and his men were gone when we arrived. The place was empty as if no one ever lived there.

"I know that we were not out of danger, yet. I was afraid that Massalski would kidnap Joe, so I told your mother about it, and we moved to Bayport a week later," Mr. Hardy finished.

Frank and Joe still had the stunned expression on their faces.

"We don't have to move again, do we?" Joe asked worriedly.

"No," his father replied firmly. "Not ever. I realized it wouldn't do any good running away."

"So, what's going to happen to me?" Liz asked anxiously.

"Massalski's still at large, so the FBI decided to send you to Witness Protection Program," Mr. Hardy informed her.

"Witness Protection Program?" Liz echoed dully. She didn't look pleased by the idea, but she didn't complain.

"The authorities are going to investigate more on Massalski. I would give them a million bucks if they could capture Massalski," Mr. Hardy said ironically. "They won't get anything on Massalski's whereabouts from those thugs."

"Yes, Ms. Bishop, we're going to give you a new identity," Agent Karlinger suddenly appeared beside them. Even Agent Jackson, and O'Connor stood nearby.

"So, where is the chip now?" Agent O'Connor asked Frank curtly.

Frank bristled, forcing to hold his temper against the CIA agent. "It's with him," he pointed to Joe.

"I think we have the right to obtain the chip," Agent Jackson retorted.

"You mean this?" Joe asked, opening the plastic case, where the chip lay inside. He picked up the chip.

"Hand it over, kid," O'Connor ordered, ignoring Agent Jackson.

Joe looked from his father's deadpanned expression to Frank's, and then to Agent Karlinger, Jackson, and O'Connor's. He shook his head.

"What do you mean by that?" Agent Jackson snapped. He turned to Frank. "I heard you're the sensible one, why don't you advise your brother to hand it to us?"

"Sorry, can't do that. It's his decision," Frank shook his head. "I don't really care about the chip."

"Me, too," Joe agreed. He dropped it to the ground and crushed it with his sneakers.

"You can't do that!" O'Connor said angrily. "I'm going to arrest you for destroying evidence."

"Evidence? That thing has cost lots of lives. Too many people had died because of it," Joe told her firmly.

"So, you think you can save lives by destroying it?" Jackson asked sarcastically. "We've already got the rest of the project details from Garcia's office. Someone will make it again sooner or later."

"I realize that, but in the meantime, no one's gonna die for that," Joe replied.

"I guess you don't realize the information we can learn from that thing," Jackson retorted.

"Yeah, I do learn one thing here – like recognizing your mistake when you make it again," Joe said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I think that's enough, Jackson," Karlinger told his partner firmly. "Let's get Ms. Bishop with us."

Jackson grunted as Karlinger led him away from the Hardys. They took Liz with them to their black car.

When the government agents were gone and out of earshot, Joe let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"I'm proud of you, son," Mr. Hardy told Joe with a smile.

Frank nodded. "You did the right thing."

"Did I?" Joe asked uncertainly. "I've ruined your science project, Frank."

"Don't worry 'bout it," his brother assured him. "We can find a substitute – something that doesn't have the name EDevices on it."

"Come on, let's go and check how Phil and Callie are doing," Mr. Hardy changed the subject.

"After we talked to Liz," Joe promised.

"Okay, I'll wait near the paramedics," his father told them, and walked away.

"Why do you want to talk to Liz?" Frank asked curiously.

"Just wanted to say good luck to her," Joe replied as they walked toward the FBI agents' car.

Liz was speaking to Karlinger and Jackson in a serious discussion. When she caught sight of them, she gave a wan smile.

Joe ignored the glare from Jackson.

"I just want to thank you two for helping me," Liz told them gratefully.

"No problem," Frank replied modestly. "We couldn't do it without your help, too."

"Any news where you might be transferred?" Joe asked her.

"They wouldn't say anything at the moment," Liz said, biting her lower lip. She looked worried about her future.

"I'm sure it'll be all right," Joe assured her. "And good luck."

"Thanks," she said with a forced smile.

"Ms. Bishop?" Agent Karlinger's voice came over gently. "We have to go now."

Liz turned to him and nodded. "Well, I guess it's goodbye," she said to them. She gave a wave before Agent Jackson led her to the backseat of the car. Then he climbed inside after her.

"See you boys someday," Agent Karlinger said to the Hardys with a wink. He gave a wave and climbed the driver seat.

As soon as Agent Karlinger disappeared inside the car, the front passenger door swung open at the same time. A man dressed in insignificant attires climbed out.

"Gray Man!" Joe said in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?" Frank asked him suspiciously.

"Just wanted to say good job to you two. You've helped us quite conveniently," Gray Man said.

"Helped you?" Joe prompted.

Frank took a deep breath, realizing the truth. "Agent Karlinger, and Jackson aren't from the FBI, are they?"

"You mean they're working for the Network?" Joe glared at Gray Man.

"You know how we have to be…discreet," Gray Man replied.

"So, you're not sending Liz to the Witness Protection Program," Joe said with a hint of accusing tone.

"She would be useful working for us."

"She would never work for you."

"Oh, she will, when she finds out Mr. Eugene Bishop is working for us."

"Why you – !"

Frank held back his brother from clobbering the Gray Man, even though Frank felt like doing it, too. "Cool it, Joe," he told Joe sternly.

"Cool it?" Joe shot back. "He's the one who's been causing Liz a long suffering." He glared at the Gray Man.

"I realize that, Joe, but we can't do anything about it," Frank reasoned.

"Take it this way, at least she would be meeting her father again," Gray Man said before retreating back to the car.

The Hardys could only watch in helpless silence as the black car left the scene until it disappeared out of sight.

The boys stood in thoughtful silence for a moment.

"Come on, let's go see Callie, and Phil," Frank suddenly said.

"Yeah," Joe sighed heavily. "This doesn't turn out the way we want, does it?"

"You're right. It doesn't."

THE END.

A/N: I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed the story. I appreciate it very much. Glad you all enjoyed the story.